Following intense backlash against the new mandatory hijab law, the clerical regime, fearing widespread uprisings after the downfall of the Syrian dictator—an event that has shaken the regime to its core—was compelled to halt the implementation and enforcement of the law.
On the evening of December 14, 2024, it was announced that the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council had formally requested the mullahs’ Parliament to suspend the enactment and enforcement of the new mandatory hijab law.
Alireza Salimi, a member of the Parliament’s presidium, confirmed the news, stating: “The Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council has sent a letter to the Parliament today, requesting that the government submit a new bill to address ambiguities in the hijab and chastity law.” (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2024)
Shahram Dabiri, the parliamentary deputy of Masoud Pezeshkian, the regime’s president, also confirmed that the government had requested a temporary halt to the enforcement of the law. He said: “We are preparing an amended bill to send to Parliament for further deliberations on this matter.” (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2024)
Ali Nikzad, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, raised the possibility of an agreement on the morning of Saturday, December 14. Regarding the suspension of the law, he stated: “Legally, this cannot happen unless there has been an agreement. The president had spoken on this matter, and the Supreme National Security Council suggested that the law remain dormant for three months. If the time expires, the Speaker of Parliament intends to enact it.” (Nournews, December 15, 2024)
Akbar Ranjbarzadeh, another member of Parliament, remarked: “I know that the Supreme National Security Council has intervened and halted the process. Since this council is the highest authority on national security matters, they decided to take this action, and we all follow the country’s legal frameworks.” (Khabar Online, December 14, 2024)
A representative close to the Parliament’s presidium, speaking anonymously, stated: “There has been an agreement between the government and Parliament regarding the non-enactment of the hijab and chastity law.” (Khabar Online, December 14, 2024)
Ali Rabiei, the social affairs advisor to President Pezeshkian, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the evening of December 14: “Gratitude to the president for referring the enforcement of this law to the National Security Council, considering its social repercussions.”
No Legal Basis for Hijab Law Amendments
Hassan Ali Akhlaghi-Amiri, a member of Parliament’s Cultural Commission, criticized recent comments by Shahram Dabiri regarding the government’s request to suspend the law. He noted: “As previously mentioned, the hijab and chastity law was scheduled for enactment by late December. However, due to Parliament’s recess this week, the law will be officially enacted at the start of next week, on December 21, by the 14th government.” (Tabnak, December 15, 2024)
In addition, Amir Hossein Bankipour, also a member of the Cultural Commission and one of the drafters of the law, rejected reports of the law’s suspension. He stated: “No directive from the National Security Council to suspend the law has reached Parliament. The law is being seriously pursued for enactment and enforcement.”
Bankipour added: “Once the Guardian Council approves a law, the government has no right to amend or withdraw it. Only after the law is enforced can the government submit a new bill for consideration through the standard process. The government’s current actions to halt the law represent a dangerous precedent that undermines both the rule of law and the authority of Parliament.” (Fararu, December 15, 2024)
Regime Fearful of Growing Unrest
What is clear is that the clerical regime, having suffered multiple blows on the international stage—including the severe setback to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad in Syria—finds itself surrounded by numerous economic and social crises and more dependent than ever on suppressing a dissatisfied and rebellious society. The attempt to implement the new mandatory hijab law after a year and a half underscores this reality since the enforcement of the mandatory Hijab has always served the regime as a tool for stepping up repression in society in general.
However, fearing that social reactions to this criminal, inhumane, and anti-Islamic law could ignite a more powerful uprising to overthrow the regime, the authorities have temporarily backed down, at least until December 21. The internal conflict among regime factions, who propose different approaches to preserve their rule, is expected to continue unabated.
