Tehran Seeks to Resolve Complex Relations with Iraqi Kurds

A fatwa by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says it is Makrooh (disliked but not sinful) to urinate while standing or on a hard surface, forcing men to use the pit latrines instead.

The move has sparked widespread discourse and critique on social media. One user expressed frustration, remarking, "This is ridiculous! If they'd spend more time worrying about the economy, the starving people, the water shortage, they wouldn't have to worry about how men urinate."

Another user sarcastically said, "I hope the level of your demands always remains this profoundly high, and that your minds never get bogged down with demands for trivial matters like city beautification, increased security, or economic improvements. Demands should only be for issues like hijab and the Islamic way of dressing, as these are what truly elevate people's quality of life."

The removal of urinals is just one example of how the Iranian regime continues to exert control over the minor details of the population's personal lives, from dress codes and family planning to restroom habits.

"This is unwise, hostile, and contrary to accepted international legal standards," Nasser Kanaani, the ministry's spokesman said, responding to the Canadian parliamentary action.

On Wednesday, the House of Commons passed a non-binding motion to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization and called for the expulsion of approximately 700 Iranian agents believed to be operating in Canada. The decision follows a report from a House committee but does not obligate the Canadian government to act on the recommendation.

Despite the non-binding nature of the vote, it symbolizes a significant political stance from Canada, which has seen gradual movements towards labeling the IRGC as a terrorist group, a policy Canada has been edging towards since at least 2012.

More than a year after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran in 2022, and persistent appeals from the diaspora to prevent regime-affiliated officials from entering Canada, the Canadian government has started to implement measures to restrict entry and initiate deportation processes for these individuals.

The diaspora continues to argue that the current actions are inadequate. They believe that including the IRGC on the terrorist list would hold its members, who have acquired Canadian citizenship, accountable for crimes committed abroad, thereby subjecting them to more severe penalties.

The United States, having designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2019, has called for international cooperation to combat the IRGC's alleged global terrorism activities. Last year, the US also found Iran to be the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism.

The IRGC was established after the 1979 Iranian revolution and has grown to be a significant force in Iran, incorporating military, political, and economic power.

Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a hardline cleric holding one of the highest ranks in the Iranian regime’s Shiite clerical system, conveyed to President Ebrahim Raeisi during a meeting on Friday the urgent need for the government to curb the “rampant inflation.”

"People are struggling with soaring housing prices. A solution must be found because housing plays a vital role in the nation's well-being," Makarem Shirazi emphasized.

Additionally, he addressed issues such as escalating food costs, dwindling purchasing power, and exchange rate volatility, stating, “the government must tackle these challenges.”

Hossein Noori Hamedani, a conservative grand ayatollah in Iran, echoed similar sentiments on Friday, informing Raisi, “everywhere you go, people lament the high cost and difficulty of life. It has become challenging for individuals to make ends meet."

Yesterday, the Supreme Leader's chief of staff, Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani, also acknowledged Iran's economic struggles. While attributing them to sanctions, Golpayegani urged Raisi to find a solution: "We are facing challenges due to sanctions, but the government will find ways to overcome them."

Religious figures, who have traditionally supported the Raisi administration and its hard-line policies, have expressed concern amid a backdrop of inflation exceeding 50%.

As of last month, Iran's Central Bank reported a 52.3% inflation rate for 2023, while gasoline remains in short supply despite the country's abundant oil reserves.

Although the economy was already suffering due to international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear weapons programs and support for regional terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which have little connection to Raisi's government, no one seemed to acknowledge the role of the Supreme Leader and instead placed blame on him.

Despite the clergy's criticism of the government and apparent alignment with the people, many harbor pent-up resentment against the clergy as a whole, especially in light of the violent crackdown on women for enforcing the hijab since 2022, which is associated with religious leaders and the harsh, oppressive doctrine of the Islamic Republic.

The dire state of the economy has worsened due to recent foreign policy decisions by the Islamic Republic.

In the first two weeks of April, Tehran's foreign exchange market experienced an unprecedented surge, with the dollar briefly hitting 700,000 rials amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. In 1978, a dollar was equivalent to 70 rials.

Over the years, the devaluation of the Iranian rial has pushed millions of Iranians into poverty.

Ahmad Alamolhoda, is a close associate of Khamenei’s and father-in-law to the country’s current President Ebrahim Raisi.

The cleric claims that the protests on American university campuses today are a result of Khamenei’s letters to Western youth in 2014 and 2015.

Alamolhoda, who is known for his violent rhetoric, once said that the British Ambassador to Iran should be “chopped into pieces”.

The protests on US campuses have garnered significant attention inside Iran and are often portrayed by the regime's media outlets as a form of validation of their anti-Western stance.

The Iranian regime's focus on these events contrasts sharply with its treatment of domestic dissent, where student activists face harsh penalties for similar activities.

The discrepancy has not gone unnoticed by the Iranian public, who have criticized the regime’s apparent hypocrisy.

Khamenei himself has seized on the protests as a victory for the pro-Hamas sentiment among Western students, interpreting their actions as a global sensitivity to the Palestinian cause.

"Despite the extensive efforts of Zionists and their American and European supporters, the issue of Gaza remains the top global concern," Khamenei stated earlier this month.

Throughout his 35-year rule, Khamenei has consistently positioned himself against Israel, the US, and Western influence more broadly, supporting groups like Hamas.

His stance has significantly isolated Iran from the global economy, exacerbating its economic challenges, including a shrinking GDP and high inflation.

Khamenei’s focus on leveraging anti-Israeli and anti-Western sentiments globally is part of a broader strategy to assert the righteousness of his political views, amidst the significant domestic and international challenges facing his regime.

Speaking to reporters, Vahidi stated that this issue is not currently on the government's agenda, despite ongoing discussions and debates surrounding women's access to such licenses in the country.

However, in January, following a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran's Vice President for Women Affairs, Ensieh Khazali, had assured reporters that efforts were underway to address the issue of motorbike licenses for women. Despite these assurances, no concrete steps have been taken to address the matter.

The parliament has repeatedly announced the approval of the law on issuing motorcycle licenses for women, but nothing has happened in this regard.

Iran’s laws on women riding motorbikes

Women can participate in motorcycle racing as a sport, but they are not legally allowed to ride on city streets, according to Iran’s Islamic restrictions.

Before the 1979 Iranian revolution, women were permitted to ride motorbikes. However, with the establishment of the Islamic Republic regime, regulations regarding women's motorbike riding, akin to their presence in sports stadiums, became ambiguous and discriminatory. While there are no explicit laws prohibiting women from riding motorbikes, they are generally banned in practice.

In the case of women being banned from riding motorbikes, it comes down to the issue of obstacles in obtaining a license in the first place from the issuing authorities, who may refer to one of the notes of the traffic law that only includes the word “men”.

The Note under Article 20 of Iran’s traffic laws states that "issuing motorbike driving licenses for ‘men’ is the responsibility of Police Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran". According to this Note, in essence women are legally unable to ride motorbikes.

In 2019 an Iranian woman named Fatemeh Eftekhari in Isfahan went to court after being denied a motorbike license based on the Note. The judge ruled in her favor and she was granted a license. However, after the news broke, the traffic police responded to the ruling, by indicating that it was made in favor of the plaintiff on a "case-by-case" basis, did not apply to the general public. In May 2020, in an Instagram post, she confirmed that the ruling was overturned and that she lost her license, while also reporting on being violently attacked by a man in Isfahan simply for being in bike gear.

Moreover, notably in 2016, when Fars News Agency asked Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about the Islamic guidance on women riding motorbikes and bicycles, he stated, "Women cycling in public places and in front of non-mahram [men who are not close family] often attracts the attention of men and can lead to sedition and corruption of society and goes against the chastity of women. It should not happen. But if it is not in front of non-mahram, there is no problem."

Iranian women defy the ban

The push for gender equality in Iran extends to the realm of transportation. Despite these legal complexities, many Iranian women continue to ride motorbikes, defying the restrictions imposed on them by the Iranian authorities.

Particularly after the 2022 uprising following the killing of Mahsa Amini in police custody, images and videos of not only riding motorbikes but also riding their bikes without compulsory hijab circulated online.

The fight for Iranian women's right to ride motorcycles in public spaces persists. Advocates like Nora Naraghi, an Iranian motorcyclist from the Baha’i religious minority, daughter of, formerly imprisoned Shahrzad Nazifi, the first woman in Iran to hold an official rank in motocross and motorcycle racing, leading the charge.