The Hijab and Chastity Bill, which was recently prepared and published by the Judiciary and Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, consists of five chapters and seventy articles that specify the duties of approximately twenty-four government agencies for the implementation and promotion of its provisions. However, in these seventy articles, there is no precise and comprehensive definition of the concept of hijab and chastity, which is the focus of the Judiciary and Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and even in the meetings held to review the proposed bill with the presence of officials from the Judiciary, law enforcement, Ministry of Interior, Judiciary, IRIB, and some members of the Cultural Commission of the Assembly and experts from the research center and Islamic research center of the Assembly, a clear picture of the intended concept of hijab and chastity was not presented.

It is noteworthy to what extent the mentioned government institutions have a similar understanding and comprehension of the concepts of hijab and chastity. However, more important than that is paying attention to the fact that there is a fixed and accepted assumption of the concept of hijab and chastity, claiming that all Iranians and government institutions are in agreement with it. Expecting different definitions and interpretations of concepts such as hijab and chastity, nudity and semi-nudity, adherence and non-adherence to a specific dress code, adherence to Islamic customs and societal values from the diverse population of over eighty million Iranians, known for their ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural diversity, is not only not abnormal, but also a sign of maturity and dynamism in a society. Just as it is expected that each Islamic jurist, government and non-governmental institutions, and even local and ethnic communities present their own definitions and interpretations of the concept of hijab and chastity, every human being – whether old or

The first question that will probably come to the mind of the reader of the Hijab and Chastity bill is the interpretation and definition of the Judiciary and Legal Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s system of the concept of hijab and chastity, and to what extent this definition is in line with what is mentioned in the Book of Muslims. Research shows that in the whole Quran, the word hijab has only been used seven times (1), and among these seven verses, only verse 53 of Surah Al-Ahzab provides a clear indication of the concept of hijab and chastity for believers (2). It asks believers to respect the sanctity of the wives of the Prophet of Islam during his lifetime and after his death. “If they (the wives) desire anything from the Prophet, they should ask from behind a curtain and refrain from marrying them after his death.” This is while most scholars and jurists of Islam refer to verse

The question of how much – both in the past and present – the interpretations and explanations of the scholars have been in accordance with the verses of the Quran, the wisdom and insight of the Prophet of Islam, is another question that forces the mind of the reader of this proposal to contemplate. Are the definitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s system of hijab and chastity based on the conditions of the time and political interests, or are they based on specific verses of the Quran? Why is the concept and culture of hijab and chastity different in countries that are considered the origin and main home of Islamic law, or even in other Islamic countries, compared to what is practiced in Iran as the host country? Examining these questions and others in the current sensitive situation of the country requires deep and responsible contemplation.

Empty of what the Islamic Republic of Iran has preached and does about mandatory hijab, the culture of covering and adorning the head with a headscarf, hat, or any other means has deep roots in the cultures of both Eastern and Western people. This type of clothing was not only a part of fashion, but to some extent, it was also considered a defining factor of the social and economic identity of families, both before and after the arrival of Islam in Iran. The belief and covering of the head for women is not mentioned in any of the verses of the Quran as an inseparable part of faith in God and the legitimacy of the Prophet of Islam, and what is mentioned about the way women and girls should dress from the age of nine is merely a creation of the minds of Islamic scholars and jurists in different periods of history, which has taken on different forms. If in Iran and some other Islamic societies, the covering of women’s heads and bodies is promoted and enforced in a

“The education of an Islamic lifestyle based on the commitment of couples to each other and the promotion of a culture of chastity and hijab”, “Prohibition of inviting and entering into contracts with individuals who promote nudity, immorality, immodesty, lack of hijab, or oppose hijab and chastity”, “Specialized education and training of students and clerics in promoting chastity and hijab for educational, administrative, commercial, urban, and rural environments using modern advertising methods and emphasizing persuasive techniques and promoting the authenticity of the family”, “Establishment or allocation of recreational and sports centers specifically for women with appropriate design for the freedom of women (creating a safe environment) in urban and rural areas”, “Creation and strengthening of intelligent systems for identifying violators of laws using tools such as fixed and mobile cameras and combating deviant behavior and normalizing behaviors contrary to chastity in virtual space” are some of the sections of the Hijab and Chastity Bill that guarantee to a

In societies where only a specific type of clothing is promoted to preserve the dignity of women and men and prevent harassment and assault, there is significant evidence of the failure of such thinking. Surely, this is not the only way to guarantee the preservation of human dignity and prevent harassment. The efforts of societies that have incorporated proper and timely education and training on how to behave with the opposite gender, respect the rights of others, and understand ethical standards in their educational system, will be accompanied by even greater success in this matter. Therefore, the issue of chastity and modesty, as much as it may be intertwined with clothing, can also have no bearing; because it is the trained mind and eye for chastity and modesty that prevents an individual from violating the rights of others, even when the person is not dressed modestly.

Another question that arises from studying the mentioned draft is this: what benefit does the Islamic Republic system gain from forcing a specific dress code and why does it have to tie it to the concepts of chastity, faith, and Islam, even though the Prophet of Islam did not expect such a thing from his believers? The answer to these questions is not only simple, but also requires asking other questions such as: why and how does forcing a specific dress code for Iranian women guarantee the identity and national, political, and economic interests of Iran? Does this political identity and national interests not become threatened and undermined by the entry and acceptance of female ambassadors and representatives who do not comply with the mandatory dress code and meet and consult with high-ranking government officials?

The approval of the Hijab and Chastity Bill may have any goal, but in the current situation, it reveals several points about the nature of the current system. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not only unable to understand and hear the voice of the young generation, but it is also failing to meet their demands. In recent months, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown an unprecedented display of systematic violence against those who have been seeking their basic rights, continuing to violate the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, imprisoning and executing protesting voices, with a disastrous economic recession, widespread poverty, exposure of financial and moral corruption among government employees, and inefficiency in addressing environmental issues and hundreds of other cases, it has made itself more discredited in the eyes of the international community and has shown its incompetence in solving national problems. The Hijab and Chastity Bill is not only not a rational response to the anger and dissatisfaction of the Iranian people with the current situation, but it has also provoked

Notes:

1- Al-A’raf: 46, Al-Isra: 45, Maryam: 17, Al-Ahzab: 53, S: 32, Fussilat: 5, Ash-Shura: 51.

2- And when you ask them for something, ask them from behind a veil. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not for you to harm the Messenger of Allah, nor to marry his wives after him forever…

“3- And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornment except that which appears thereof, and to wrap their headcovers over their chests and not display their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers…” “And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment.” (31)

And tell believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to reveal their adornment except that which is [necessarily] apparent. And let them wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers… And not to stamp their feet [on the ground] to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

Regarding the story of the revelation of this verse, it has been narrated from Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari that one day, a group of women went to visit Asma, the daughter of Murshidah, and they were not dressed appropriately; to the extent that their necks and the protrusion of their chests were visible. She became upset with their behavior and scolded them. After this, the verse was revealed.

Tabrisi, the interpreter of the Quran, has also written about this matter. Before the revelation of this verse, women used to wear their headscarves in a way that the end of it would fall behind their backs, and as a result, their neck and chest were visible.