Western media, including Wall Street Journal, New York Times,… have published articles about “Iran abolishing its Morality Police!” and called it a victory for anti-regime protesters. They cannot be farther from the truth!
They all referenced Islamic Republic’s attorney general who in response to a question that why the Gestapo Morality forces are no longer on the streets said: “They are not under Judiciary’s jurisdiction. The force was closed from where it was established. However, Judiciary continues its supervision of the society’s behaviors!” It is notable, Montazeri did not say the so-called “morality police” is abolished! He just said they’re not on the streets, and considering the ongoing protests, who can blame them!?
In the same speech, regime’s attorney general blamed US for whatever problem there is in Iran. Montazeri spewed Khameni’s rhetoric that Islamic Republic is facing multiple wars at the same time: “cyber, cultural, economic,…”
IRIB News also denied all the reports: “No official in the Islamic Republic has confirmed disbanding of the ‘Gasht-e-Ershad’!”
Regardless of whether “Gasht-e-Ershad” is closed or not, whether it will reemerge with a new name or not, Hijab and subservient women, are foundations of the Islamic regime. Islamic Penal Code 638 states: “Women who in public are unveiled, are subject to 10 days to 2 months imprisonment and/or 50,000 to 500,000 IRR fine.”
Secretary of “Commanding Good & Forbidding Evil Committee” had clearly characterized Hijab as one of the main foundations of the Islamic Republic: “If Hijab wall is fallen, all other system’s walls will fall too,” said Hashemi. The “Supreme Leader” of the regime, in reaction to ongoing protests, called hijab “Berlin wall” of the Islamic Republic.
Today, as Montazeri’s statement became number one title across Western media, in Iran, Islamic Republic officials made these statements:
Spokesman for the Islamic Consultative Assembly’s Cultural Commission said: “Any organization that take unveiling easy, must be held accountable!” Another rep in the same “parliament!” asked the Chief of Judiciary “evil women should not wear chador, because it represents goodness!” Naghdali was referring to women who are brought to courts in Iran!
At the same time, “Commanding Good & Forbidding Evil” gang in Hamedan announced that a store manager was summoned because his store was serving “bad hijab” women!
Bijan Djir-Sarai, General Secretary of FDP in Germany, called Montazeri’s statement a “diversionary maneuver!” He told Funke-Medien: “The regime is about to collapse and is trying to save itself…The people want the Islamic Republic to be abolished. In the country itself, democracy activists called for more strikes to keep up the pressure on the Islamist regime.”
Islamic Republic, as an authoritarian regime, will never retreat from any of its stance, it will be the end of its existence. Since 2017 anti-regime protests, overthrowing the regime was shouted loud and clear by the people on the streets of Iran. The current ongoing protests which began since Mahsa Amini’s state-murder on September 16, have been the largest, widest and longest revolt in the history of the Islamic Republic. As people have implemented it in their chants: “This is not protest anymore! It’s revolution!” No matter the fate of “Gasht-e-Ershad”, fate of Islamic Republic is obvious!
