UN Experts Slam Iran's New Law As Gender Apartheid
UN rights experts have expressed grave concern over Iran’s new draft hijab bill, with the first anniversary of Woman, Life, Freedom protests only two weeks away.
UN rights experts have expressed grave concern over Iran’s new draft hijab bill, with the first anniversary of Woman, Life, Freedom protests only two weeks away.
The legislation, crafted by a dozen hardline lawmakers after the full parliament declined to deliberate on it and assigned the responsibility to a smaller group, encompasses various penalties for women who appear in public without proper attire and complete headscarves.
Following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, which led to nationwide anti-regime protests, the Iranian government temporarily relaxed its strict enforcement of hijab rules, with more women appearing in public wearing ordinary attire. However, since March, hardliners have intensified their rhetoric and actions to suppress women's defiance of hijab and regain lost ground. They have issued various instructions to government entities in this regard. The current hijab bill represents the culmination of their efforts to reestablish what they describe as "law and order."
“The draft law could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as authorities appear to be governing through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission,” the UN experts said on Friday. They emphasized that the proposed “Bill to Support the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab” and existing restrictions are “inherently discriminatory” and may amount to gender persecution.
Iranian rights activists, some media outlets, former government officials and many commentators in Iran have been voicing their opposition to the new hijab law, which has not yet been officially promulgated.
In July, Sara Bagheri, a prominent attorney told local media that the bill violates individuals’ rights, including their right to security and will pose a threat to the reputation and dignity of thousands of women who want to choose their own style of clothing. She also questioned the heavy fines stipulated in the law and asked what would happen if a woman is unable or unwilling to pay.
The UN experts also stated, “The punishments include deprivation of a range of basic freedoms and social and economic rights, which will disproportionately affect economically marginalised women.”
Shima Ghousheh, a law expert, wrote in a commentary published by the reformist Etemad newspaper in July, "The country’s whole budget should be used to build prisons for women because many Iranians will not be able to pay these [heavy] fines and should be sent to prison." She pointed out that the punishments for unveiling or "improper" hijab are much heavier than those prescribed by law for financial crimes, including embezzlement and drug-related offenses.
The UN experts who issued the statement against the hijab law include Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, several other UN special rapporteurs, and members of Working group on discrimination against women and girls.
“The weaponisation of “public morals” to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering and will entrench and expand gender discrimination and marginalisation, with wider negative consequences for children and society as a whole,” the experts said.
“We urge authorities to reconsider the compulsory hijab legislation in compliance with international human rights law, and to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all women and girls in Iran,” the experts told the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ahmad Alirezabeigi, a lawmaker from Tabriz, disclosed to the Didban Iran [Iran Monitor] website in Tehran that members of Ahmadinejad's office have consistently remained vigilant regarding potential attacks on the former President. However, the frequency of such threats has notably increased over the past two months.
On 27 August, Dolat-e Bahar, a Telegram channel close to Ahmadinejad reported that "Based on information from reliable sources, Mr. Ahmadinejad's office dispatched a letter to high-ranking military, police, and security commanders and officials, cautioning them about highly concerning developments and activities targeting him."
The report also stated that "Ahmadinejad has requested enhanced security measures for his protection and urged authorities to confront those responsible." Additionally, it highlights that "recent practical activities strongly suggest the existence of an organized plot to assassinate Dr. Ahmadinejad."
While Iranian media typically extensively cover any developments related to Ahmadinejad, it is noteworthy that they have seemingly overlooked this particular story. However, it remains uncertain whether the choice to disregard news regarding the attempted assassination of Ahmadinejad stemmed from higher levels within the Iranian political hierarchy.
Alirezabeigi told Didban Iran that the former President's office has presented evidence about the attempt on his life to the authorities.
It's likely that Ahmadinejad's office decided to publicize information about the alleged plots when they perceived a reluctance on the part of authorities to pursue the case further.
Alirezabeigi told Didban Iran that concerns about Ahmadinejad's safety have always been a priority for his office and its staff members, but recently they saw evidence that they thought should be communicated to the authorities.
Ahmadinejad has been consistently outspoken in his criticism of the Iranian government, particularly since the end of his presidential term. This criticism intensified notably from 2017 onward, coinciding with the onset of popular anti-government protests. While he frequently targeted the presidential administration and the Judiciary, especially when led by one of his arch-enemies, Sadeq Amoli Larijani, accusing them of corruption and inefficiency, he generally refrained from direct attacks on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Nonetheless, since 2019, Ahmadinejad also targeted Khamenei and his financial conglomerate. Since 2021, when likeminded Ebrahim Raisi took office as Iran's President, Ahmadinejad has been silent. His silence was so significant that Iranian media often wondered where he was during this period.
In one of the most recent reports of this kind, Khabar Online website said that Ahmadinejad has been recently holding meetings with his former aides Esfandiar Rahim Mashai and Hamid Baqaei.
Abbas Amirirfar, another aide of the former President said that Ahmadinejad and his aides have concluded that both the leading political factions -reformists and conservatives - have failed to solve Iran's problems and the nation expects Ahmadinejad to do something, Khabar Online said in its report.
There is a prevailing belief that the former president retains political support from numerous disadvantaged Iranians who appreciate his populist approach. They particularly value his track record of providing cash handouts and subsidies during his presidency.
As of now, the Iranian judiciary, police, and security agencies have not issued any response to this news. Nevertheless, Alirezabeigi suggests that officials should delve into specific details to gain further insights into the alleged plot. However, he did not provide any elaboration on the nature of these details.
During his Friday prayer sermon, Mowlavi Abdolhamid criticized the regime for following a set of 'unwritten policies' that discriminate against the Sunni population in political and social spheres.
Sunnis make up at least 10 percent of Iran's 88 million population, and Zahedan, where thousands attend Abdolhamid’s Friday prayers every week, is one of the few Sunni-majority cities in a predominantly Shiite country.
He asserted that the authorities of the Islamic Republic intend to entrust the management of Sunni religious schools to Shia Muslims, a policy that has led to the imprisonment of several Sunni individuals who resisted this decision. Mowlavi Fat’hi-Mohammad Naghshbandi, the Friday prayer leader of the city of Rask, was arrested in August, sparking several days of demonstrations and a heavy security presence by regime agents in Sistan-Baluchestan province.
"The government can oversee religious school operations, but management should remain in the hands of Sunnis," he insisted. In areas where the government has imposed its favored Friday Prayer leaders, "the people no longer attend those mosques because they consider them state-owned."
“Sunnis have been demanding justice and equality for the past 44 years, yet their demands have gone unmet,” Abdolhamid emphasized, noting that "during the Pahlavi era, Sunnis held senior positions in the army and the police, and the region was under the control of its people.”
“However, during the Islamic Republic, there hasn't been a single Sunni minister in the government,” he lamented, adding that Sunnis are excluded from managerial positions even in Sistan-Baluchestan province. “Meritocracy is absent in the Iranian government,” he asserted.
Criticizing inequalities in regions with substantial Sunni populations, he insisted, "In the appointment of managers in provinces such as Kordestan and Sistan-Baluchestan, there should be a balance between Sunnis and Shiites."
Abdolhamid also criticized the regime for turning every problem into a security issue, urging the authorities to allow minorities to practice their religion without fear of persecution. “Don't close Sunni mosques. Do not close places of worship for Jews, Christians, and other non-Islamic religions."
He also mentioned his meetings with President Ebrahim Raisi, stating that "Among the issues I raised were establishing relations with neighboring and Islamic countries, resolving livelihood and economic problems, and addressing the concerns of Sunnis and Iranian ethnic minorities."
Iran’s top Sunni leader added that the current administration has failed to fulfill any of its promises to the Sunnis made during the election campaigns, such as appointing Sunnis as governors, deputy ministers, or envoys to other countries. "You have approximately 180 ambassadors. If you let ten of them be Sunnis, nothing would happen. Sunnis are also an integral part of this land and your fellow citizens."
"Our most crucial demand is that the government does not differentiate between Shiites and Sunnis," he emphasized, stressing that the rights of all Iranian ethnic and religious minorities should be respected.
While Abdolhamid was delivering his sermon, the regime had shut down the internet in Zahedan and several other cities in the province, disrupting the live streaming of his speech on social media platforms.
After the Friday prayers, the people of Zahedan took to the streets in protest, chanting slogans demanding the release of detained Sunni Friday Prayer Leader Mowlavi Fat’hi-Mohammad Naghshbandi, along with other political prisoners.
These protests marked the forty-eighth consecutive weekly demonstrations in the province, occurring regularly since Bloody Friday on September 30, 2022, when security forces killed over 80 people, including women and children.