It has been nearly 45 years that Iranian women and girls have been continuously fighting against the mandatory hijab law in the Islamic Republic. The government has made every effort to force the black chador on all Iranian women, but has faced defeat. The result of 45 years of “Guidance Patrol” and “Enjoining Good” has led to girls freely walking the streets in optional clothing such as blouses and pants. Especially after the killing of Mahsa Amini and the rise of the “Women’s Freedom Movement,” even in small towns, girls with optional clothing can be seen walking in the city, and the sight of powerful women appearing in public without a headscarf has caused concern among government officials. To alleviate these concerns, hardliners have once again returned the Guidance Patrol to the streets. Videos and images of clashes between women and girls with the Guidance Patrol officers have been shared on social media, showing that the government has moved past the issue of enjoining good and is now

Melina is 23 years old and lives in one of the cities in Isfahan province. In a phone conversation we had with her about the return of the morality police to the streets, she said: “I still go out without a headscarf and I have no fear of the authorities. My classmates and I are no longer afraid. They killed our friend Armita, the morality police did, but we will not back down.”

This young girl mentioned in our conversation that her generation wants to live freely and have their beliefs respected. She continued, “Instead of helping us find suitable jobs after we finish university, the government is only interested in seeing where our two strands of hair are going. It would be better if they thought about our high cost of living and empty stomachs instead.”

In response to the question of whether he has ever experienced being confronted by Basij officers, he said: “I have been fined several times and each time I had verbal altercations with the officers. One time, before they could take me to their car, I shouted and struggled and people came and I managed to escape. But I still go out without a headscarf.”

“Farzaneh”, Melina’s 56-year-old mother, says: “They have become very wild. When I was my daughter’s age and got caught by the morality police, they would just give me a warning. But now it’s like they have broken free from their chains. They curse and swear. They enter without any shame and use physical force, and they are not at all interested in conversation. Honestly, I am always worried about my daughter and I try to keep her from going out alone, especially since I saw the film about how Nika Shakeri was killed. I am even more worried now. It’s not clear who these people are! It’s no longer about morality, they are committing acts of violence. When I go out, I always bring a scarf with me so I can cover my head if I come across them. But Melina never brings a scarf with her.”

Farzaneh, in response to the question of why the Islamic Republic brought back the Basij to the streets, said: “Do you remember after the killing of Mahsa Amini (I will die for her mother’s heart), all the young people came to the streets. They had no fear of bullets and death. They wore burning headscarves. In our own alley, 12-13 year old girls set their headscarves on fire. The Islamic Republic saw all of these realities and knows that its downfall will be at the hands of this generation. That’s why it wants to stop this generation under the pretext of headscarves, which is a mistake. This generation will overthrow this government. They are the internet generation. They are connected to the world, see everything and know everything. They are not like my generation, who were involved in war, revolution, and such things.”

In the 1960s, the government’s main effort was to replace the chador with the manteau and headscarf. Even in many universities, the chador was mandatory. But after all the crackdowns, high school and even elementary school girls no longer submit to mandatory hijab. “Mona” is 12 years old and lives in one of the cities in Mazandaran province. She says about the peace line: “I don’t like the headscarf at all. I want to be able to freely go out on the streets like children in other countries, wearing a blouse and pants. Since the morality police came back, I haven’t gone out alone at all. I go everywhere with my father because my parents say I might get kidnapped like Nika.”

Mona sighed and said in our conversation, “I don’t like being thrown into the car and taken away with them. Last year, they released toxic gas in our school and I was very scared and just cried. My father bought me a mobile phone so I can quickly call for help wherever I am, but I still have a fear of everything. I wish one day I could be like my cousin who lives in Germany and go out on the street comfortably in shorts.”

“Hamidreza,” Mona’s father says, “I have two daughters and I am very worried about them. After Mahsa’s death and seeing all these crimes, violations, and arrests, I go everywhere with my daughters and I don’t let them go anywhere alone because I have no trust in the police. Everything is the opposite under the shadow of the Islamic Republic; instead of providing security to a father like me, I am afraid of the police. The Islamic Republic itself is in bed with thieves and sends its police after our children.”

Hamidreza continued, “I have never told my daughters to wear this or not wear that. But these days, I kindly ask them to wear a half-veil scarf on their heads. Madam, why lie!? I am afraid that someone might take my daughters away with them. But when I see women bravely walking on the street without a headscarf, I am happy. They are truly brave.”