Discussing police, Iran president pushes against hard-liners

Ahead of summer in Iran, when hard-liners want women in the Islamic Republic to be veiled and covered to their standards, the country’s president is taking a stand against police enforcing morality rules.

By doing so, President Hassan Rouhani is staking a clear position against hard-liners who largely oppose his outreach to the West amid negotiations with world powers over the country’s contested nuclear program.

Rouhani has made statements twice in recent days opposing the idea, including Monday in a speech broadcast on Iranian state television. He said police are responsible to enforce the law, not different interpretations of Islam.

“Police that possess pistols and handcuffs have been created for enforcement,” Rouhani said. “We can’t tell everybody you can interpret (Islam). That would lead to total chaos.”

— AP