A group of Principlist MPs in the Iranian parliament submitted a proposal for a parliamentary act that would legalize the undertaking of "enjoining good and forbidding wrong." This act, proposed on June 23, could curtail personal freedoms by legalizing the act of any individual wishing to intrude into the private lives of others.

"Enjoining good and forbidding wrong" is a ritual Islamic act, which means a Muslim may suggest to others, or order them, to do what is considered proper according to logic and Sharia, or conversely, not to do what is considered inappropriate to Sharia. According to Shiite Muslims, it is also one of the “ancillaries of the Islamic Faith” (furu ad-din). 

While authorities encourage all Muslims to engage in this practice, paramilitary Basij or seminary students mostly carry out these acts, which sometimes result in altercations with ordinary citizens. According to local police officials in Sabzevar (northeastern Iran), in April a member of the Basij attempted to stop alcohol consumption at a wedding but was assaulted by the guests. In March, Ali Khalili, a Basij member, was killed under unknown circumstances. Hard-line media referred to him as a “martyr in the path of enjoining good and forbidding wrong.” There have been numerous cases claiming that others have been injured in similar circumstances.

These cases have resulted in certain MPs talking about the necessity of “special support” for people who promote Islamic values in the streets. “Recently, we have witnessed that the people who are engaged in promoting Islamic values have been insulted,” said Seyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, the MP from Ghazvin. He said the proposed law would protect those who engaged in enjoining good and forbidding wrong. According to the proposal put forth by the Cultural Commission of the Iranian parliament, no institution would be allowed to arrest those engaged in the practice.