The Iranian Minister of Tourism called on the authorities to open up more in the social field, especially with regard to women, in the context of protests That followed the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, according to Iranian media reported Thursday.
Following a government meeting Wednesday, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Izzatullah Dargami alluded to the fact that more women have been seen with their heads uncovered in public since the start of the protest movement, while the veil has been required by law since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) and a number of daily newspapers quoted the minister as saying, “I advise a man who behaves harshly” towards a woman who does not wear the hijab “to lower his gaze if looking at her excites him.”
He added, “Unfortunately, narrow-mindedness exists in the country, but we can no longer be harsh on people.”
Durgami came under fire from hardline conservatives in October after he denounced the practices of the morality police responsible for overseeing women’s veiling.
The media quoted the minister as saying last November, “Today our girls and students are walking in the street without veils. What happened?”
For its part, the judiciary said on January 10 that it wants to enact a law that provides for severe penalties, such as exile, for women who do not respect the obligation to wear the hijab.
Iran has been shaken by protests since the death of the Iranian Kurdish young woman, Mahsa Amini, 22, on September 16, after she was arrested by the “morality police” in Tehran on suspicion of violating the strict dress code imposed, especially on women.
Iranian authorities generally refer to the protests as “riots” encouraged by states and organizations hostile to Iran.