Iran daily warns govt. about risk of new tensions over mandatory Hijab laws

An Iranian daily criticizes what it calls the return of “verbal and physical violence” to the society over the enforcement of Islamic dress code laws, warning of renewed unrest in the country over the matter.

“Many believe the return of verbal and physical violence to the society under the pretext of hijab can repeat the riots of last year’s autumn and winter and create another dangerous bipolarity about hijab in the public and cause many confrontations and tensions between people,” wrote Hamdeli Daily.

The piece was published after Iranian media reported that authorities re-launched patrols by the so-called morality police to enforce the country’s mandatory hijab rules.

The patrols had been suspended following the protests and riots that broke out in the country in September last year in the wake of the death of a young woman in the custody of the same police force.

The daily warned that such unrest may grip the country at a time when “the political and social atmosphere is extremely turbulent and the danger of the society becoming divided threatens the country, and the need for unity and solidarity between members of the society is felt more than ever.”

Hamedli urged officials to develop solutions that build trust and prevent a new wave of tensions in the society, instead of resorting to “provocative restrictions.”

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