Iran’s lawmakers urge crackdown on women in Summer

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Apr. 12 – Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) deputies called for a bill to be adopted to regulate women’s attire during the hot summer months, a state-run daily reported on Wednesday. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Apr. 12 – Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) deputies called for a bill to be adopted to regulate women’s attire during the hot summer months, a state-run daily reported on Wednesday.

Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, a hard-line deputy from Tehran called for the bill against “mal-veiling” during an open session of Majlis on Tuesday, the daily Sharq wrote.

The report said that each year young people tend to disobey the Islamic dress code more during the Summer months. This year, Majlis deputies were looking to adopt the bill against “mal-veiling”, the report added.

At the same time, Emaad Afroogh, head of the Majlis cultural commission, said that he was trying to table a bill to create a “national costume” to counter the effects of Western fashion in Iran.

Mohammad-Taghi Rahbar, a hard-line deputy from the central city of Isfahan, called for a “cultural revolution”.

“You cannot call the tiny cloths that girls put on their heads as hijabs. The stage must be adequately set to bring about a cultural revolution”, Rahbar said.

In August, Iran’s Justice Minister vowed that “improperly-veiled women” will be treated as if they had no Islamic veil at all.

“Being improperly veiled and not wearing a veil are no different. When it is clear from the appearance of a woman that she has violated the law, then the crime is obvious and law enforcement agents can take legal measures against her”, Jamal Karimi-Rad said.

“Crimes such as mal-veiling or other prohibited acts, which happen before the eyes of a law enforcement agent, are evident crimes and must be dealt with in accordance with the law”.

Women have been facing a harsher crackdown since hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office as President.