Explained | A year after Mahsa Amini's death at the hands of morality police, how are Iranian women faring?
Explainer: Iran hijab row
One year ago, on September 13, 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini was detained by Iran's so-called 'morality police,' allegedly for wearing Hijab, the Islamic headscarf incorrectly. Three days later, on 16th September 2022, Amini died in custody, reportedly due to police beatings.
Her death had triggered significant unrest in Iran, which soon spiralled into some of the worst political turmoil seen by the nation since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
One year since Amini's death, has anything changed in Iran? How are Iranian women faring? Let's have a look.
Women and Iran's Hijab laws now
Mahsa Amini's death had sparked massive protests within the nation and outside. These protests had initially been difficult to subdue, reports Reuters. The morality police had also, for a large part, disappeared from Iran's streets.
However, as time went on and the protests fizzled out, they returned to the streets, their surveillance activities stronger than ever. Over time, surveillance cameras were installed across public spaces to identify and penalise unveiled women.
Now, in the latest turn of event, authorities in Iran have come up with a draft law that seeks to put women behind bars for up to 10 years for continuing to defy the country's mandatory hijab law.
The stricter dress code regulations which have been described by the United Nations as “gender apartheid” propose harsh sentences that are comparable to those imposed on murderers and drug traffickers.
As per the Guardian, under these proposed women found in violation of the mandatory Hijab law would face harsh and severe penalties, such as more than 60 lashes, heavy fines, and lengthy prison sentences.
Hossein Raeesi, an Iranian human rights lawyer, says, “That's ridiculous to even think about.”
The draft law also warns businesses of possible closure and other serious consequences if they serve women with “improper dress code.”
A group of experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council see this as an apparent attempt at “suppressing women and girls into total submission,” and have labelled the draft law “gender apartheid”.
The noose is tightening, allege rights activists
Security and women's rights activists as per The Guardian have alleged that Iranian authorities are investing in smart cameras with facial recognition technology. These cameras can reportedly also alert authorities of protests and are capable of sending alerts when large gatherings occur.
Additionally, as per Kurdish residents of Amini's home town, Saqqez, security forces are setting up more checkpoints to detain women who do not comply with the dress code. They are also seeking to use these checkpoints to detain Iranians who are planning on protesting on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death.
Furthermore, in Iran there has been increased patrolling by Iran's so-called “morality police” and further “gender segregation” in various public spaces, including universities, hospitals, parks, and workplaces.
Recently, the Mojhaye Khoroushan water park — located on the outskirts of Iran's northeastern holy city of Mashhad, where the eighth Imam of Shiite Islam's shrine is also situated — was shut down after reportedly allowing women to visit the place without the mandatory headscarf.
What the Iranian women think
Iranian women feel like the government wants to “erase women from society.”
“With the new law, the government is telling us women that we will go to prison for up to 10 years if we don't wear a hijab. What next? A death penalty for defying the new hijab law?,” said an Iranian journalist while talking to the Guardian.
Another Iranian woman, a Tehran-based finance student, said: “The Islamic Republic has taken a cue from the Taliban to slowly ban us from public places. They want to erase women from society.”
Will the draft law be passed?
As per an organisation called Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), the new law is under review by Iran's Guardian Council — a powerful body responsible for vetting legislation and overseeing elections.
If they endorse the bill, it would return to parliament and could come into effect as early as October, said HRA.
The veil conundrum
Authorities in Iran describe the Islamic veil as “one of the principles of the Islamic Republic”.
Iranian officials have for the most part of the last one year have blamed “foreign foes”, notably the United States and Israel, for the unrest over Hijab laws.
Recent weeks have seen journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and family members of killed protesters, especially among ethnic minorities, being targeted by the authorities.
Outside Iran, the Western society disagrees, and many nations have imposed sanctions on the West-Asian country and on dozens of Iranian officials. These sanctions, as per Reuters, have further strained Iran's already difficult ties with foreign countries.
Inside Iran, many citizens say that the number of unveiled women is continuing to grow, which could be why the nation's Parliament is considering the new, harsher punishments for anyone flouting the dress code.
(With inputs from agencies)
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