Iranian Hijab Bill Faces Pushback Before Final Approval
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Hashim Sheikh - . December 18, 2024
- . Update: December 18, 2024 6:28 pm
Local media reported on Wednesday that Iranian lawmakers are looking to amend a bill that would impose more penalties on women who refuse to wear the mandatory hijab.
Shahram Dabiri, Iran’s vice president for parliamentary affairs, has asked for the bill to be put on hold for amendments. He said that parliament speaker has requested changes to the bill. But the deadlines are not provided to him.
The “Law on Supporting the Family through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab” was passed by lawmakers in September 2023 and later approved by the Guardian Council, a group responsible for reviewing and approving new laws. The bill will be presented in front of President Masoud Pezeshkian for final approval in December.
If passed, the 74-article bill would tighten rules on women’s public attire and impose penalties on businesses that fail to enforce the dress code. It also includes harsh punishments, such as fines over $6,000 or up to 10 years in prison, for promoting “nudity” or “indecency.”
It is legally require for women to cover head and neck since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. But after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini started a big protest in Iran. Mahsa Amini was arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.
However the future of the bill remains uncertain as lawmakers and officials debate its content and implications.
