Women flouting hijab mandate to face $60,000 fine in Iran

Tehran: Women in Iran will have to pay a fine of $60,000 for flouting the country’s hijab mandate after a new law to enforce strict dress codes is passed by the parliament. Lawmaker Hojjat ol-Eslam Hossein Jalali said that other punishments for not wearing a hijab will include revocation of passports and a ban on internet access for women. The penalties will apply to women who are caught flouting the mandatory hijab rule in public spaces like restaurants, government offices, schools and universities. As Iran continues to be rocked by protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was arrested for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly, a number of women have given up their hijabs to defy the rules set by the Islamic Republic. ‘Lack of hijab is the new COVID’ An Iranian cleric has irked rights activists by likening defiance against hijab with COVID. Member of the Assembly of Experts, Mohsen Araki, said that the Islamic Republic “will not allow improper hijab to spread in the Islamic society” and that it is a “new COVID” trying to ruin the society. “The goal of the enemies is to destroy the independence of Iranian women because a woman without hijab will not be independent and free and will be a person who is bound by others’ lust,” he added. ‘Enforce hijab to avoid women coming out naked’ Last month, An Iranian cleric has asked authorities to ensure every woman wears the hijab before they come out “ naked ” during summer. Mohammad Nabi Mousavifard added that the government should not back down in enforcing the hijab mandate. “We have to pay for the preservation of religious values, even if we need to go to court several times,” he said according to a report by Iran International. “People and social service providers should stop giving services to people without hijab; People should give women with improper hijab warnings and not be indifferent, otherwise they will come to the street naked in the summer,” the cleric added. Imam says less rain result of women without hijab An Iranian imam blamed women who don’t wear hijab for the lack of rainfall in the country which has in turn triggered a water crisis. Mohammed-Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, a close aide of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, said that by breaking the mandatory rule of wearing a hijab, women in the Islamic Republic have “caused a lack of precipitation across the country.” The imam further emphasised that all those who don’t wear a headscarf must be confronted by the state. “It is not possible to imagine that we are living in an Islamic country when we enter some institutions, shopping malls, pharmacies, etc.!” he said while suggesting that authorities should warn shops and malls to deter the entrance of those women who defy the mandatory hijab rules. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.