UN: Iran Should Repeal Degrading 'Chastity, Hijab Bill' Law
The UN human rights commissioner's office has strongly criticized a newly enacted hijab law in Iran that has increased punishment for women who refuse to cover their heads.
The UN human rights commissioner's office has strongly criticized a newly enacted hijab law in Iran that has increased punishment for women who refuse to cover their heads.
The law imposes harsher penalties, including longer prison sentences and higher fines, on women who do not adhere to the country's strict Islamic dress code for head coverings and modest attire.
During a press briefing held in Geneva on Friday, Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the legislation. She described it as both “oppressive and degrading.”
“We deeply regret the Iranian parliament’s passing of the new Chastity and Hijab Bill which vastly increases jail terms and provides for crushing fines on women and girls who do not obey the compulsory dress code. In that context, the Bill also targets vague notions of promotion of nudity or indecency.”
Shamdasani explained that under the new regulations, women and girls who fail to comply with the stringent dress code could now face up to 10 years in prison, a significant increase from the previous two-month term. Moreover, fines have been raised from approximately $12 to around $8,500.
The new law follows widespread protests after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in custody of the morality police in September 2022, just three days after her arrest, for allegedly not adhering to the Islamic dress code for head coverings.
“Our Office urges the Iranian authorities to take steps to eliminate this and all other forms of gender-based discrimination…We also call on the authorities to abolish all regulations and procedures whereby specifically women’s behavior in public is monitored,” added her statement.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday, he stated that his country stood at the threshold of peace with Saudi Arabia, envisioning that this peace could be achieved with the assistance of US President Joe Biden and reshape the Middle East.
In contrast to Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, whose 30-minute speech consisted of a series of rants justifying Iran's adversarial stance towards the West, the Prime Minister of Iran's archenemy presented a solution to address regional issues and reshape the Middle East. He asserted that a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia could be transformative for the Middle East, provided that the nuclear threat posed by Iran was eliminated.
He displayed contrasting maps showing Israel’s isolation at the time of its creation in 1948 and the six countries that have normalized relations with it, including four that did so in 2020 in the so-called Abraham Accords. “There’s no question the Abraham Accords heralded the dawn of a new age of peace.
He stated, "Such a peace will go a long way in ending the Arab-Israeli conflict and will encourage other Arab states to normalize their relations with Israel." He emphasized that it would also "promote broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca, and between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael."
Raisi had earlier in the day stated in Tehran that the solution to the Palestinian issue does not lie in normalization agreements or agreements like the Camp David Accords, Oslo Accords, or Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum, but rather with the Supreme Leader.
Netanyahu referred to Iran as a "fly in the ointment" in terms of regional peace and criticized the world for appeasing the regime's oppression at home and support for conflicts worldwide.
He called on the international community to do more to support "the brave women and men of Iran who despise this regime and yearn for freedom, who have bravely taken to the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities and faced death."
He pointed out that the international community had been threatening "crippling" sanctions but turning a blind eye to Iran's uranium enrichment, alluding to the largely defunct 2015 Iran deal.
"Eight years ago, Western powers promised that if Iran violated the nuclear deal, sanctions would be reimposed," Netanyahu stated. "Well, Iran is violating the deal. But the sanctions have not been reimposed." He emphasized that this policy needed to change to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Netanyahu also discussed the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancements in reshaping the Middle East. While Iran's delegation engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to evade journalists during their stay in New York, with one of Iran International's reporters being attacked by a member of Raisi's entourage, Netanyahu was meeting individuals who could potentially turn his promises into reality.
He shared the stage with Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the auto manufacturer's Fremont factory, addressing a potentially contentious event before millions. He spoke about the risks and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, as well as topics like antisemitism and judicial reform, all while appearing calm and well-prepared.
Netanyahu's message was particularly tailored to the two leaders he is attempting to engage in a legacy-defining agreement: Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Additionally, Netanyahu had a first ever face-to-face meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, marking a milestone as the two countries have been gradually improving their relations, strained by disagreements over policies towards the Palestinians. Netanyahu suggested that if a solution could be found, Israel would cooperate, while Raisi had earlier asserted that "resistance against Israel" is the key to resolving the Palestinian crisis. Netanyahu and Erdogan also agreed to visit each other's countries in the near future
Iran paraded its military hardware on Friday to mark what the Islamic Republic calls Sacred Defense Week, commemorating the start of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war. Forces from the Iranian Army, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Police, Border Guards, and paramilitary Basij participated in the parades, showcasing ballistic and "hypersonic" missiles.
During his speech at the event, Raisi discussed several regional conflicts in which Iran has a stake, including the Kurdish groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He praised Iraq's recent announcement that it has moved armed Kurdish groups away from the border with Iran as a “positive step” and renewed threats against them. He said Iran needs to send experts to Iraq to ensure that the groups have been disarmed according to a March agreement between Iran and Iraq on their relocation.
Regarding recent developments in the Karabakh region, Raisi reiterated that "Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, but we emphasize the necessity of respecting the rights of Armenians and preserving their security and rights." He added, “Our armed forces prevented any changes in geopolitics and border alterations,” without elaborating on this so-called accomplishment.
Raisi also denounced efforts by several regional countries to normalize ties with Israel, claiming that it would not bring peace and stability to the region. He underscored that Palestinian militia groups – what Iran calls resistance forces – “will not forgive normalization with Israel,” asserting that “All nations today detest the Zionist regime.”
He added that no Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts by the world will ever work except for the one proposed by Iran. “The Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated that the solution to the Palestinian issue is not the normalization of relations or agreements like Camp David Accords, Oslo Accords, and Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum,” he said. He claimed that “the solution is the one by the Supreme Leader,” who – according to Raisi -- proposed an election to form a government.
However, Iranian leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and the rhetoric of their Palestinian allies is to expel the Jews from Israel.
The president also claimed that “the presence of Iranian forces in the region and the Persian Gulf ensures security, unlike armed forces of foreign countries (the United States) whose presence creates problems and crises.” He stated, “Today, as Iran unveils Mohajer drones and Fattah missiles, the Islamic Republic continues to join international treaties,” perhaps referring to Tehran’s recent accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group of nations.
According to state media, the country's military unveiled several drones and missiles during the parade, including models of Mohajer, Fattah, Shahed, and Arash. Last month, the Islamic Republic claimed that it had built an advanced drone named Mohajer-10 with an enhanced flight range and duration, as well as a larger payload. It has an operational range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and can fly for up to 24 hours, Iranian media reported, adding that its payload could reach 300 kg (661 pounds), double the capacity of the Mohajer-6 drone.
The United States has accused Iran of providing Mohajer-6 drones, among other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to Russia for its war against Ukraine. On Tuesday, Washington expanded Iran-related sanctions, citing Tehran's "continued, deliberate proliferation of UAVs," enabling Russia, its proxies in the Middle East, and other destabilizing actors.
