Is it possible to give up the hijab in Iran? Is the regime ready to soften?

Baku/05.01.23/Turan: According to media reports, for the first time in 43 years the Iranian authorities said that women can do without a hijab. The other day, Ayatollah Khamenei stated in his speech that “hijab is a necessary condition of Sharia, born of Islam, and this is a command that is prescribed by Sharia. The importance of the hijab is undeniable. Everyone should be aware that the hijab is an important requirement of Sharia and must be observed. However, those who do not wear the hijab cannot be accused of disbelief and of being enemies of the revolution.” The media is linking this to the recent unrest in Iran and is seen as a step taken by the regime to calm the unrest.

Is the Iranian regime really softening?

Mehsa Mehdili, a political commentator based in Turkey, answers this question in "A Difficult Question" program.

According to her, to assess Khamenei's statement correctly, it is necessary to get acquainted not with individual statements, but with his entire speech.

“Khamenei's speech contained an attack on the democratic values of the West. He stated that such concepts as human rights and women's rights are incomprehensible to him. At the same time, although Khamenei acknowledged the impossibility of further ignoring the situation that has developed in connection with the protests, he nevertheless stressed that the hijab is an enduring value that should remain inviolable,” Mehdili said.

In her opinion, no concessions can be seen in Khamenei's position on the issue of the hijab. “Against the backdrop of this speech by Khamenei, two more protesters were sentenced to death,” the observer emphasized.

According to Mehdili, the focus on the issue of the hijab by the world, including the Azerbaijani media, forms a false impression that the protests in Iran started because of the hijab.

“The issue of the hijab is just an excuse. Yes, women have come to the fore, raising the issue of the hijab, the issue of personal freedom. This is only a small fraction of the demands of the Iranian society to the regime. There are serious economic problems, foreign policy problems, problems related to the political structure of Iran,” Mehdili said. –0—