On December 15, Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued a statement announcing suspension of the so-called "Hijab and Chastity Law," formally known as the "The Bill Supporting Families By Propagating the Culture of Chastity and Hijab". The bill, which was passed on June 13, 2024, was the regime's reaction to anti-hijab protests in the wake of the September 16, 2022 killing of 22-year-old Ms. Mahsa Amini in the custody of the so-called "Morality Police". It was also a reaction to the fact that increasingly, many women ignore the requirements for covering their head with a scarf in public spaces. Why is the regime capitulating on the hijab issue? In short, because President Masoud Pezeshkian, his Cabinet, and even the Revolutionary Guard and the Law Enforcement Forces, no longer believe enforcement of the bill can intimidate Iran's urban middle class into submission. On the contrary, enforcement of the Hijab bill can potentially provoke another round of anti-regime protests. The 1980's are over!
