Retired Brigadier General Hossein Alaei, in an interview with Khabar Online news outlet, said problems arise only when domestic and foreign policies do not follow Islamic teachings, which he said are based on rationality.
“In Islamic ideology killing a person is the gravest sin…. So, in protests no one should be killed,” the former commander said, explaining based on Islamic belief everyone has the duty to oppose oppression.
Alaei took a swipe at the morality police, arguing that not only did their efforts not lead to better observance of Islamic hijab, which is mandatory for Iranian women, but also brought lax and flimsy hijab to the fore.
The issue has stirred controversy in Iran ever since the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini last September after she was taken in a morality police station for a briefing on her hijab. Her death triggered deadly protests and riots nationwide.
The former commander also called on people “and especially government officials” to assess themselves and “repent for their wrongdoings.”
