Pezeshkian to Iranian women: Morality Police will no longer "bother" you
Shafaq News/ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged that Iran’s Morality Police will no longer "bother" women, particularly regarding the hijab, which is a mandatory dress code in the country.
These remarks from the reformist news president coincide with the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in a Morality Police detention center after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly “not adhering to the hijab requirements.”
However, investigations concluded that her death was due to a medical condition, rejecting claims that she had been beaten by police. An official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization concluded that “Amini’s death was caused by illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs.”
Despite the clarification on the circumstances of her death, protests erupted in mid-September across the country. These demonstrations soon turned violent, resulting in attacks on security officers, vandalism of public property, and damage to police vehicles and ambulances, according to Iranian media outlets.
In this context, Iran’s intelligence community claimed that “several countries, including the United States and Britain, had used their espionage and propaganda resources to incite violent riots in the country. Specifically, London hosts several anti-Iranian TV networks, such as Iran International, Manoto, and BBC Persian, which spread misinformation and encouraged Iranian youth to join the protests during the unrest.”
During his election campaign, Pezeshkian had promised to remove the Morality Police harassment and oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory hijab.
The Iranian president stated, "Even the public prosecutor has declared that the Morality Police have no authority to confront women in the streets," as reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph.
In September 2022, while still a member of the Shura Council, Pezeshkian criticized the police about Amini's death. Last August, he appointed one of the most vocal critics of the Morality Police as his vice president.
Iranian state television reported at that time that the reformist Zahra Behrouz-Azar, 42, was appointed the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs.
Notably, the hijab is worn by many Muslim women as a symbol of modesty, privacy, and morality. It signifies a commitment to faith and cultural identity, enabling women to express their beliefs and values with pride. For many, the hijab serves as a source of empowerment, fostering community and solidarity among those with shared values. It is also regarded as a mark of respect and dignity, embodying significant social and moral principles.
