Referendum on Hijab: Yes in Turkey, No in Iran
Turkey has reached a solution for the hijab issue, but Iran has not. Why can the hijab debate be put to a referendum in Turkey, but not in Iran? In Turkey, due to its secular constitution, wearing headscarves in public institutions like government offices, schools, and universities has long been prohibited. However, in 2013, the Erdogan government lifted many of these restrictions, and now there is news of holding a referendum for the right to wear hijabs in these previously banned places.
The situation in Iran is completely opposite to Turkey. Hijab was made mandatory on August 9, 1983, with the approval of the Islamic Penal Code in the parliament, and a punishment was set for not observing it in public places. This was while the entry of unveiled women into offices had been banned much earlier. This ban was approved by the Revolutionary Council and announced by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 1980.
Unlike Turkey, where hijab is optional in public places, in Iran, hijab has been mandatory not only in government places but also in public places for over forty years. However, the demand for optional hijab has never been as significant as in recent years and months, leading to widespread protests after the death of Mahsa Amini. Although the idea of a referendum on optional hijab has been proposed several times in Iran, the power structure strongly resists it.
Dialogue in Turkey: Yes, in Iran: No
After the protests in Iran, some suggested dialogue with critics and protesters, but in practice, there has been no real sign of a genuine desire for dialogue. However, in Turkey, there is still enough democracy and possibility for real dialogue that the president considers the main opposition leader and even suggests holding a hijab referendum.
Erdogan made this proposal in response to the statements of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition party, who believed that to address what he called the deep polarization of society, a law should be passed to guarantee the right to wear hijabs. Erdogan told Kemal Kilicdaroglu, ‘If you have the courage, let’s put this to a referendum. Let the people decide on this.’
However, Kilicdaroglu did not accept the proposal for a referendum and told the Turkish president, ‘Where did you get the idea of a referendum? Are you trying to imitate Viktor Orban?’ The hijab issue has heated up on the eve of elections, even though no political movement or institution has ever spoken against the hijab ban.
In Turkey, the ruling Justice and Development Party has previously tried several times to at least lift the ban on wearing hijabs in universities. However, the country’s Constitutional Court nullified these efforts in July 2008, declaring the action anti-secular.
An Excuse for a Referendum
In Iran, supporters of mandatory hijab argue that Iranian women have chosen hijab without any compulsion and would wear it even if it weren’t mandatory. Ali Motahari, when he was a member of parliament, said that if the hijab issue were put to a referendum, hijab would win. ‘Don’t think everyone would vote for no hijab; even those with loose hijab would vote for it,’ he said.
However, these kinds of arguments have become very outdated these days. Supporters of optional hijab say that this very claim that a hijab referendum would end in favor of hijab is a good excuse to make hijab optional if you believe in it, or if you’re not afraid of the outcome, then hold a referendum. After Mahsa Amini’s death and the subsequent wave of protests, the number of women and girls who do not believe in hijab and deliberately walk in public places without a headscarf or shawl has significantly increased.
Mohsen Mirdamadi, a reformist political activist, noted in 2017 that one of the issues that has been challenged from the beginning and has increasingly been challenged over time is the mandatory hijab. He said a part of the population believes in hijab and supports its imposition.
Another part believes in hijab but opposes its imposition. Some do not see it as obligatory, and others do not have much religious attachment or belief and thus do not believe in hijab either. He concluded that given the diversity of opinions and the growing challenge, now that the Guardian Council has announced its agreement with a referendum, mandatory hijab could be put to a referendum.
Most Iranians Oppose Mandatory Hijab
So far, no free and credible survey has been conducted inside Iran to assess Iranians’ beliefs about hijab, or if it has been done, its results have not been published. The surveys that have been published generally reflect the opinion of the power structure, which usually stated that over 70% believed in hijab. Even if these statistics are correct, these surveys have deliberately or inadvertently ignored the aspect of mandatory versus optional hijab.
However, alongside this, one can refer to the results of parallel surveys that clarify the reality for us. For example, according to the results of the book ‘The Status of Iranian Clothing and Makeup’ published in 2013, more than 60% of Iranians were considered to dress inappropriately, and it was announced that this statistic was increasing, with inappropriate dressing rising from 60% to over 70% from 2009 to 2012.
According to the results published by the GAMAAN Institute outside the country, the Iranian Public Opinion Study Group in 2020, 57% of the Iranian society does not believe in hijab, and 72% are against mandatory hijab, while 15% support mandatory hijab and 26% believe in its imposition.
Looking at these statistics and results is a good indication of why the power structure is reluctant to hold a referendum not only on mandatory and optional hijab but on all other contentious issues in society.