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7,000 Agents… This is the “morality police” that watches, arrests and tortures women in Iran

They will be under stress. On September 19, protests broke out in the Middle Eastern country, especially in Tehran, where a crowd of several dozen people, mostly women, without a hijab, shouted “death to the Islamic republic.”

The source of the anger and indignation is the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested and tortured by the Iranian government’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly on September 13. But also the growing resentment of the population against the institution.

Protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini

Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, the hijab has been compulsory for women in Iran and the morality police are in charge of enforcing that and other restrictions. The force has been criticized in recent years, especially for its treatment of young women.

The institution ensures the strict application of the law in the streets, in which women must cover their hair in public from the age of seven, regardless of their faith or nationality. In addition, those who do not are considered criminals.

women in iran

The restrictions, which have been enforced with varying degrees of laxity for decades, also include wearing short coats above the knee, tight pants and jeans broken, as well as brightly colored outfits, among others.

In 1979, the new power had to reverse its desire to make the use of the veil compulsory, so the imposition was gradually applied, but in the mid-1980s a restrictive policy was developed to generalize the veil. “good hijab”, called the time of the “veil or flagellation”.

women in iran

However, the definition of “good hijab” is not precise. According to a common understanding, women should cover themselves with a veil in public space and wear a loose garment of varying length.

Beginning in the 1990s, women began to play by the rules to free themselves from them. In 2013, after the election of moderate President Hassan Rouhani, the morality police largely disappeared from the streets.

Women in Iran wearing burqa

The burqa was often exchanged for trousers and a kind of colorful scarf, which was not uncommon to see completely folded over the shoulders. But starting in 2016, the fight against “immorality” gained even more force.

Some 7,000 undercover agents dressed in civilian clothes, including men and women, were hired to walk the streets of the capital and correct the offenders. The actions of the Iranian regime provoked outrage not only from citizens, but also from international organizations such as Amnesty International.

women in iran

The morality police monitor the entire female population, that is, 40 million women and girls. His agents go through the city to examine the women’s clothing: they scrupulously evaluate the number of strands of hair they show, the length of their pants and coat, and the amount of makeup they wear.

– Amnesty International, through a statement

In addition, according to the NGO, “being seen in public without a veil can lead to various sanctions: arrest, prison, flogging or fine, simply because the person in question has exercised their right to choose how to dress.”

women in iran

Unfortunately, the coming to power of the conservative president Ebrahim Raisi, in 2021, has not improved the condition of women in Iran, as the interventions of the morality police have increased.

Just last July, a video shot on a phone was shared on social media showing a woman blocking the path of an “anti-moral” squad vehicle, pleading with officers to release her daughter, who says she she is sick”.

Protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini

Sadly, two months later it was Mahsa Amini’s turn to fall into the hands of the special unit. However, according to CNN’s Tara Sepehri Far, Iran and Kuwait researcher, Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch, Amini’s death appears to be uniting Iranians of different mindsets.

Criticism about the incident comes not only from opponents of the regime, but also from citizens with no history of dissent, as well as those close to power.

Protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini

Amid historic protests over the young Iranian woman’s case, international organizations, including Amnesty International, have called on the Iranian government to investigate Mahsa Amani’s death, taking into account allegations of torture.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Organization (UN) expressed its concern about the case, but also about the repression of the demonstrations. However, while there is a sense that the regime may feel vulnerable, experts question whether the current movement will expand or simply weaken in the face of increasing state repression.

Source: Okchicas

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