For several months, some women in Isfahan have been receiving anonymous warning messages regarding their hijab, Shargh Daily reported on October 25, 2024.
Sent under the name of the “Provincial Headquarters of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” these messages alert women about their hijab in public spaces. Despite already adhering to the hijab, some recipients report they were approached by “hijab monitors” who advised them to cover their hair fully in public transport, particularly on the metro. Ignoring this advice, they later received text messages indicating potential legal action for repeated “non-compliance.”
Legal Threats and a Widening Scope
If recipients overlook these messages, a second warning follows, carrying a sterner tone: “Given repeated appearances without proper legal covering within Isfahan, and disregarding prior warnings, any further instance will be subject to judicial prosecution,” reads the message, credited to the Social Affairs and Crime Prevention Directorate of Isfahan’s Judiciary.
In one reported case, a woman claims that a warning was sent to her father’s phone after she neglected a warning from morality patrols, despite wearing a headscarf. Isfahan appears to be the only city currently issuing such warnings, prompting some on social media to humorously dub the region the “Autonomous State of Isfahan.”
Unofficial Implementation of Unratified Law
These actions have raised widespread questions among Isfahan’s residents. Some wonder if they are under constant surveillance and question the legal foundation behind such practices. “Does the Headquarters of Promotion of Virtue have facial recognition cameras?” they ask. “Who authorized this agency with such power, and where did the funds for this technology come from?” While no answers are yet available, online reactions reflect an underlying concern about privacy and arbitrary enforcement.
Notably, Iran’s “Hijab and Chastity” Bill was only ratified by the Guardian Council in recent days and has yet to be officially implemented. The bill’s exact protocols on identifying women not adhering to hijab have not been publicly disclosed. Despite the law still awaiting final publication, reports indicate that enforcement measures like text notifications are already in effect in Isfahan, leading to suspicions that proponents of the law have launched it there as a “trial run.”
Legal Ambiguities and Public Reaction
Amir Hossein Bankipour, a proponent of the hijab bill and deputy from Isfahan in the mullahs’ Parliament, recently mentioned that women not observing the hijab will be identified through surveillance cameras, with fines texted directly to their phones.
This preemptive enforcement raises legal questions: how did authorities in Isfahan initiate such actions before Parliament even approved the law? And what legal basis allows the Provincial Headquarters to monitor and message women?
The hijab law was only approved days ago and its final draft is still unpublished. The last known draft from last year did not contain any provision for such enforcement via text message.
Prior Legal Framework on Hijab
Before the recent bill, the only legal basis concerning hijab was in Article 638 of the Iranian regime’s Penal Code. This article stipulated that women appearing in public without the appropriate religious covering could face imprisonment or fines.
However, the Penal Code provided no mechanism for mass surveillance or text-based warnings, highlighting the unprecedented and controversial nature of Isfahan’s new practices.
As the hijab bill awaits final publication, Isfahan’s enforcement measures have underscored the intense debate surrounding privacy, legal boundaries, and government oversight, while raising concerns about the unchecked powers of local authorities.
