Religious police monitor holidaymakers on Iran’s beaches

Shahrzadnews -- Now that the hot weather has arrived, the police have announced the deployment of religious officers in special vice-squads on the beaches and seaside resorts of northern Iran, with the aim of ensuring that holidaymakers comply with Islamic hejab regulations.

Shahrzadnews: Now that the hot weather has arrived, the police have announced the deployment of religious officers in special vice-squads on the beaches and seaside resorts of northern Iran, with the aim of ensuring that holidaymakers comply with Islamic hejab regulations.

According to the Mehr News Agency, vice-squad commander Ahmad Roozbehani says his department has already cautioned local villa owners about letting their properties to the wrong people. He added that the governors of Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan, the main provinces with beaches on the Caspian Sea, have asked the police to rid their resorts of those who behave anti-socially and ignore local regulations.

“Some tourists behave as if the sea belongs to them. Just because they come from other parts of the country they think local regulations don’t apply to them,” said Roozbehani.

He also reported that following a directive from the High Council of Cultural Revolution, 26 government departments have been told to monitor hejab observance. The directive, which was ratified by the president, features 370 clauses on how best to protect Islamic values. 70% of these deal with cultural issues, while the remainder are concerned with police procedures.