A recently circulated video has ignited public anger against a cleric, revealing an altercation between a woman, holding her sick newborn, and this cleric attempting to discreetly film her, due to perceived violations of hijab norms in a medical clinic in Qom. The incident sheds light on the persistent issue of harassment by hijab enforcers and religious vigilantes.
According to Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, Qom prosecutor Hassan Gharib announced that legal action would be taken against those who surfaced the CCTV video and shared it with media outside Iran, charging them with “agitation of the public.” Gharib claimed to have identified the individuals responsible for sharing the footage, referring to them as “disruptors of order.”
While supporting the cleric’s actions, Gharib emphasized backing religious vigilantes adhering to the Islamic duty of “Enjoining good and forbidding wrong,” as long as they adhere to the established conditions for this duty. Contrary to reports, he denied the closure of the clinic by judicial authorities and asserted that no arrests had been made in connection to the incident.
Critics, including human rights experts, consistently argue that the concept of “Enjoining good and forbidding wrong” represents blatant interference in individuals’ personal matters, often leading to vigilantism and societal violence.