Iran scraps morality police after 2 months of raging protests

What’s in today’s article:

• Why in News?
• News Summary

 

Why in News?

• Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code.

 

Background:

• In mid-September, Iran's so-called morality police arrested 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in Tehran for wearing what they deemed inappropriate clothing.
• They then took her to a police station, where she slipped into a coma. Three days later, she died in hospital.
• Amini's death sparked widespread anger, leading to anti-government rallies and protests against the mandatory rule of wearing Hijab.

 

News Summary

 

What is the morality police of Iran?

• "Gasht-e-Ershad," which translates as guidance patrols, is widely known as the morality police.
• It is a unit of Iran’s police force established under former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• It is supervised by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, the elected government has a say in their activities through the Interior Ministry.
• Both men and women officials are part of the morality police.

Image Caption: Evolution of hijab in Iran

 

What is the origin of morality police in Iran?

• During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1936, the hijab was actually banned in an effort to “modernize” the country.
• The police would then remove the hijab from the heads of women seen wearing it in public.
• Wearing the hijab became mandatory in Iran in 1983. A force was constituted to enforce the rules on morality and the public appearance of women only in the 1990s.
  • This was created after the war broke out with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the regime felt the need to centralize its power and underline an Iranian national identity.

 

What are the functions of the morality police?

• Not only the enforcement of hijab, but the implementation of other rules on public appearance and conduct
• In 2010, for instance, Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a template for suitable haircuts for men in order to halt Western influence on culture.
• The morality police were tasked with enforcement at salons.

 

What are the criticisms of the morality police?

• Over the years, the strictness with which the morality rules have been enforced has increased which has affected personal freedoms and dignity of individuals.
• There are no clear guidelines or details on what types of clothing qualify as inappropriate. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation leading to arbitrary detention of women.
• A major part of Iran’s social regulations is based on the state's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which requires both men and women to dress modestly.
• However, in practice, the "morality police" have in the past primarily targeted women.

 

India’s response to the morality police

• India chose not to react on this issue in any manner. India has termed these incidents as an internal issue of Iran.
  • One of the key components of India’s foreign policy in non-interference in the internal affairs of the countries.
• In November 2022, India abstained from voting on a UNHCR council on forming a fact-finding committee to prove the various human rights violations.
  • The council alleged human rights violations during Iran protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.

 

Reasons behind India’s response

• India and Iran have traditional ties and each government has worked to improve this relationship further.
  • India’s ties with Iran are part of its commitment to non-alignment, and balance India’s strong relations with Iran’s enemies US, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
• New Delhi would not like to open flanks with Iran, which doesn’t criticize India on the international stage.
  • Indian government has been particularly sensitive over criticism for the hijab ban in colleges in certain states like Karnataka.
• At present India’s most important project in Iran is connectivity- through India-developed Chabahar port, as well as over the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to Russia.
• Iran is an important partner when it comes to India’s desire to circumvent Pakistan, to connect to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• With the price of oil rising, and US and EU placing more restrictions on Russia, India has been exploring the possibility of reviving oil imports from Iran.
  • Iran was one of India’s major suppliers, until the Trump administration threatened sanctions against India for buying Iranian oil.
    • India stopped buying Iranian oil in 2019.

 

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Q1) What is Sharia law?

Sharia is Islam's legal system, derived from the Quran, Islam's holy book. It acts as a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor. It aims to help Muslims understand how they should lead every aspect of their lives according to God's wishes.

 

Q1) Who started the morality police in Iran?

The current morality police – the Guidance Patrol or Gasht-e-Ershad – were given formal standing as an arm of the police force by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005.

 

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