ERBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iranians in Iraq have expressed skepticism over reports Sunday that Tehran has abolished its fearsome moral police, an indelible link to months of protests in the Islamic Republic.
In mid-September, Iran’s police arrested young Iranian-Kurdish Mahsa Amini for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code, and she later died in their custody, sparking ongoing protests.
On Saturday night, Iran’s lawyer said the force had “been abolished. “
But this resolution has been ignored in Iraqi Kurdistan, where Iranian opposition teams have recently been targeted for cross-border movements of missiles and drones through the regime.
“The protesters’ motto is to break up the moral police,” said Nachmil Abdi, who works in a women’s shoe store.
“Yes, one of the calls is the end of the mandatory veil,” he added. “But the real call is the removal of the regime. “
Soma Hakimzada, a 32-year-old journalist born in Iraqi Kurdistan who fled Iran, also frowned upon the decision.
“I don’t think women appreciate this Iranian announcement,” she said, adding that she hoped it would not quell the fervor of the Islamic Republic’s internal protests.
Elsewhere in Iraq, criticism was mixed.
“If we want to have a moral police, we have to do it with soft words,” said Wahid Sarabi, speaking in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, though he hails from the western Iranian city of Hamedan.
The anti-government protests, now in their third month, have shown no signs of prevention despite a violent crackdown. Protesters say they are fed up after decades of social and political repression, adding a strict dress code imposed on women. Young women continue to play a prominent role in the protests, the mandatory Islamic veil to express their rejection of clerical rule.
After the protests erupted, the Iranian government appeared willing to heed the protesters’ demands. He continued to crack down on protesters and added the death sentence for at least seven arrested protesters. The government continues to blame hostile foreign powers for the unrest without offering evidence.
But in recent days, Iranian state media platforms should be adopting a more conciliatory tone, expressing a willingness to take on the Iranian people’s turmoil.
Younis Radoui, a 36-year-old Iranian from Mashhad now in Iraq, said Iranian law “commands respect for the hijab. “
“Therefore, all citizens will have to comply with the law and the hijab,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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