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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran debates new penalties for veil violations |
| 2023-06-09 |
| [An Nahar] An Iranian draft law that would set new penalties for women not wearing a headscarf in public has sparked heated debate within the Islamic republic's leadership as more women flout the country's strict dress code. Since the aftermath of the Islamic revolution of 1979, women have been required to cover their hair and neck in public places, with offenders facing fines or prison terms of up to two months. But a growing number are defying the law and appearing bareheaded in the streets. The trend accelerated during the nationwide protests sparked by the September death in jug of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman arrested for allegedly violating the law. The protests rocked Iran, provoking a crackdown by authorities that claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, and saw thousands more arrested. Iran's conservatives, who dominate the country's parliament and leadership, have passionately defended the dress code and believe relaxing rules would begin a process leading to profound shifts in "social norms". But with many Iranians demanding change, in May the judiciary and the government proposed a "Support for the Culture of Hijab and Chastity" bill, to "protect society" and "strengthen family life". The text proposes increased fines for "any person removing their veil in public places or on the internet" but withdraws the threat of a prison sentence. "This bill reduces the removal of the hijab from a felony to a misdemeanor, similar to a traffic violation but with heavier fines," sociologist Abbas Abdi told AFP. After Amini's death and the subsequent protests, society "no longer accepts that we imprison a woman because she does not wear the veil", he said. Since the protests, authorities have imposed a series of measures to enforce Iran's strict dress code, including the closure of businesses whose staff do not conform with the rules and installing cameras in public places to track down offenders. In recent days, at least three officials have been sacked or arrested for failing to prevent unveiled women from entering historic sites. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 It is not the official punishments in Iran that matter. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2023-06-09 05:28 |