The bill titled “Hijab and Chastity,” after multiple revisions and exchanges between the Parliament and the Guardian Council, was finally enacted into law with 74 articles. According to the Speaker of Parliament, it is set to be issued to the relevant authorities for implementation on December 13.
Iranian media published the final text of the “Support for Families through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab” law on Saturday, December 1.
The newly approved Hijab Law in Iran, composed of 74 articles across five chapters, has ignited a storm of criticism among legal experts, citizens, journalists, and political figures. Many see it as a direct assault on individual and social freedoms, imposing restrictions that clash with the realities of daily life in a rapidly evolving society. At its heart, this legislation extends far beyond clothing, intertwining itself with nearly every aspect of public and private existence.
The roots of this law lie in the widespread protests of September 2022, where the rallying cry of “Women, Life, Freedom” echoed across the nation. The law, branded as the “Support for Chastity and Hijab Culture Act,” emerges as a calculated response from the judiciary and the Islamic Regime to these protests. Approved under the administration of Ebrahim Raisi, the law received fast-track parliamentary approval and bypassed broader legislative scrutiny, being reviewed solely within the Judicial and Legal Commission.
The Machinery of Enforcement
This law draws a vast network of governmental and societal actors into its enforcement machinery. Ministries, universities, hospitals, schools, municipalities, and even private enterprises are tasked with ensuring compliance. From the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to the national broadcasting agency, the directives extend to censoring, silencing, and punishing any deviation from the prescribed dress codes and moral conduct.
For instance, the national broadcasting authority is mandated to blacklist individuals who promote what the regime deems as improper attire. Universities face stricter gender segregation rules, while schools risk losing their operating licenses if found non-compliant. Such measures institutionalize a culture of surveillance and control, alienating citizens from their right to free expression and personal autonomy.
The enforcement of the Hijab Law is further bolstered by advanced surveillance technologies. Closed-circuit cameras are deployed to monitor public spaces, and individuals can face financial penalties, loss of government services, or even imprisonment based on their perceived violations.
Fines must be paid within 10 days after the ruling is finalized. Failure to pay will result in various restrictions on accessing government services, including issuing or renewing passports, registering or changing license plates for motor vehicles, obtaining exit permits, legally releasing impounded vehicles, and issuing or renewing driver’s licenses. These services will only be available after the fines are fully paid.
Policing the Body: Women as Battleground
For decades, women in Iran have borne the brunt of oppressive policies dictating their appearance and behavior. Since the 1979 Revolution that oppressed by the Islamist, dress codes have been imposed under the guise of morality and cultural preservation. The recent escalation represented by the Hijab Law seeks to consolidate these controls, threatening women with escalating fines and imprisonment for repeated offenses. The state has criminalized their autonomy, transforming their bodies into battlegrounds of ideological warfare.
The infamous Article 32 encapsulates this draconian approach, permitting “qualified” individuals, including foreigners with residence permits, to issue warnings to women regarding their attire. This provision has sparked outrage, interpreted as an intrusion into women’s personal lives, subjecting them to unsolicited and often hostile scrutiny from strangers.
Resistance and Resilience
Criticism of the law extends far beyond the streets. Scholars and legal experts have openly condemned it as inconsistent with both Islamic jurisprudence and legal principles. Mohammad Fazeli, a prominent sociologist, called it a deliberate effort to stoke public dissatisfaction and suppress dissent. Others have highlighted the disproportionate punishments outlined in the law, which rival or exceed penalties for violent crimes like kidnapping.
Critics argue that this law prioritizes ideological conformity over pressing economic and social issues. Amid economic crises, rampant inflation, and critical resource shortages, the regime’s focus on legislating morality reveals its priorities: consolidating power and silencing opposition.
While the government frames the Hijab Law as a moral imperative, its true purpose appears to be deeper: the systematic erosion of individual freedoms. The widespread protests of recent years have highlighted an undeniable truth—these laws cannot crush the spirit of a people yearning for justice and equality. Iranian women, in particular, have demonstrated extraordinary courage, rejecting forced conformity at great personal risk.
The Economic Chains of Morality Policing
Critics of the Hijab Law have underscored the glaring economic implications that accompany this intrusive legislation. At a time when Iranian workers struggle under the weight of economic disparity—where the average salary of 12 million tomans is barely enough to cover essentials—this law introduces steep fines and restrictions that many cannot afford. Imagine facing penalties higher than your monthly income simply because your scarf slipped too far back. These punishments are not just financial; they represent a calculated humiliation, designed to break the spirit of resistance.
The law demands state funding for its enforcement, further burdening an already strained economy. Ministries are tasked with overseeing clothing imports, restricting garments deemed “improper,” and penalizing businesses that fail to conform. This obsession with controlling the threads of everyday life sidelines the urgent economic crises plaguing the country. The irony is not lost on citizens: while bread prices rise and water shortages deepen, parliament debates hemlines and headscarves.
Weaponizing Culture: The Hijab as a Political Tool
The cultural dimension of this law reveals its deeper purpose. It is not about faith, morality, or even tradition—it is about power. For the regime, the hijab is a symbol of ideological dominance, a banner under which dissent is crushed. By co-opting state institutions like the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the government extends its reach into the creative world. Artists, filmmakers, and media figures who deviate from prescribed norms face blacklisting, censorship, and even imprisonment. The law criminalizes the dissemination of cultural products that challenge its narrative, stifling creative freedom and reducing art to propaganda.
This cultural policing extends to the digital realm, where platforms are mandated to remove content promoting “indecency” within 12 hours. Social media accounts associated with dissent are targeted, frozen, and punished, cutting off critical avenues for free expression. The regime’s obsession with controlling the narrative reveals its insecurity—a fear of the power of words, images, and ideas to inspire change.
The Social Fragmentation of a Nation
One of the most insidious aspects of the Hijab Law is its potential to fracture society. It deputizes ordinary citizens to police one another, creating an atmosphere of suspicion and fear. Community groups, businesses, and even families are drawn into the machinery of control, eroding trust and solidarity. The law encourages denunciation, rewarding compliance and punishing defiance, ensuring that everyone becomes complicit in the regime’s vision of a controlled society.
Perhaps most disturbing is the law’s explicit targeting of marginalized groups. Migrants and foreign residents, already vulnerable to systemic discrimination, are now required to adhere to the same oppressive standards. The law sanctions “morality policing” even by foreign nationals, embedding inequality and exploitation into its very fabric.
A Legacy of Defiance
Despite these oppressive measures, the resistance against forced hijab has only grown stronger. Since the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement erupted in 2022, acts of defiance have multiplied across the country. Women walk unveiled through public spaces, challenging the regime’s authority with every step. Videos of these acts spread like wildfire on social media, inspiring others to stand firm in the face of repression.
This defiance carries immense risks. Women who resist face imprisonment, fines, and public harassment. Yet the courage of these individuals is a testament to the resilience of the Iranian people. They are not just rejecting a law—they are rejecting a system that seeks to erase their humanity.
The Hijab Law in a Broader Context
The passage of the Hijab Law is not an isolated event; it reflects the broader authoritarian trajectory of the Islamic Regime. This legislation, like so many before it, is a tool of control, designed to suppress dissent and consolidate power. Its implementation underscores the regime’s priorities: silencing opposition and diverting attention from its failures.
However, the law has also exposed the limits of authoritarianism. In its zeal to impose conformity, the regime has revealed its desperation. The protests that erupted after the murder of Mahsa/Zhina Amini laid bare the growing disconnect between the state and its people. This law, far from quelling dissent, has become a rallying point for those who refuse to be silenced.
The struggle against the Hijab Law is not just about a piece of cloth—it is about the right to exist freely, to choose, to live with dignity. It is about rejecting the chains of oppression in all their forms. The international community must stand in solidarity with the people of Iran, amplifying their voices and supporting their fight for justice.
The Iranian people, and particularly its women, are charting a path of resistance that deserves recognition and support. Their struggle is a reminder that even in the darkest times, the human spirit remains unyielding. This law, like all oppressive systems, will eventually crumble under the weight of its own contradictions. Until then, the world must not look away.
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