Javad Zarif controversial comments regarding hijab

Zarif in Davos: The women in the cabinet have chosen to wear the hijab, but there are also women on the streets who do not wear headscarves.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Strategic Deputy to the President of Iran, in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, responded to a question about women’s rights by saying that the women present in the government cabinet have “chosen” to wear the hijab, but “there are also women on the streets in Tehran who do not wear headscarves.” In this interview, he also answered a question regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

In his interview with Fareed Zakaria, he said, “I am proud to have had a role in forming Iran’s cabinet. For the first time, four women have become members of the cabinet. This shows our commitment to women’s participation in the country’s major decision-making processes.”

Mr. Zarif then responded to the question of whether they could attend government meetings without hijab by saying, “They have chosen to wear the hijab because they believe in the country’s law.”

He further added, “If you go out on the streets of Tehran, you will see women moving without head coverings. Although this is against the law, the government has decided not to exert any pressure on women. This is a promise that Pezeshkian has made and he has kept it.”

He added that “Pezeshkian, with the agreement of the country’s leaders, has not enforced the hijab law.” Although Mr. Zarif emphasized that by “leaders of the country,” he did not mean Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, but rather the Speaker of the Parliament, the Head of the Judiciary, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and others.

January 23, 2025 | 4:15 am