Iran’s security council halts implementation of new hijab bill: Parliament speaker

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Sunday that the country’s top national security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), has advised against enacting the new hijab bill, amid ongoing tensions among hardline lawmakers over the controversial legislation.

Ghalibaf told lawmakers during a tense parliamentary session that the SNSC “has notified the parliament in writing that this [Chastity and Hijab] law should not be enacted for the time being,” adding, “In this case, I cannot enact the law.”

The law - officially titled the "Support for Families by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab" - was finalized and published on November 30, 2024. It comprises 74 articles across five chapters, aiming to enforce stricter compliance with the country's mandatory hijab regulations and broader modesty codes.

Under the Law, women who violate mandatory hijab rules face escalating penalties, including fines, travel bans, and digital restrictions. Repeat offenses can result in prison sentences ranging from 3 months to 1 year and fines up to 1.65 billion rials (about $2,357).

The legislation notably came despite challenges the Iranian government faced enforcing existing hijab laws, especially after the nationwide protests which swept through the country in 2022 sparked by the death of a young Kurdish woman, Zhina (Mahsa) Amini, while in morality police custody for allegedly wearing a lax hijab.

Addressing fellow lawmakers in the Sunday sessions, the ultraconservative MP Mohammed Taqi Naghdali, a member of the Paydari Party, criticized Ghalibaf for delaying the enactment of the controversial law, urging immediate implementation as ordained by God.

He emphasized that once the SNSC votes on the resolution, the parliament speaker must declare it, urging lawmakers not to politicize the issue.

Earlier this year, Ghalibaf had stated that the government was preparing the necessary groundwork and regulations to implement the controversial bill.

In March, he warned that the law’s implementation would lead to widespread discontent in Iranian society.

Answering a question about the matter in a televised interview on Iranian state television, Pezeshkian stated, “Will society accept this?” adding, “An unjust law will not be enforced, and if it is, it will create discontent.”

He further accused the ultra-hardliners of trying to challenge his newly-formed government by urging the enforcement of the hijab law soon after he was sworn in.

Despite Pezeshkian’s opposition, Iranian law requires the president to carry out parliamentary resolutions.

Importantly, this is not the first time the SNSC has intervened to halt the law’s implementation.

In mid-December, the council advised against enacting the law at the time, reflecting concerns over potential public unrest and internal divisions within the Iranian establishment.

The delay has since drawn criticism from hardliners who view it as weakening Islamic principles.