The death of Mahsa Amini, 22, has reignited calls to rein in the ‘moral police’s’ actions against women suspected of violating the Islamic dress code, in effect since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iran is reeling from violent protests sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman who fell into a coma after being arrested by its “morality police”. The police unit – responsible for enforcing Iran’s strict dress code for women, particularly wearing the headscarf in public – has already faced growing criticism in recent months for excessive use of force.
The death of Mahsa Amini, 22, has sparked renewed calls for a crackdown on “morality policing” against women suspected of breaking the supressing Islamic dress code, in place since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Between 8 and 10 million Kurds live in Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have suppressed unrest in Kurdish areas of the country for decades, and a harsh judiciary has sentenced many activists to long prison terms or death.
Suppressing Hijab rules in Iran
Walking uncovered or without wearing a hijab in Iran is a criminal offense under Islamic hijab rules. Since the country’s Islamic revolution in 1979, Iranian law has required all women, regardless of nationality or religion, to wear the hijab, which covers the head and neck while hiding hair.
But many have pushed the boundaries over the past two decades by allowing their headpieces to slide back to reveal more hair.
Mahsa Amini Controversy News
Mahsa Amini, 22, fell into a coma and died after being arrested by morality police in Tehran last week, sparking anti-authority demonstrations across the country by Iranians outraged by security forces’ treatment of women.
On September 13, 2022, a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, was detained by Iran’s morality police while driving to the country’s capital, Tehran. Once she entered the Haqqani metro station with her family for violating the country’s strict religious dress code. According to eyewitnesses, she was beaten and then taken to the infamous Vozara remand prison.