Freedom in Iran unveiled
A bill that would impose new restrictions on women’s rights has rekindled demands for equality – causing even hard-liners to pause.
An Iranian woman, without wearing a mandatory Islamic headscarf, walks in Tehran, Nov. 15.
AP
The Islamic regime in Iran has had a bad run lately. The collapse of its ally in Syria. The weakening of its proxy militias in Gaza and Lebanon. Embarrassing intelligence failures. Bombardments by Israel. Rarely has Tehran been more isolated.
Yet on Tuesday, when supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed in a public address that “The resistance [to Israel and the West] is not over,” he also spoke of a vulnerability from within.
“Everyone, especially women, should be vigilant about the enemy’s soft tactics and not be deceived by slogans and temptations,” he said. By “advocating for women’s rights ... they incite unrest in the country.”
The ayatollah’s warning comes amid a resurgence of the women’s rights movement that erupted two years ago when a young woman died while in police custody after being detained for not covering her hair properly. The incident kindled the most vigorous pro-democracy protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Violent crackdowns drove the resistance underground, although many women continued to defy the hijab laws. Two factors have now brought it back into the open.
The first is a bill that would impose severe restrictions on women’s public attire as well as penalties for anyone – including cabdrivers and restaurant owners – seen to be abetting violations of its provisions. The second is the temporary release of Narges Mohammadi, the women’s rights activist awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, from prison for medical reasons.
Both of these factors may come to a head in the coming days. Approved by lawmakers in 2023, the Law on Supporting the Family Through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab may be enacted as soon as this weekend. Ms. Mohammadi is due back in prison a few days later.
The regime has reason to be worried. Iranians are already battered by rolling power outages, mandatory rationing of winter heating oil, and a currency in free fall. In recent days, civil society groups have gathered tens of thousands of signatures on petitions opposing the new hijab law.
On Dec. 14, the head of the Supreme National Security Council requested a delay in implementing the law. Even the measure’s supporters agree that it is probably unenforceable.
“Society has moved forward, yet officials are pushing a law that risks further alienation,” Azar Mansouri, a reformist leader, told Foreign Policy.
Nobel laureate Ms. Mohammadi, meanwhile, has used her brief freedom well. She spoke with the Nobel committee for the first time, resulting in international calls for her permanent release. On Tuesday, she spoke with CNN. “Whether I am inside Evin [Prison] or outside Evin, my goal is very clear, and until we achieve democracy, we are not going to stop. We want freedom and we want equality,” she said.
Swift turns in global events may alter the course of nations, yet in Iran, the battle over veils has unveiled a mental liberation. “Today, in Islamic Iran, women are experiencing an unprecedented awakening, actively pursuing education and striving to secure their rightful demands,” declared Mawlana Abdol Hamid, a leader of Iran’s minority Sunni Muslims, earlier this month. “Demanding one’s rights is not a cause for concern; rather, it reflects the vitality and liveliness of a nation.”