According to Khabar Online, Javan newspaper wrote: After the events related to Mehsa Amini’s death, the society entered a new stage of controversy about clothing, lifestyle and limits of intervention in the social sphere. These developments cannot be managed with just a few administrative orders, police action or texting. The reality is that cultural issues cannot be solved with circulars and partial reactions, and when the decision-making structure fails to recognize the changes in society, the gap between official policies and social realities will deepen.
Today, the release of videos of women and girls showing their bodies openly and behaving contrary to public modesty, including areas such as Iranshahr Street, has raised more serious questions. Are we facing a spontaneous phenomenon or a set of different factors and motivations play a role in its formation and prominence? Is it due to political exploitation, the activity of opportunistic currents or economic interests?
However, the possibility of various currents exploiting social gaps cannot be ignored. Any management vacuum can become an opportunity for groups that seek their interests in the escalation of tension and mistrust. In such a situation, girls and women present in these spaces should not be presented as mere tools or agents of a movement. The main concern is that some managers still think that in order to deal with such phenomena, one should repeat the same costly paths of the past, a path that may lead to intensifying confrontation, increasing dissatisfaction and opening social wounds. Hasty and dramatic confrontations, without knowing the roots and consequences, not only do not solve the problem, but can also provide the basis for abuse by opportunists.
On the other hand, the responsibility cannot be attributed only to the police force or executive bodies. Cultural, educational, media and decision-making institutions must also answer what they have done in the past years to talk with the young generation, recognize lifestyle changes and restore public trust. Why the warnings of social experts about the consequences of the generation gap and the ineffectiveness of the old methods were not taken seriously? Why wasn’t a comprehensive and evaluable plan formed when prevention was still possible?
In the meantime, the statements and warnings of some MPs about the performance of managers and the necessity of accountability of the responsible structures should also be taken into account in the framework of the demand for transparency and accountability.
The question is, if there is a managerial weakness or a conflict of interests at some levels, what mechanism has been considered to identify and correct it? The country has gone through crises and heavy pressures in recent years. In such a situation, maintaining social cohesion and public trust is doubly important. You can’t expect people to accompany you, but don’t listen to their concerns and demands.
It is also not possible to expect the gaps to be repaired by dealing with emotions and securitizing every social issue. Cultural phenomena do not form overnight and they do not disappear with a command. What is seen on the streets today can be the result of years of neglecting signs that once seemed small. Now is the time for officials to go to the roots, instead of watching the consequences or repeating tried and ineffective methods, with dialogue, transparency, scientific review and accountability from managers. Today’s issue is the validity of cultural policy and the ability of the decision-making structure to listen to society. If these warnings are ignored again, society will pay for today’s negligence in the years to come.
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