Don’t Poke the Bear

Iran this week delayed implementing a controversial “hijab and chastity law,” which proposed harsher penalties for women defying mandatory dress codes, amid intense public backlash and concerns voiced by the country’s president, Agence France-Presse reported.

The law was previously approved by parliament and the Guardian Council – the body empowered to review legislation – and set for enforcement on Friday.

However, the National Security Council paused the move following a request by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The proposed 74-article bill sought to impose strict penalties, including fines exceeding $6,000 and prison sentences of up to 15 years, for women who exposed their hair, forearms, or lower legs in public or for businesses failing to report such violations.

Critics have labeled the law a draconian measure to entrench state repression. Amnesty International warned it would exacerbate the “suffocating system of repression” in the country, the BBC noted.

Pezeshkian expressed “reservations” about the law’s text because of numerous “ambiguities.” His decision follows public condemnation from more than 300 Iranian rights activists, writers, and journalists, who labeled the law “illegitimate and unenforceable.”

Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former vice president for women’s affairs, also criticized the legislation as an affront to half the population.

Even so, supporters of the legislation – aligned with hardline factions close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – have pressured Pezeshkian to enforce the law and warned against delays.

However, analysts suggest the government fears that strict enforcement could reignite mass demonstrations, as public defiance against the dress code grows stronger, particularly among younger generations.

The hijab debate remains a flashpoint in the Islamic Republic, particularly after nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old detained for allegedly violating the dress code.

Many women have since defied the hijab mandate, symbolizing broader dissent against the regime’s authority.

Last week, tensions escalated further when singer Parastoo Ahmadi was briefly detained for performing in a virtual concert without a hijab.