TEHRAN: Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has called for stricter methods to tackle “social anomalies,” local media reported, pointing in particular to more relaxed attitudes toward wearing the mandatory hijab.
Under rules imposed after the 1979 Islamic revolution, all women in Iran must cover their hair in public with a hijab, or headscarf, and wear modest, loose-fitting clothing.
But in major cities, particularly Tehran, many women now walk around without the head coverings, often sporting jeans and sneakers, which has become a point of contention for conservatives.
“I have ordered the prosecutor general and all prosecutors in the country to ask the security and law enforcement agencies to identify organized and foreign-related movements in the field of social anomalies and introduce them to the judiciary,” Ejei was quoted as saying by the newspaper Etemad on Friday.
“One manifestation of the enemy’s efforts lies in the issue of nudity and not observing hijab.”
The term “nudity” generally refers to clothing deemed inappropriate.
This phenomenon of forgoing the hijab has become more visible in Iran since the protests that followed the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The young woman had been arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the dress code.
Hundreds of people, including dozens of members of the security forces, were killed during protests across the country, and thousands of demonstrators were arrested.
“We certainly cannot impose the wearing of the hijab on individuals,” Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh MoHajjerani declared last month, echoing moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian, amid criticism from the conservative camp.
His administration refused last year to enact a law that would have drastically increased penalties for unveiled women.
In recent months, authorities have closed several cafes and restaurants for failing to enforce hijab rules or for serving alcohol, which is prohibited in Iran.
“The hijab is the first bastion of Iranian women’s Islamic identity. If this bastion collapses, other cultural and heritage elements will gradually collapse in turn,” the ultraconservative Kayhan daily warned on Thursday.
Iran judiciary calls for tougher stance on ‘social anomalies’
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Iran judiciary calls for tougher stance on ‘social anomalies’
- Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has called for stricter methods to tackle “social anomalies“
Israel police to deploy around Al-Aqsa for Ramadan, Palestinians report curbs
- The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint
JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa — Islam’s third-holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed.
Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and in the surrounding area.
He said thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers, which draw the largest crowds of Muslim worshippers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
He did not say whether age limits would apply, adding that the final number of people would be decided by the government.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said in a separate statement it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year’s criteria.
It said Israeli authorities had blocked the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian?run body administering the site — from carrying out routine preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A Waqf source confirmed the restrictions and said 33 of its employees had been barred from entering the compound in the week before Ramadan.
The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint.
Under long?standing arrangements, Jews may visit the compound — which they revere as the site of their second temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD — but they are not permitted to pray there.
Israel says it is committed to maintaining this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
Braverman reiterated Monday that no changes were planned.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far?right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
