Is the nightmare of the Islamic Revolution Committee and Guidance returning? / Keyumars Amiri
The bitter and terrifying memories of the “Committee of the Islamic Revolution,” which, like a wicked fate, had inflicted harm and humiliation on the lives, property, and dignity of the people of Iran for many years, have not been forgotten. Or the “Guidance Patrols” that left deep wounds on the lives of people. Now they talk about a vague and ambiguous concept called “chastity and hijab,” which more than anything else reminds us of the terrifying nightmare of the early years of the revolution; years when pseudo-revolutionary committees and unfortunately, in the chaos that ensued, city guards and gendarmes also imitated and carried out the orders of the committee members, trampling on the personal and social freedoms and dignity of the people.
The actions of the committees were actually centers of chaos and oppression, where they exercised their power and cruelty without any accountability, causing deep wounds on the souls and minds of the people and leaving heavy damages on their property. Their actions, carried out under the guise of authority, showed no mercy or compassion and were not bound by any human principles, laws, or rules. Their only language was that of force and irrationality. It is still fresh in the minds of the people that this time, the government has brought up the issue of the Hijab and modesty and proposed it for approval by the Islamic Consultative Assembly; laws that are far from meaningful and preserving human dignity and citizen rights, and are shrouded in ambiguity and crookedness, in order to be quickly approved by the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This in itself indicates that what has been imposed on the people under the name of preserving the Hijab for almost half a century has been fundamentally illegal, and they are
Today, some believe that in such conditions where society has undergone significant changes and people’s views on their rights and freedoms are no longer the same as before, the proposal of this issue and its possible implementation is irrational and could have serious and unpredictable consequences for both society and the government. Although there is no doubt that the government intends to use this as a means of suppression and creating fear, the consequences will be different this time and we will have to witness them in the future.
A look at the history of the Committee for Tourism.
Y. (abbreviation for “year”)
Islamic Revolution
Their car was a Nissan Patrol Station Wagon with a four-door, high chassis, made in Japan with the technical abbreviation 4WD. The four passengers were dressed in matching uniforms and the words “Islamic Revolution Committee” were written in bold letters on both sides of the car doors. Next to it, there was an emblem with several verses from the Quran, a picture of a J3 rifle, and the symbol of Allah on the flag of the Islamic Republic. This car and its passengers had become a terrifying nightmare that did not let go of the people day and night. The agents of the Islamic Revolution Committee were stationed at every intersection, passage, and entrance and exit of the cities, and they would harass the people day and night, showing no regard for their rights and the basic principles of society. They would use any excuse to stop pedestrians and their cars, and would search and physically inspect the passengers, often accusing them of being politically involved or affiliated with opposition groups and humiliating them.
According to this lawlessness and chaos, city guards also took it upon themselves to bring what was considered immoral to the people of the city and villages under the guise of guarding the veil, chastity, and so on. They interfered in the most personal matters of people’s lives. These inhumane and unethical behaviors, which were carried out by individuals known as “Komiteh” for at least two decades – the 1960s and 1970s – had a significant impact on the lives of the people. During this time, with the rule of the Komiteh and other officials in the city guards and gendarmerie, everything from musical instruments, perfumes, and tea to flour, chicken, fabric, and cassette tapes, and anything else that could be considered contraband, was confiscated. This was followed by torture, beatings, arrests, and imprisonment of innocent citizens. Many families were torn apart and many lives and possessions were lost due to these actions
“The Islamic Revolutionary Committees were in fact the first revolutionary military organization formed immediately after the February 1979 revolution, on the 23rd of Bahman, under the command of Ayatollah Khomeini. The timing of their formation coincided with the outbreak of the 8-year Iran-Iraq war, which gave them significant power. The Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guards) of the Islamic Revolutionary Committees, also known as the Komitechiha, had a strong presence in all aspects of people’s lives, using force and intimidation. They were responsible for arresting and confiscating the property of those affiliated with the previous regime, as well as their so-called fight against drugs and smuggling of goods. They also arrested young men to send them to compulsory military service (front lines during the Iran-Iraq war) and interfered with the way women and men dressed, imposing the hijab on women. The Islamic Revolutionary Courts, as the judicial and executive arm and supporters of these committees,
Following the integration of the Islamic Revolutionary Committees with the police and gendarmerie, in 1979, law enforcement forces were formed in the country and the Guidance Patrols were created within this new force. These patrols, unlike the committees, were apparently only concerned with issues such as women’s hijab (and a few other matters). The Guidance Patrols, with their vans and male and female officers in plain clothes or uniforms, patrolled the streets and warned women about their hijab, and even arrested some in public for this “offense” using violence.
The bill of chastity and hijab in the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Mahsa Amini was killed by the guidance forces on September 1401, accompanied by the protests of the people and the revolutionary movement of “women, life, freedom”. The society roared and in this civil movement, women showed their unprecedented protest against the hijab. In this revolutionary uprising, hundreds were killed, blinded, and wounded, and thousands were arrested, and at least seven were executed. The government did not stop at suppressing the Mahsa movement and on the eve of the anniversary of this event, with the presentation of a 70-article bill by the Rouhani government to the Islamic Consultative Assembly entitled “Support for the Family through the Promotion of Chastity and Hijab”, it aims to legalize the suppression of unveiled women. Although this bill is referred to as “Hijab and Chastity”, it is essentially a plan to suppress and create fear and terror in society and bring back the guidance forces; a force that, after years of fruitless implementation in the
With the approval and implementation of this ambiguous plan, whose dimensions are unclear, in addition to the fact that committees and patrols of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the police will be present at the scene and will repeat the mentioned strict measures, it is likely that the government will also be the builder of a major political and social crisis in the country.
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