Iranian Women Continue To Defy Head-Scarf Law As 'Morality' Patrols Return

Two policemen walk through Tehran on July 16. The officer on the left is wearing the standard green uniform that is worn by units of the morality police.

 

A woman goes without the mandatory hijab in Tehran on July 16.

An Iranian official on July 16 confirmed that patrols of the notorious morality police, known officially as Guidance Patrols, have returned to Iran’s streets after months of keeping a low profile. The patrols enforce laws around clothing and behavior between the sexes.
 

A September 2022 photo shows a young woman watching violent protests in Tehran following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Throughout the widespread unrest that followed the September 2022 death of Amini while in the custody of the morality police, increasing numbers of women opted not to wear their hijabs. The head scarves have been mandatory in Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  

Unidentified policemen on a street corner in Tehran on July 16.

The absence of morality police on the streets during and after the massive protests, and a vague statement from an Iranian official, led to false reports in Western media that the unit had been disbanded.

Women walking without head coverings in Tehran on July 16. 

Morality police were previously identifiable by the vans with a green stripe that used to transport arrested people, but recent footage from Iranian cities appear to show morality police now operating with unmarked white vans.



 

A policeman in Tehran as a woman (right) walks with her hair uncovered.

Earlier this month, dozens of cafes and other businesses throughout Iran were shut down for purportedly allowing women to go uncovered. 

 

Contrasting clothing styles seen in Tehran on July 16. 

Shortly after the July 16 announcement that the morality police would return to on-the-spot enforcement, clashes broke out in the northern city of Rasht after they attempted to arrest three women.