The so-called Morality Police have returned to the streets of Tehran with the aim of reinforce the use of the veil in squares, intersections and major roads in the city. This action takes place one month before the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl whose death sparked intense protests in Iran.
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The tragic death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, after being detained by the Morality Police due to the incorrect use of the veil, triggered a wave of demonstrations that lasted for months in Iran, evidencing the discontent of a part of the population with the regime of the Islamic Republic.
This mobilization resulted in a number of women who chose to stop wearing the hijab as a form of civil disobedience. However, the use of the veil varies according to the areas: in the more affluent and modern districts, such as the north, the absence of the veil prevails, while in conservative places such as the Grand Bazaar, in the south, the hijab remains predominant.
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The morality police prepare for the commemoration of one year since Amini’s death.
Dressed in the traditional chador and masks, and accompanied by two officers, those in charge of supervising compliance with the use of the veil have become a constant presence in areas of high pedestrian traffic. Their job is to warn women who “dress inappropriately” or “defy the rules.”
In other words, they focus on those women who do not cover their hair with the veil, a garment that has been mandatory since 1983 in the Islamic Republic, founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who described the veil as a symbol of revolution and he claimed that without him, women would be “naked”.
Morale patrols returned to the streets in July, after allegedly being eliminated amid protests in December. These demonstrations were put down through violent repression that resulted in the deaths of at least 500 people and thousands of arrests.
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Mahsa Amini passed away after being arrested by the morality police.
The scope of the patrols is not only limited to the streets. He Tehran metro has hired 400 women, known as “veil guards”, to ensure compliance with dress regulations on public transport. In addition, guards have been deployed at the entrances of major shopping malls and near mosques in an attempt to control clothing.
This recent implementation of morality patrols is added to a series of measures taken to reinforce the use of the veil. Although fines have been imposed, vehicles confiscated, students expelled from educational institutions, and banking and medical services denied to offenders, many women remain steadfast in their decision not to wear the hijab.
In this context, figures like Tina, a 39-year-old woman from Tehran, have taken a defiant stance. Despite the impoundment of her car for driving without a headscarf, Tina persists in her refusal to wear it and shares photos of her Western attire, which includes short sleeves and jeans, on her social media.
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*This content was made with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from EFE, and was reviewed by the journalist and an editor.
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