Although the Iranian regime’s new mandatory hijab law has not yet been officially announced, Mohsen Mazaheri, Secretary of the Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Committee in Isfahan (central Iran), defended the practice of sending text messages to the families of women and girls who engage in civil disobedience against the mandatory hijab. He stated that this is a routine action and is done for various issues.
On Tuesday, April 8, Mazaheri told the state-affiliated newspaper Ham-Mihan that he supports sending hijab-related text messages to families of women and girls, saying: “Giving a warning is, above all, about preserving the dignity of individuals. The warnings are given very privately and confidentially, so that no one else finds out.”
He added: “This is a normal action and, according to the law, it is carried out for all issues, not just this one (hijab).”
Amnesty International Condemns Iran’s Mandatory Hijab Law as a Violation of Women’s Rights
This Iranian regime official continued: “This was one of the issues where families were genuinely thankful, saying ‘We didn’t know about our children’s wrong behavior. Now that we know, we’ve taken steps to correct it.’ It doesn’t matter—even messages are sent for boys under the age of 15.”
Previously, on April 6, Mazaheri reported that during Nowruz (the Iranian New Year, which began on March 21), the “enjoining good and forbidding evil Committee” in Isfahan issued hijab warnings to over 97,500 people in the province.
He added: “The campaign of enjoining good and forbidding evil was implemented at 23 locations in Isfahan city and 50 spots across the province, totaling 9,750 person-days of enforcement.”
In another part of his interview with Ham-Mihan, he denied the use of facial recognition cameras to identify women who defy the mandatory hijab, stating that no cameras are used in this matter.
Mazaheri also denied that the text messages were sent directly by the Isfahan branch of the “enjoining good and forbidding evil”, claiming: “These messages are sent by the respective committees within each government department—like the “enjoining good and forbidding evil” in the Water Department or the Gas Department—which remind their own employees to comply.”
Regarding his earlier statement about the 97,500 hijab warnings during Nowruz, he clarified that the warnings were not sent via text messages. Instead, his colleagues were physically present at 25 locations in Isfahan city and more than 50 points in the province to deliver the warnings in person.
Previously, on March 26, the Didban Iran website reported that facial recognition cameras had been installed in some urban areas, and that text messages regarding hijab compliance were being sent to women who do not adhere to the mandatory dress code.
On March 3, 2025, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for the complete and permanent abolition of the mandatory hijab law and other discriminatory laws against women in Iran.
