Iran’s parliament passed a controversial ‘support for the culture of hijab and purity’ bill on September 20,2021, which will punish women who violate the Islamic dress code.
Main point
- According to this bill, women who do not wear hijab or dress according to the Islamic dress code will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
- The ‘Support for the Culture of Hijab and Purity’ Bill has been approved for a trial period of three years.
- The bill also proposes fines for those promoting nudity or mocking the hijab in media and social networks, and for owners of vehicles in which the female driver or passenger is not wearing a hijab or appropriate clothing.
- The bill will now be sent to the ‘Guardian Council’, a conservative body of clerics and jurists, for approval. They have the power of veto if they consider the bill inconsistent with the Constitution and Sharia.
- Women in Iran have been defying the Islamic republic’s strict dress code, which requires head coverings and modest clothing, since mass protests broke out in 2022.
- Protesters erupted after the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.
- The protesters said they were motivated by anger over the dress code as well as corruption and poor governance of the country’s ruling clerics.
- Covering the head and neck has been mandatory for women in Iran since the early years of the republic following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
- Authorities and police patrols have stepped up in recent months against women and businesses that fail to follow the dress code.
- Businesses are closed for non-compliance and surveillance cameras have been installed in public places to monitor the dress code.