Iran’s Morality Police Criticized for Brutal Enforcement of Hijab Law 

April 30, 2018

People around the world were shocked and outraged by a video clip posted on social media April 18 which showed Iran’s morality police assaulting a 20-year old girl for not wearing her hijab properly. Many inside the country, including prominent female members of the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) and artists, sharply criticized the security forces and the Judiciary for their mishandling of the situation.

However, the head of the Judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, and the spokesman for the police and security forces, Brigadier General Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, defended the actions of the morality police.

“We must deal decisively with these politically motivated actions,” Mr. Larijani said. “Security forces should not shy away from their duties. There are some people whose aim is to polarize our society by politicizing social and cultural issues and challenging the authorities. Such actions are unacceptable.”

Commander al-Mahdi expressed similar sentiments. He said: “The country would plunge into chaos if the authority of the police force were to be challenged. Confronting the police is an offense in all countries around the world.”

Parvaneh Salahshouri — the head of the Women’s faction of the Majlis, who also represents Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, and Eslamshahr — said: “Brutalizing and humiliating people will have an opposite effect. What has the morality police achieved since its creation 13 years ago? Have they improved the hijab in our society? If so, where is the evidence to support that?”

Two days later, Parvaneh Mafi, another Majlis deputy representing Tehran, also criticized the female officers of the morality police patrolling the streets. She said: “The security officer didn’t have the right to mistreat that young girl, even if she had insulted her. The Judiciary must reprimand that officer.”

“The President’s office for family affairs has submitted the Women’s Protection bill to the Judiciary committees. The Majlis will review the amended version soon,” Mafi was quoted as saying by ILNA (the Iranian Labor News Agency.) “The morality police officer acted improperly. This kind of outrageous behavior could cause all sorts of problems inside and outside the country. I hope the police and the Judiciary condemn these actions and discipline the officer in question. The Interior Minister has called for an investigation into the incident.”

Some male members of the Majlis also voiced concerns about the tactics used by the morality police to enforce the hijab law. Bahram Parsaei, the Majlis deputy representing Shiraz, said: “This was a blatant disregard for human dignity. That innocent girl’s tears and her mother’s cries drew attention to the officer’s unlawful and hostile conduct.”

Taraneh Alidoosti, a prominent film actress, posted a comment about the incident on her Twitter account, which read: “We salute the young courageous Iranian girl. Bless her.”