look news india
A major social and political change is being witnessed within Iran amidst the ongoing heavy military conflict in West Asia, increasing tensions with America-Israel and severe economic crisis. While on one hand the country’s top leadership and army are embroiled in international war and strategic security, on the other hand, Iranian women in many big cities including the capital Tehran have started openly challenging the rules of mandatory hijab. There has been a huge surge in the number of women walking around without hijab and with open hair in the streets, cafes, markets and even on public transport. However, despite this open disobedience, the Iranian administration and its notorious ‘Morality Police’ (Gasht-e Ershad) seem to be refraining from taking brutal action as before.
How did open opposition to hijab intensify during the war?
There has been a major change in Iran’s internal security priorities amid regional war and the threat of air strikes. At present, the entire attention of the government is focused on external security, missile defense and strengthening of intelligence system.
Iranian women have taken this strategic distraction as an opportunity to strengthen their individual rights and freedom. Women are not only walking confidently without headscarves on the streets of major cities like Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, but are also sharing videos on social media while riding scooters and participating in public meetings.
Why is the administration afraid of taking action? 4 big reasons
Even though Iran’s radical religious and political groups are pressurizing them to implement the strict ‘Hijab and Chastity Bill’ passed in the parliament, the government and security agencies are hesitant in taking direct action:
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1. Fear of new public rebellion like Mahsa Amini: After the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in Morality Police custody in September 2022, the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement that broke out across the country became a historic challenge for the Iranian regime. If any violent action is taken against a woman at this time and any untoward incident occurs, there is a danger of uncontrolled civil rebellion breaking out again in the entire country in the midst of war.
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2. Reformist stance of President Massoud Pejeshkian: Reformist President Masoud Pejeshkian has clearly stated that the beliefs or behavior of any citizen cannot be changed by force and law. He has protested against the policy of harassing women by the Morality Police in public forums, which has cooled down the aggressive attitude of the security forces.
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3. Compulsion to avoid war on double front: On one hand there are international sanctions, massive devaluation of the currency Riyal and the shadow of war. In such a situation, the Iranian regime does not want to completely destabilize the country by opening a domestic ‘cultural war’ (Internal Front) with half of its own population, i.e. women.
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4. Social normalization of protest: Now not just some activists, but ordinary women of every age, class and background are publicly abandoning hijab. When disobedience becomes common among millions, it becomes almost administratively impossible to suppress it with police force.
Pressure from fundamentalists and new strategy of indirect sanctions
Considering the risks involved in arresting women directly on the street, the fundamentalist system is now adopting indirect tactics. Dozens of cafes, restaurants and shops accused of harboring women who violate the rules are being sealed, and notices are being sent to cars through surveillance cameras.
Despite this, the veil of fear in Iranian society that had existed for decades after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 has been broken. The women of Iran today are leading the largest silent revolution in history, without any weapons, with only their open hair and unwavering courage.