There is considerable confusion over whether Iran is disbanding its morality police force. Yet, the very fact that this may be so has set news, debates and opinions pouring in. This is a pointer to how seminal this topic is and continues to be, not just for Iran but elsewhere too.

The morality police, which casts its shadow across life in Iran, has been more in the news than ever, after unprecedented protests against enforcement of the hijab or headscarf on women have caught the imagination of the world and thrown the Islamic Republic into a tailspin since the past few months. The ongoing football World Cup has become a stage for protests too, with fans wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the rallying cry: Woman, life, freedom: the chant symbolic of the anti-hijab protests. The Iranian football team used the global sporting platform to showcase their support for the protests. The Qatar World Cup venue though has seen some heckling of dissidents by pro-Iran supporters too.