Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ebadi Calls For Unity Against Iranian Regime

Farhikhtegan newspaper, affiliated with Ali Akbar Velayati, a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said in an article published Saturday that a parliamentary committee in charge of the bill has eliminated the only possible benefit of the bill aimed at reducing police confrontations with people. 

The main idea of the bill was to introduce a new way for hijab enforcement in the streets that would not lead to violent confrontation between police and people, reminiscent of the death of Mahsa Amini that ignited nationwide protests last September, shaking the foundations of the clerical regime. It put the emphasis on non-policing measures, rather than hijab patrols who confront the people on the streets.

The bill, which was sent to the Islamic Consultative Assembly by the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi, initially was comprised of only 15 articles. Now undergoing its final deliberations, it has become more unwieldy with 70 articles while the parliament has decided to discuss it without an open session in fear of further backlash.

According to lawmaker Ahmad Naderi, a member of the parliament's presidium, a joint committee will make “the decision on the bill's passage into law discreetly and without being presented in the open session of the parliament.”

“The bill, fraught with suspicions and flaws both from a legal and societal perspective, has become a topic of national discussion,” said Farhikhtegan daily. “Now even more alarming news is being heard,” added the paper, explaining that lawmaker Amirhossein Bankipour has made the hijab patrols by police as the only viable option to crush the civil disobedience movement that is translated into society as women unveiling in public. “This means going back to square one,” said the article. 

The uprising last September has made it increasingly difficult for the clerical regime to enforce the mandatory Islamic dress code. Since the beginning of the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement, tens of thousands of girls and women have shed their compulsory hijab. The regime seeks to criminalize hijab defiance, but no branch of the government wants to be solely responsible for complications and the risk of social backlash.

According to Farhikhtegan newspaper, the bill has evolved to the point where instead of rectifying the existing issues, its new addendums will further exacerbate the situation.

In recent weeks, the regime has intensified measures to intimidate people against defying hijab such as shutting down restaurants, cafes, small businesses and even online shops. The regime has also summoned students and has moved to make university lectures online in fear of renewed protests. However, the common belief is still the same: Regime cannot retain control of women’s dress code on streets. 

Veteran hardliner lawmaker Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani said that to keep its head above water, the regime must act promptly. “Every day, the situation worsens, thus requiring preventive actions; otherwise, we risk entering irrecoverable circumstances. Due to inaction, defiance against hijab has deteriorated further, and if we don't stop its progress, it will sweep us away,” he said, justifying the haste and secrecy in finalizing the hijab bill. 

Responding to Haji-Deligani, political analyst Ali-Hossein Ghazizadeh said, “The regime is rushing to secretly approve the bill. This bill represents the last arrow in the quiver of the regime to confront the women who have come to make history. Mark my word! This bill does not work; the flood that has been unleashed will sweep you all away,” he said in a tweet. 

Reformist activist Saeed Shariati quipped on a television debate earlier in the week that it is not "religious minorities" but the "irreligious majority" who do not adhere to the regime's interpretation of Islamic laws.

The government is weighing online classes for the first 10 days of the upcoming academic year in September, coinciding with the death of Mahsa Amini in hijab police custody that triggered the nationwide uprising.

The move follows the summoning of students and former detainees as part of the regime's preparations to maintain control during a sensitive period.

Mehdi Golshani, Director General of Public Transport and Regional Affairs of Tehran Municipality confirmed discussions with relevant educational institutions regarding the possibility of virtualizing university classes starting from September 23.

Golshani explained that this proposition aims to "reduce traffic in the capital," though a final decision is yet to be made.

The announcement has sparked reactions from citizens on social media, with some interpreting it as an indication of the regime's apprehension about potential protests.

A critic voiced skepticism about the effectiveness of the plan, stating, "I find it unlikely that the virtualization of university classes will have an effect on the desired traffic situation!"

Recent days have witnessed increased security measures, including the summoning of students from various universities, alongside detainees from the previous uprising against the Islamic Republic.

Mostafa Rostami, the head of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative in universities, expressed concern on July 21, stating, "The enemy has not given up and they have announced that the university is the first place where new riots should start."

In a fervent address delivered during his Friday sermon in Zahedan, Abdolhamid condemned the regime's failure to address pressing issues such as medicine shortages, dust storms, water problems, and forest fires.

His remarks highlighted the urgent need for efficient water management, and in particular, the potential repercussions of Russia's closure of the Volga River entrance upon the fragile ecosystem of the Caspian Sea.

The outspoken leader referenced the diminishing water levels in the Caspian Sea, echoing recent statements by an Iranian environmental official who attributed part of the crisis to the closure of key entry points, particularly the Volga River.

The head of the Iranian Department of Environment, Ali Salajegheh, also commented on the adverse environmental effects of these closures on the Caspian Sea.

Abdolhamid also drew attention to the responsibility of the government towards these crises and decried what he saw as a lack of effective leadership. His criticism extended to the regime's handling of public demands, which he condemned as indicative of a "weakness of the system". Furthermore, he called for a holistic approach towards solutions and cautioned against the suppression of journalists and politicians, as well as capital punishment.

These pointed remarks from the Sunni leader come at a time of heightened tensions in Zahedan, marked by an increased military presence following a violent incident in September 2022, during which regime agents killed scores of innocent protesters.

Speaking at a Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) webinar titled "Supporting Iran’s Quest for Democracy and the Urgency of Europe Proscribing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps" on Thursday, Bolton highlighted the unique window of opportunity that Khamenei's death could present for a democratic transition in the nation.

Bolton emphasized the delicate state of affairs in Iran due to the advanced age and recurrent health issues of Ali Khamenei, currently 84 years old. He noted that the absence of a clear succession plan within the Islamic Republic further exacerbates the challenges of maintaining stability during the transition of power. Bolton's analysis suggests that this critical juncture could be leveraged to weaken the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), thereby fostering a more conducive environment for democratic change.

"Pressuring the IRGC in the lead-up to and during this transition phase could expose its vulnerabilities," Bolton stated. However, he cautioned against complacency, warning that failing to address the IRGC's influence could empower the organization to exert even greater control during this transitional period.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, another prominent voice at the webinar, stressed the moral imperative of categorizing the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Gamliel urged the EU and UK to proscribe the IRGC as a means to counteract its role in terrorism and hostage-taking. She underscored that swift action is pivotal in preparing the path for a democratic Iran, allowing its people to experience freedom and self-determination.

A prominent ‘reformist’ politician also argues that the current popular distrust in the government leads the authorities to use a security approach against the people.

At the same time, a former Deputy Intelligence Minister and Government Spokesman says despite the nationwide uprising that started in September 2022, there is no prospect for change and reform in the country.

Former budget chief Massoud Roghani Zanjani speaking in a Club House chat session that years of inflation and poverty have brought the popular dissatisfaction to a peak and laid the ground for protests in Iran. 

Zanjani said that the current crisis is the outcome of clerics' intervention in politics and the conflict between elected and non-elected bodies in the government. He added that the non-elected bodies are where the clerics' power centers are. 

He further added that "When absolute power was given to the Supreme Leader in the 1987 revision of the Iranian Constitution, it was in fact similar to crossing out all other articles of the Constitution." He pointed out that since then, Ali Khamenei has undermined the Constitution by actions such as giving executive powers to the heads of the three branches of the government. 

Zanjani said one of the reasons for the country's economic crisis is that Iran has two treasuries, one for the government, and another for Khamenei's office. He further charged that privileges given to the clerics has created an apartheid regime in their favor. 

Meanwhile, prominent reformist figure Feyzollah Arabsorkhi said in an interview with Rouydad24 website that people's distrust of the government, has encouraged officials to use security measures as a tool against the people. 

He added that what is going on in the parliament and the government is diagonally different from what people expect. Arabsorkhi said, "Just look at the government's views about the Internet and social media. It reflects the views of the hard core of the government about freedom of speech.” Under these circumstances, you cannot expect the people to trust the government when it tries all the time to restrict people's access to the Internet.

"People's distrust in the government and its efficiency are currently the biggest problems the authorities are facing," Arabsorkhi said, adding that "People do not believe what rulers say, and if the government wishes to correct this situation it should respond positively to popular demands and expectations. 

He added that the hijab law that is currently being discussed secretly at the parliament without paying attention to the people's views and expectations is one of the examples why Iranians have lost trust in the government. The state television which could have acted as mediator between the people and the government acts so unilaterally that there is no trace of the people's demands in its programming.

Meanwhile, former government spokesman Ali Rabiei wrote in Etemad Online website that there is still no prospect for reforms and correcting mistakes made by the government despite several months of nationwide protests. 

"On the contrary, in some cultural issues we see that the government is putting a step back," Rabiei said, presumably referring to compulsory hijab.

Rabiei insisted that failure to bring about a clear prospect for reforms in foreign and economic policies, and improve governance will adversely affect turnout in the upcoming parliamentary elections.