Homayoun Katouzian’s letter to Khamenei: Political insistence on compulsory hijab will further deepen the divide between the government and the people

Homayoun Katouzian’s letter to Khamenei: Political insistence on mandatory hijab increases the conflict between the government and the people.

Homayoun Katouzian, an Iranian historian and professor at the University of Oxford, Britain, criticized the re-imposition of mandatory hijab in public places in his short and open letters to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. He stated that political insistence on mandatory hijab would further exacerbate the conflict between the government and the people.

Addressing Mr. Khamenei, Homayoun Katouzian argued that there is no consensus among Islamic scholars regarding mandatory hijab, as many of them believe that it is not obligatory. He also mentioned that non-compliance with religious obligations such as prayer and fasting, which are considered obligatory in Islamic law, is not legally and religiously considered a crime. Furthermore, he pointed out that the majority of the people are not in favor of mandatory hijab.

In the past few weeks, since the official launch of Iran’s police plan to enforce mandatory hijab, many Islamic scholars, legal experts, and well-known figures in Iranian society have criticized the Supreme Leader’s emphasis on mandatory hijab.