Promoters of Virtue to Replace Morality Patrols
Promoters of virtue are set to replace morality patrols. From the patrols of the Revolutionary Committees to Tharallah and Jundallah, and lastly the morality patrols, they have come and gone but were never completely shut down. It is still unclear whether the morality patrols have been terminated or not, which institution was responsible, and whether there is a replacement. Everyone speaks of unclear and ambiguous statements regarding the fate of these patrols or the so-called moral security police, and no one takes responsibility for their establishment or termination.
When No One Takes Responsibility
Following statements by the Attorney General that the judiciary had neither taken the smallest step nor had any plans to shut down these patrols, and that they were shut down from where they were established, a member of the Internal Affairs and Councils Commission says that the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution announced that they had not assigned such a mission to the police nor had such expectations.
The irony is even Alireza Beigi, a member of parliament, questions whether the morality patrol was a personal idea or based on a mission given by official institutions of the system. He stated that currently, no one takes responsibility for this issue, although the responsibility of this representative is not to question but to find answers and respond to public opinion.
Meanwhile, the Al-Alam network, in reaction to the announcement of the morality patrol’s shutdown by the Attorney General, emphasized that no official in the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the shutdown of the morality patrol.
According to Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, former police chief, the formation of the morality patrol was based on a resolution passed in the late eighth government by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and was implemented at the beginning of Ahmadinejad’s government. On August 4, 2005, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution approved strategies to promote the culture of chastity. The police, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Intelligence are among the committee’s member institutions.
The resolution did not explicitly mention the morality patrol, but general statements were made. This council had resolutions on this matter in 1997 and 2019. In the summer of 2006, police officials announced the start of the morality patrol’s activities, stating that these patrols were only tasked with warning individuals about improper hijab. In the following months, however, the approach changed, and police officials reported the arrest of several women. After that, various social security plans were implemented in different areas.
The Command for Good Does Not Back Down
The Attorney General previously stated that the hijab issue would be resolved by the end of Azar (December). It seems the parliament and the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution are pursuing a new plan. A member of parliament said that what he heard about the new plan of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution is that the morality patrol has no place in it, and the decision is on positive actions. Some reports suggest replacing coercive arrests with social deprivation penalties.
However, the website of the Command for Good and Prohibition of Vice constantly publishes news about public demands to confront improper hijab. For example, a group of people from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province signed a petition asking the Islamic Consultative Assembly to pass updated and effective laws to solve the issue of improper hijab and immorality in society. Another public petition demanding the organization and resolution of the improper hijab issue was signed by people and Friday prayer attendees in Karaj.
The silent removal of the morality patrol coincides with the Command for Good and Prohibition of Vice praising the governor of Qom for dismissing a bank manager who provided services to an improperly veiled woman and highlighting the summoning of a store manager in Hamedan for not supporting the promoters of virtue and preventers of vice. It reports that following the unveiling of several women in a chain store in Hamedan, the store manager and security officer were summoned to the Command for Good in Hamedan.
Harassment or Obstruction of a Promoter of Virtue Is Punishable
At the end of its report, the website of the Command for Good refers to a part of the law supporting promoters of virtue and preventers of vice, approved by the ninth parliament, which states that according to Article 9 of the law, individuals or entities are not allowed to create obstacles to the implementation of promoting virtue and preventing vice. Creating any type of obstacle and harassment, recognized as a crime by law, in addition to the prescribed punishment, results in a sentence of imprisonment or a fine.
It further states that legal entities that misuse power or legal and administrative authorities to hinder the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, in addition to administrative punishment, are sentenced to prohibition from one or more occupational or social activities permanently or for a maximum of five years.
The Entry of the Command for Good and Protests
While many people, especially the conservatives themselves, consider the harsh and hasty remarks of Hashemi Golpayegani, the secretary of the Command for Good and Prohibition of Vice, in intensifying and threatening actions against improper hijab as one of the reasons for the start of protests after the death of Mahsa Amini and the demand for optional hijab, now this individual has written a letter to Ebrahim Raisi announcing the readiness of this command to organize protests.
The letter states that this popular and revolutionary institution, while referring to its inherent duties as the direct responsible for cultural advocacy, support, and pursuit of demands until results are achieved, and comprehensive support for advocates, announces its readiness to organize public protests and gatherings in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.