A top Shiite dignitary in Iran has rejected the use of violence to impose the veil on women, amid protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, according to official media.
Iran has been rocked by protests since the death on September 16 of this 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, after her arrest in Tehran by the morality police who accused her of having broken the strict dress code imposing in particular on women the wearing of sailing in public.
Ineffective violence
Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi said he “does not consider violence and pressure to be effective on the issue of hijab“, reported the agency Irna Thursday evening.
This important marja (spiritual reference for Shiite believers, editor’s note), known for his conservative positions, made this statement during a meeting with the Minister of Culture, Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaïli, in the holy city of Qom (center) . “The president and the ministers must know that they are in a difficult situation. It’s true that the enemy is very active, but we are not at an impasse“, he said.
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On Wednesday, the Minister of Tourism, Ezzatollah Zarghami, had called for greater tolerance vis-à-vis the wearing of the veil in public space. On January 10, the Judicial Authority had on the contrary indicated that it wanted to reapply a law providing for severe sanctions, such as exile, for people who do not respect the obligation to wear the veil.
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