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As Justin Trudeau makes up stories in his head about India, 1000s in his country march against the militarised wokeness of gender politics

OpIndia Staff
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As Justin Trudeau makes up stories in his head about India, 1000s in his country march against the militarised wokeness of gender politics

On Wednesday, September 20, thousands of people gathered in cities across Canada to rally against the indoctrination of kids in schools by the woke far-left activists.

Protesters charged that schools expose young students to ‘gender ideology,’ and that parents have the authority to know whether their children have doubts about their gender identification. Meanwhile, counter-demonstrators blamed protesters for bringing US culture conflicts into the country and attempting to deny students critical lessons about inclusivity and respect for gender-diverse persons.

The protesters joined the 1 Million March 4 Children, a protest that raised voices against indoctrination and sexualisation of children, and converged on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The protesters stated that the public school boards marketed gender ideology and sexual indoctrination as a part of the educational curriculum.

Meanwhile counter-demonstrators used phrases like “transphobia,” “trans kids,” “two-spirit,” and “safe spaces” in their rally. The protesters and the counter-demonstrators yelled slogans against each other.

The march’s organisers stated that they are protesting premature sexualisation and potentially harmful indoctrination of children, but that they are not anti-LGBTQ2S+ persons.

Several police officers stood between competing protesters and tried to pacify the situation. The Ottawa Police later confirmed that two arrests had been made for inciting hatred at the demonstrations by displaying hateful material. “Hate or bias-motivated crimes will be fully investigated,” the police wrote on Twitter (X).

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe also commented on the protests and said, “As Mayor of Ottawa, I condemn any form of discrimination or hatred. Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community have the right to live free from harassment and bigotry. I respect the right to protest, however, the specific targeting of 2SLGBTQIA+ children for being who they are, has no place in our city. The protests taking place today will only cause harm to youth who are looking for our support and acceptance. I stand with Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Please know that you are valued and are always welcome here.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented saying “Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country — you are valid and you are valued.”

The protests are also said to have taken place in Victoria, Regina, Saskatoon, and Toronto.

Many protesters in the 1 Million March 4 Children event repeatedly stated that sexual content aimed at children in public schools, which is presented as instructional curriculum by school boards, is harmful to children. Several of these participants described a degradation of parental power over their own children, which they defined as a weakening of parental rights by government-run schools that are increasingly remote from and hostile to their kids’ parents’ preferences.

As reported earlier, Canadian Muslim Organisations and the Canadian Council of Imams have extended in principle support to the 1 million March for Children which has been started by a man named Kamel El-Cheikh as a counter to Trudeau’s woke agenda.

In a written statement, the Muslim organisations jointly said, “Canada is regrettably moving in a direction where advocates of sexual and gender ethics contrary to the Islamic faith are going beyond their limits by imposing their worldview on our children, often without the knowledge or consent of parents.”

“Enforcing agreement with beliefs and practices that are incompatible with the Islamic moral code is harmful to our children. This means that mandated celebration or affirmation of LGBTQ, including direct or indirect impositions to participate in “Pride” events and activities, constitutes an infringement on the legal rights of Muslims,” it added.

The Muslim organisations demanded that every child deserves a coercion-free educational environment, where they are not forced to engage in activities contrary to their faith. 

This is not the first time that Muslims and the Trudeau government have drawn swords against each other on the issue of the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier, in July, many Muslim outfits staged protests where they not only attacked gender ideology but also directly criticised Trudeau for presiding over a woke agenda that they strongly reject. ‘F**k Trudeau’ flags were all over the place at these parents’ protests.

Meanwhile, as Canada stands divided over the issue of woke agenda and gender politics, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is busy antagonising India to appease his Khalistani vote bank. From blaming India for the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar without any proof to suspending trade talks with India, Trudeau has been trying to provoke India at every turn.

India denied the allegations and released an official statement affirming that claims made by Canada are absurd and motivated, the Trudeau govt is continuing to make up stories against India in their heads and turning a blind eye to actually what needs attention in his own country.

Trudeau plane delay: After refusing to deny ‘sabotage’ theory, Canadian Minister of Defence says there was no sabotage

OpIndia Staff
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Trudeau plane delay: After refusing to deny ‘sabotage’ theory, Canadian Minister of Defence says there was no sabotage

Merely 10 hours after refusing to categorically deny that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plane was ‘sabotaged’ in India, Minister of National Defence of Canada Bill Blair has now ruled out sabotage.

Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair was asked by the media if sabotage has been ruled out in technical issues in Canada’s plane on his (Trudeau’s) trip to India. Blair said that he would not comment on that.

“There are obviously uncoined concerns. I am also focused on replacing those planes because we have already made that step…,” Blair said but was interrupted with another question.

“But you are not commenting on if there’s any potential sabotage?” a reporter asked. “No, I am not commenting on that,” the Canadian Minister said.

10 hours on, speaking outside the House of Commons, Blair then clarified that it was a technical error, and not sabotage, in his plane. Justin Trudeau was stranded in India for well over 36 hours of his scheduled time of departure making global headlines.

When asked by the media once again whether the resting period of the plane at the Delhi airport was sabotage, Bill Blair denied the same. “No, it was not. The first time I received that question was this morning and it was the first time I had heard that suggested. But I went back in and had confirmed with our people that that plane was very much in our possession throughout our time in India and it has been very clearly and unequivocally determined that it was a mechanical problem that required repair so there can be a safe departure. It was also an unfortunate delay. We are also addressing that delay through the acquisition of new aircraft that hopefully will prevent the thing from reoccurring in the future.”

The Canadian Prime Minister made headlines for all the wrong reasons and the delayed departure could not have made things worse for him. Not only was Trudeau ignored by world leaders at the G20 but also got a strong message from India during a “pull aside” talk over rising anti-India activities in Canada by Khalistanis.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was denied a chance at a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister. On 10 September, the concluding day of the G20 Summit, Trudeau was scheduled to fly back to Canada but his plane developed a glitch.

On 12 September, a backup aircraft got on its way to Canada to pick up the stranded leader but even that was diverted to London for unknown reasons. Moreover, according to sources cited by ANI, New Delhi had offered Trudeau the service of Air India One but the Canadian side declined the offer and chose to wait for the backup that never arrived.

The dramatic snag and delay came amid the visible tension between the two nations at the G20 Summit over India’s concerns.

Switzerland’s parliament passes legislation to ban burqa, introduces fine for violators

OpIndia Staff
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Switzerland’s parliament passes legislation to ban burqa, introduces fine for violators

On Wednesday, September 20, the Lower House of Parliament in Switzerland passed legislation to ban burqa (Islamic veil) in the country. Following the passage of the legislation, covering one’s face with a burqa has become illegal and wearing it would attract a fine of 1000 Swiss Francs which is around Rs 83,000.

The legislation was adopted by the National Council with a vote of 151-29. It had already been approved by the upper house. It was easily passed by the Swiss People’s Party, despite reservations expressed by centrists and the Greens.

The legislation comes after a nationwide referendum in 2021 in which Swiss voters approved prohibiting niqabs, that leave slits for the eyes, burqas, ski masks, and bandanas.

The proposal to ban face veils in public was passed in a referendum in 2021. The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) members who constitute the Egerkinger Komitee, which organised “resistance against the claims to power of political Islam in Switzerland”, were behind the initiative to outlaw the burqa.

Contending that “free people show their faces” and “the burqa and niqab are not normal clothes,” the group amassed the necessary 100,000 petition signatures in 2017 to push a referendum on the issue. 51.2% of Swiss voters approved the proposed ban.

The law bans concealing the nose, mouth, and eyes in both public and private buildings that are open to the public, with limited exceptions.

Notably, similar regulations already exist in two Swiss cantons: southern Ticino and northern St. Gallen. Switzerland’s national legislation will bring it in line with countries such as Belgium and France, who have implemented similar legislation.

Canadian Immigration Minister lets slip that Nijjar was given citizenship after Interpol Notice was issued against him, later says he made an error in dates

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian Immigration Minister lets slip that Nijjar was given citizenship after Interpol Notice was issued against him, later says he made an error in dates

On 20th September (local time), Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller claimed he had made a mistake while mentioning the date when Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar got Canadian citizenship. Initially Miller said that Nijjar got Canadian citizenship in March 2015, months after a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued against Nijjar by Interpol. Later, correcting himself, Miller tweeted, “Mr Nijjar became a Canadian citizen on 25th May 2007, earlier than I stated below. The error in dates is my responsibility to assume. Again, nothing justifies the killing of Mr Nijjar.” Notably, the “error” Miller made was of eight long years.

Notably, an RCN means that the country where the accused is located should arrest and deport them. However, if the mentioned date of 3rd March 2015 was correct, Canada expedited his citizenship only after RCN was issued against Nijjar. As per reports, during the discussions with the Indian Government, it was highlighted that Canada accepted Nijjar’s citizenship application several months after the initial RCN was issued on 14th November 2014.

The first RCN was issued after the Punjab Police registered a case (FIR No. 159) against Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Kotwali police station in Patiala. Later, in 2016, a second RCN was issued in FIR No. 19 filed at the Nurpur police station in Ropar.

Indian agencies are sceptical of Miller’s latest assertion as the issue of Nijjar’s citizenship had already been raised with Canada and Interpol. Furthermore, Indian authorities have questioned how Nijjar was able to reside in Canada between 1997 and 2015. In 1997, Nijjar arrived in Toronto using a fraudulent passport in the name of ‘Ravi Sharma’. His immigration followed a raid in 1996 at his uncle’s residence in Uttar Pradesh. Nijjar had been hiding there after being detained by the Punjab Police in 1995.

In June of 1998, Nijjar presented an affidavit and medical records that detailed incidents of alleged torture he had suffered in India. However, despite his plea, Canadian authorities rejected his claim as there were discrepancies in the documents he presented. Less than two weeks after his claim was denied, Nijjar married a woman who sponsored him on 21st November 1998. Immigration officials observed that his wife had come to Canada in 1997, sponsored by a different husband.

Canada blamed India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil

On 18th September, in a bizarre move, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed India for killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. In a statement, India categorically rejected the claims and urged the Canadian government to take strict action against anti-India elements on its soil. Interestingly, PM Trudeau accused India in the Canadian parliament of killing Nijjar without providing any proof.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Khalistani terrorist wanted by the Indian government. The 46-year-old hailed from the village Bhar Singhpura of Jalandhar. He was recently added to the list of designated terrorists by the Indian Government. In 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) declared a Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar after his name appeared in a conspiracy to kill a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab. The Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) was behind the conspiracy to kill the Hindu priest. Nijjar was the chief of the Khalistani terrorist organization KTF. Apart from his activities in KTF, Nijjar was also linked to the Khalistani terrorist organization Sikhs For Justice.

Canada: Gangster Sukha alias Sukhdool Singh killed in Winnipeg by unknown persons, a day after featuring in NIA’s wanted list

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: Gangster Sukha alias Sukhdool Singh killed in Winnipeg by unknown persons, a day after featuring in NIA’s wanted list

Gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha has been killed in Canada by unknown gunmen. Sukhdool Singh was known as ‘Sukha Duneke’ and has been on a wanted list by India.

Sukha had fled from India in 2017 with the help of forged documents. He hailed from Moga district of Punjab. He was linked with the Davinder Bambiha gang.

Unconfirmed reports have stated that unknown assailants shot Sukha in what appears to be an inter-gang clash in Canada’s Winnipeg.

Interestingly, Sukha’s name was on the list of wanted criminals shared by NIA on September 20. The names included criminals engaged in terror-gangster acts against India.

Sukha’s name appeared in the NIA list

As per reports, Sukha’s murder has been cited as similar to that of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June this year, for which Canada is now blaming India.

Sukha’s name was on the list of 43 wanted criminals released by NIA. 29 gangsters from the Punjab region feature in the list.

Sukha appeared at Number 33 on the NIA’s list.

“Persons shown in the photos below are accused in the NIA Cases RC-38/2022/NIA/DLI or RC-39/2022/NIA/DLI. If you have any information about properties/assets/ business owned by them in their name or in the name of their associates, friends & relatives, please WhatsApp DM @ +91 7290009373,” the NIA had posted on X.

UP: Mohd Asim kills ex-girlfriend Ayesha’s grandfather Ghulam Ahmad, gets lynched by locals in Ambedkar Nagar

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Mohd Asim kills ex-girlfriend Ayesha’s grandfather Ghulam Ahmad, gets lynched by locals in Ambedkar Nagar

On Wednesday, September 20, a 25-year-old man named Mohammed Asim killed the grandfather of a girl he had gone to meet in the Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Asim stabbed Ayesha Noor’s grandfather Ghulam Ahmed multiple times after he saw and rebuked him at his house in Jhajhwa village late Tuesday night.

According to police, Mohammed Asim was allegedly stalking the girl and arrived at her home in Jhajhwa village under Hanswar police station precinct with his accomplices. In addition to stabbing her 70-year-old grandfather, he injured the girl and her parents. Police said that both Asim and Ghulam Ahmed were rushed to the hospital after UP 112 and a police team arrived, however, the two were declared brought dead.

Hanswar SHO Arun Saroj said that accused Mohammed Asim demanded to see Ayesha adding that Asim was pressurising Ayesha to marry him. However, Ghulam Ahmad refused to allow him to meet Ayesha, agitated by this, Asim stabbed the 70-year-old. As Ghulam Ahmad screamed, Asim’s aide Salman who was waiting outside the house fled the spot.

Reportedly, Asim and Ayesha were in a relationship, however, the two had broken up a month ago. The girl told the accused that she was getting married. Despite the breakup, Asim continued to allegedly harass the girl.

The police said that an FIR was registered against Asim and Salman on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl’s father Hilal Ahmad. The accused duo was booked under 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 324 (causing hurt by use of dangerous weapon) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, Ayodhya Range Inspector General (IG) Praveen Kumar said that Mohammed Asim (some reports say Azim) entered the girl’s house on Tuesday-Wednesday midnight at around 1:30 am while his accomplices waited outside for security. IG Kumar said that initial investigation suggests that Asim did not forcibly enter the girl’s house adding that somebody opened the door for him. However, as the girl’s family members noticed an intruder inside their home, they confronted Asim. Following this, Mohammed Asim stabbed the girl’s grandfather multiple times and injured the girl’s mother Tehsib Fatima and father Hilal Ahmad as well.

IG Kumar further informed that the local villagers soon gathered at the spot and caught hold of him. Asim was then tied to a pillar and thrashed resulting in his death. Meanwhile, the three injured persons are undergoing treatment at a district hospital.

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya again uses derogatory language against Hinduism, claims Hindu means ‘thief’ in Persian

OpIndia Staff
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Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya again uses derogatory language against Hinduism, claims Hindu means ‘thief’ in Persian

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya continued his rants against Hinduism. In the latest episode of his tirade, he claimed the word ‘Hindu’ means ‘thief’ and ‘despicable’ in Persian. Maurya was speaking during an event at Gandhi Bhawan in Hardoi district under “Samvidhan and Arakshan Sarakshan Sena” on 19th September.

Swami Prasad Maurya said, “How can Hinduism be a religion? The word Hindu originates in Persian, which means thief, despicable and lowly.”

He further said that Bharat was never a Hindu Rashtra; it is not a Hindu Rashtra and can never be a Hindu Rashtra. Maurya said, “Those who demand Hindu Rastra are anti-constitution. They are anti-democracy. They are anti-tribals, anti-dalits and anti-backwards. Stay away from them. We have worked for a long time to get our constitution”.

Swami Prasad Maurya did not stop there and attacked Brahmins as well during his address. He said, “Brahmins say they were born from Brahma’s mouth. They do not believe to have been born from their mother’s womb. Have you ever seen someone being born from mouth? Have you ever seen Kshtriyas being born from an arm and Vaishyas from a foot? There is a way children are born, and the process is the same in every country. These people have created their own rules.”

Maurya further targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of trying to take credit for the Chandrayaan-3 landing and the G20 Summit. He said, “PM knows he is not coming back in 2024; that’s why he called a special session (to take credit).” He further questioned naming the landing site as “Shiv Shakti” and said it should have been named after a scientist.

Swami Prasad Maurya and his history of controversial statements

This is not the first time Maurya made headlines because of his controversial statements. In August this year, in a post on X, he wrote, “The roots of Brahminism are very deep, and the reason for all the disparity is also Brahminism itself. There is no religion called Hindu, Hinduism is just a hoax. This is a conspiracy to trap this country’s Dalits, tribals, and backward people by calling the same Brahmin religion as the Hindu religion. If there was Hindu religion, tribals would have been respected, Dalits would have been respected, and backward people would have been respected, but what an irony.” 

Earlier, in January 2023, the SP leader claimed that certain portions of the Ramcharitmanas “insult” a large section of society on the basis of caste. He claimed that the religious text was “all nonsense” and that it should be “banned”. On January 22, while speaking to a news channel, he said that Ramcharitamanas, written by Goswami Tulsidas in the 17th century, promoted social discrimination and spread hatred.

During a conversation with Aaj Tak, he said, “Crores of people do not read Ramcharitmanas. All this is rubbish. Tulsidas wrote this for his own pleasure.”

He added, “Religion is meant for humanity’s welfare and strengthening it. If there is any insult to a section of society due to certain lines in the Ramcharitamanas on the basis of ‘jaati’, ‘varn’ and ‘varg’, then it is certainly not ‘dharma’, it is ‘adharma’. There are certain lines in which names of castes such as ‘teli’ and ‘kumhaar’ are mentioned.” 

Following his controversial remarks against Ramchatritramanas, many FIRs were filed against him. 

Recently, he stirred another controversy when a question was posed to him regarding the statement of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri in which the Peethadhishwar of Bageshwar Dham asserted that India should now become a Hindu nation. He said India has never been a Hindu Rashtra and can’t now be a Hindu Rashtra. 

Justin Trudeau’s security team created drama during G20, refused to let him stay in the secure Presidential Suite and chose a normal room instead: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Justin Trudeau’s security team created drama during G20, refused to let him stay in the secure Presidential Suite and chose a normal room instead: Report

During the G20 summit, the security team of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created a ruckus over a Presidential Suite, according to a Times of India report. The security team of the Canadian Prime Minister refused to let him stay in the Presidential Suite, which was arranged for him in accordance with security protocols and standards laid down for the heads of state during the G20 summit which concluded two weeks ago.

Justin Trudeau was staying at The Lalit, one of the finest hotel properties in Delhi. The Presidential Suite of the hotel had bulletproof glass with a thick layer of polycarbonate plastic, which could even stop sniper bullets. The room, which had an advanced security shield, was unacceptable to the security team of Justin Trudeau.

According to the report, the drama continued when the security team of Justin Trudeau opted to stay in a normal room at The Lalit instead of the Presidential Suite. This sent the Indian security personnel in a tizzy, since the normal rooms did not have the protective shield the Presidential Suite had.

After the fiasco, there were multiple rounds of negotiations between the Indian security personnel and the Canadian team, however, upon their insistence, India had to let Justin Trudeau stay in a normal room since the ultimate decision rests with the visiting dignitary and his embassy.

The report in Times of India further revealed that the Canadian team offered to pay both for the Presidential Suite and the normal room in which they had chosen to stay. This offer was rejected by India.

The pull aside talk between PM Modi and Justin Trudeau and the issue of Khalistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Canadian counterpart Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a pull-aside talk on the sidelines of the G20 Summit which was taking place in Delhi, India.

During this pull-aside meeting, the Indian PM conveyed strong concerns of India over the continuous anti-India activities by Khalistanis in Canada. PM Modi pointed out the use of Canadian soil for anti-India and Hinduphobic activities by pro-Khalistan elements.

The issue has been brought up several times in the past but the Canadian government has turned a blind eye to India’s concerns.

Only 2 MPs voted against the Women’s Reservation Bill, Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel, this is the reason they gave

ANI
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Only 2 MPs voted against the Women’s Reservation Bill, Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel, this is the reason they gave

 With 454 votes ‘for’ and 2 ‘against’, the Women’s Reservation Bill cleared its first legislative hurdle with a brute majority in the Lok Sabha. However, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who voted against the motion seeking the Bill’s passage, along with party colleague Imtiaz Jaleel, defended their opposition to the draft legislation saying that it does not provide for a sub-quota for Muslim and Other Backward Classes (OBC) women.

Speaking to ANI after the landmark passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi said, “We voted against it so that the country knows that there are two members of Parliament, who are fighting for the inclusion of OBC and Muslim in the quota ambit.”

Explaining his rationale for voting against the motion for the passage of the women’s reservation Bill, AIMIM chief said, “OBC people account for more than 50% of the country’s population. The idea behind this Bill is to provide for those women, who are not adequately represented in the Parliament and other legislative bodies. Why is the government then denying reservation to women from a community, which makes up more than 50% of our population?”

On the alleged denial of reservation for Muslim women, Owaisi said, “Muslim women account for 7% of the national population but their representation in our legislative bodies, including the Parliament, is just 0.7%”

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the draft women’s reservation legislation, which provides for 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed after a reply to the motion by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Bill was passed following division, with 454 members voting in favor of the legislation and two against it on the motion for the passage moved by Meghwal.

Individual clauses of the Bill were also voted on.

Speaker Om Birla announced that the Bill had been passed.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first Bill passed by Lok Sabha after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

A year after anti-Hijab protests, Iran’s parliament passes ‘hijab and chastity’ bill, women could face 10 years in jail for ‘inappropriate’ dress

OpIndia Staff
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A year after anti-Hijab protests, Iran’s parliament passes ‘hijab and chastity’ bill, women could face 10 years in jail for ‘inappropriate’ dress

A year after women in Iran came out to protest against the mandatory Hijab law after the murder of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian parliament passed a ‘hijab and chastity’ bill on Wednesday (20 September). The bill seeks to increase jail terms and fines for women and girls who ‘flout’ Tehran’s strict dress code. As per the bill, girls/women who dress “inappropriately” could face up to 10 years in jail. 

The bill was introduced in the Iranian parliament in May following the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody last year on 16 September. 

As per the judiciary’s Mizan news, the bill has been approved for a three-year trial period. According to media reports, the lawmakers were split regarding the trial period with some even proposing it to be five years. However, they agreed on a trial period of three years, after which it will become a permanent law. 

The bill contains more than 70 articles and it was passed with 152 votes in favour, 34 against, and seven abstentions. However, to become a law, it would still need to be approved by the Guardian Council, a conservative body of clerics and jurists that is largely controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. If they consider the bill inconsistent with the constitution and Sharia, the Council has the power to veto it.

According to Iranian law, based on the country’s interpretation of Sharia, women and girls above the age of puberty have to cover their hair with a hijab and wear long, loose-fitting clothing to disguise their figures. Currently, women who do not comply with the dress code face a maximum prison term of two months or a fine of up to 500,000 rials ($10.14). 

However, the bill passed by the Iranian parliament will drastically increase the punishment. As per the bill, women who would be caught dressed “inappropriately” in public places will be subject to a “fourth-degree” punishment. According to the penal code, it would mean a prison sentence ranging between five and 10 years along with a fine of up to 360m rials ($7,302).

According to the AFP news agency, the bill proposes fines for those “promoting nudity” or “making fun of the hijab” in the media and on social networks. Additionally, the fine will also be imposed on owners of vehicles in which a female driver or passenger would be found not wearing the hijab or dressed appropriately.

Further, as per the bill, any person who promotes violating the dress code “in an organised manner” or “in co-operation with foreign or hostile governments, media, groups or organisations” could also be imprisoned for between five and 10 years.

Broadcasters will have to show programmes “to introduce and promote the symbols and patterns of the family-oriented Islamic lifestyle” and “the culture of chastity and hijab,” according to the full version of the bill published by the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency, reported National News. 

Furthermore, business owners who would be found ‘guilty’ of serving women without the hijab will also face a travel ban. As per media reports, offices responsible for University admissions will also have to take chastity and the hijab into account while selecting students.

Despite the return of the morality police to the streets and the installation of surveillance cameras, many women continue to defy Iran’s dress code and appear in public without the mandatory hijab. 

However, in recent months, Iran has announced several measures to clamp down on women’s freedoms. This includes barring women without the hijab from universities and their workplaces. Following the installation of surveillance cameras, Iranian authorities have confiscated vehicles from women driving without a hijab in their own cars. 

Earlier this month, eight independent UN human rights experts described the bill as a form of “gender apartheid”. The experts said, “The bill also violates fundamental rights, including the right to take part in cultural life, the prohibition of gender discrimination, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful protest, and the right to access social, educational, and health services, and freedom of movement.”

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