Despite fierce protests from society, the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, wants to maintain strict police controls on women for crimes of wearing the veil.
“Respecting the headscarf is not only a religious obligation, but also a political and legal one for Iranian women,” Raisi said on Sunday. Therefore, “there is no doubt” that checks must continue to be carried out consistently, said the ultra-conservative cleric, according to the presidential office website.
Since the start of the new Persian year on March 20, police and moral guardians have once again intensified their crackdown on veil violations. Videos on social media show that there were even clashes between women and moral guards during some inspections.
The death of young Iranian Kurdish Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 triggered nationwide protests against the Islamic regime and its dress code. Amini was detained by moral guards over an allegedly ill-fitting scarf. A few days later, she died at the police station, allegedly as a result of police violence.
In solidarity with the young Kurdish woman, since then more and more Iranian women have ignored the mandatory veil. Islamic circles in Iran also criticized strict police controls. They are convinced that women cannot be transformed into pious and devout Muslims through violence.
