The re-emergence of Iran’s infamous Gasht-e-Irshad (“morality police”) has been met with dismay, but protesters interviewed by The Guardian asserted that they would not be deterred from taking to the streets once again.
A police spokesperson confirmed last week that the morality police had resumed patrolling the streets to address civilians who “ignore the consequences of not wearing the proper hijab and insist on disobeying the norms.”
This announcement comes just two months before the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody last September. A 22-year-old detained for allegedly not properly wearing the Islamic headscarf, Amini’s death triggered a significant wave of popular unrest in Iran.
Women who participated in the nationwide protests after Amini’s death spoke to The Guardian, expressing that they had already witnessed police harassing girls on the streets for not wearing the hijab.
“I didn’t feel surprised by the news that the ‘morality police’ were reinstated. Western media kept telling us that Gasht-e-Irshad was abolished, but I don’t know any Iranian friends who believed that,” said a 22-year-old from Rasht. “They were always present, either as security personnel in universities or as civilians in public places. The world only sees a glimpse of what’s happening here. Although everything may seem normal to those who don’t care about us women, they are everywhere. Mahsa was killed for showing less hair than I do, and now, with this official announcement, they’ve been given more freedom to resort to violence.”
In recent months, Iranian women and girls have been using social media to share pictures and videos of themselves defying the mandatory hijab law. A university student from Tehran stated, “The sacrifices made by those who lost their lives and their families cannot be in vain. We will hit the streets again, and there’s no turning back. We are already planning massive protests leading up to the one-year anniversary of Mahsa’s death. There will be more arrests or worse, but these scare tactics won’t stop us. I am ready to continue the fight.”
One of those killed during protests after Amini’s death was Minoo Majidi, a 62-year-old mother shot with 167 pellets. Her daughter, Mahsa Piraei, emphasized that the Islamic Republic sends a message to the Iranian people through intensified repression and violence, warning that this cycle will continue as long as the current regime remains in power.
The Guidance Patrol, the current form of the morality police, was established as an arm of the police force in 2005. Since then, it has enforced strict hijab laws, leading to numerous reports of violent arrests and detentions.
Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and activist, launched the online movement My Stealthy Freedom in 2014, encouraging women to share pictures of themselves without a hijab. Alinejad continues to receive images and videos of defiant Iranian women and girls. She noted, “The battle over the hijab became a powerful rallying cry against the gender apartheid regime in Iran and a sign of regime change.
After Amini’s death, demonstrations quickly turned into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical regime. These women became the regime’s nightmare, and that’s why the government is trying to resume hijab laws to prevent another uprising on the anniversary. They know very well that the next wave of women-led revolution in Iran will be much stronger.”
University students have faced harassment, suspensions, and expulsion for refusing to wear a hijab.
News of the morality police patrolling the streets has created further anxiety among them. One university student said, “The events of last year are repeating themselves, even though my life is the same. Even simple things have become a dream for us. In this hot weather, do they expect us to go out in a chador?”
Despite the reinstatement of the morality police, many Iranian women remain undeterred. A resident of Tehran said, “We are too many who have now decided to defy the law and fight.
If we fear, they will behave worse and torture more of my people. As an Iranian woman, I say that there’s no other option but to fight. We are not afraid of the morality police.
