Iranian lawmakers engaged in a contentious debate over a hijab bill on Sunday during a session in Tehran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. The parliament voted to further discuss the bill within an exclusive commission.
Since the passing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 of the previous year, who died after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly breaching the Islamic dress code, unveiled women have openly appeared in public as an act of civil disobedience.
“We believe that for an appropriate Islamic dress code in society, we need to establish the necessary regulations. Those who do not adhere to these regulations or attempt to disrupt the community should face penalties. However, the current bill under discussion is not the one we require. The suitable dress code we envision garners logical social support; unfortunately, this bill does not meet our expectations,” expressed Iranian MP Gholamreza Nori.
Tabatabaee, the secretary of the cultural commission of the Iranian parliament, stated, “The shape of hijab regulations might evolve, but they will not be abandoned. The present hijab is distinct from the early years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran.”
Amini fell into a coma and succumbed three days later following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code. This incident triggered a surge of accumulated resentment over issues spanning heightened social and political controls to economic hardships. Consequently, it led to one of the gravest legitimacy crises faced by Iran’s clerical establishment in decades.
