Iranian MP Calls For Death Of Hijab Official Over Same-Sex Video
A senior Iranian lawmaker has said Reza Seqati, a director from Iran's culture ministry, deserves "to be thrown off the mountain" for having sex with another man.
A senior Iranian lawmaker has said Reza Seqati, a director from Iran's culture ministry, deserves "to be thrown off the mountain" for having sex with another man.
Seqati, the former director of Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in Gilan province, that acts as a hijab watchdog, was dismissed last month after a sex tape with a young man was leaked online. The video swiftly spread across social media platforms, raising a storm of controversy and public outcry.
On Monday, Hassan Norouzi called for the severest punishment. "If the allegations against Reza Seqati are substantiated, there is an unequivocal necessity for imposing stringent consequences. He must face the full force of the law and be shoved off the mountain and be killed to teach a lesson to others."
Seqati, who is married with three children, is a staunch advocate of mandatory hijab. During his tenure at the ministry of culture, he has made many attempts to enforce conservative cultural norms within the Gilan province. His initiatives included the launch of a hijab hypermarket and the establishment of a hijab exhibition, both aimed at promoting "Iranian-Islamic culture."
Shortly after the incident occurred last month, Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized not the content of the video but the act of leaking it to the public, saying that goes against Sharia law. This is a typical response from the regime, to focus on discrediting the source of evidence, rather than addressing the underlying issues of corruption or forbidden activities.
However, Sharia in Iran clearly forbids homosexuality among men and says it is punishable by death, a stance which now seems to be taken by the government.
