The Iranian authorities are making it clear that they will enforce the compulsory hijab on women, despite months of protests demanding an end to the restriction. A hardline MP has given an ultimatum to the judiciary to come up with measures to stop women from flouting the rules on headscarves within the next 48 hours. Videos and pictures posted online show that the upswell of frustration and anger with the restrictions is still a potent force in Iranian society. However, the protests have largely been quelled for now by brute force, and thousands have been arrested. The authorities show no sign of relenting, and the interior ministry has announced that there will be no retreat or tolerance on the issue.
The hijab remains an essential element of Islamic law and will remain one of the key principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The protests in Iran that erupted in September 2021 began as a demand to end the compulsory hijab for women, but quickly escalated into wider calls for a complete overhaul of the Islamic Republic. The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly,” became a potent symbol of the movement. Despite the protests being largely quelled by the use of force, videos and pictures posted online show that the frustration and anger with the restrictions on the hijab continue to be a potent force in Iranian society. The authorities show no sign of relenting on the issue, with the head of the judiciary and a hardline MP both recently making unyielding statements about enforcing the compulsory hijab.