Tehran: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday delivered a staunch defence of the hijab as more women flout the Islamic republic's strict dress code, prompting criticism from ultraconservatives. His remarks came a day after more than half of Iran's conservative-dominated parliament accused the judiciary of failing to properly enforce the law on mandatory headscarves on women.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, last week, Khamenei's office faced backlash from some ultraconservatives after it published in its newspaper a photo of an unveiled Iranian woman killed in the June war with Israel. In the picture, the woman appeared with a baseball cap on her head, her hair clearly visible. Khamenei emphasized in a meeting with a group of women that "a Muslim woman, wearing the hijab and respecting the Islamic dress, can progress more than others in all areas and play an active role both in society and in her home." He highlighted the progress of women and girls in various fields since the Islamic Revolution.
Covering the neck and head and dressing modestly became mandatory for women in Iran following the Islamic revolution that overthrew the US-backed shah in 1979. However, women in Iran have increasingly been flouting the strict dress code, especially since nationwide protests following the September 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old Iranian Kurd had been arrested for allegedly violating the country's dress code for women, and her death triggered months of unrest, which authorities labeled as foreign-instigated "riots."
Iran's government has refused to ratify a bill passed by the parliament in 2023 that would have toughened penalties for women who do not wear the hijab or dress improperly. Since coming to power in July 2024, President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained that women cannot be forced to wear the hijab. In January, Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that the bill was shelved as it "could have had serious social consequences."