Islamic Revelation in Iran

by Mehrmoush Raissi

The first years after Islamic revelation in Iran the government tried to limit women as much as they could. They made a lot of rules on the basis of Islam which tries to keep women at home and count them as a second class citizen. Iranian women fight and show their opposition in any ways they can to return back to their freedom and rights. As you see in the video Tony says that "Iranian women have more rights than other Islamic countries around." They are still fighting for their rights to be in the same place and position as men.

 

Women’s Rights in Iran

Feminists’ voices from the Middle East are rarely heard in the West (Brown 2008). More than half of the population is made up of women, not only in the Middle East, but around the world. It is crucial to understand that as a so-called “minority,” many women around the world are still oppressed and have yet to achieve equal rights to men.  Consequently, sociologists classify females as a minority group, because minority group refers to people who are discriminated against on the basis of physical or cultural characteristics, regardless of their numbers (Hacker 1951).

Feminism is a widely contested term that means different things to different women and men around the globe. Defining freedom as an Iranian person varies from person to person in regards to their sex, age, and educational level. In reality, the feminist movement in Iran has been successful at improving conditions for women but still the worst thing for an Iranian is to be born as a woman.

Women's rights are still restricted in Iran. The husband is the head of Iranian family, and his wife legally should obey him even if his requests are not reasonable. A married woman cannot leave the country without her husband’s permission. Also, their children cannot leave the country with their mother unless their father gives them a permission. Kids are in the custody of their fathers after divorce, and the only person who can decide for divorce is the husband.

A woman’s testimony as a witness is worth half of a man, in compliance with the Islamic basis of the legal system. Also daughters inherit half of what a son would get after their parents pass away. Polygamy and temporary marriage are permitted for Iranian men up to four wives but a woman who has sex with a man who is not her husband can be stoned to death. In all public places, women must wear hijab and loose fitting clothing. A woman who refuses to cover her hair in public can receive 80 lashes with a whip. These are all marks of a patriarchy—male dominating society. (Henslin, p. 295)

It has been about two years that Iranian women have had a page on Facebook, “My Stealthy Freedom,” which reflects the concerns of Iranian women who face legal and social restrictions. Women from all over the country send their images without hijab in public places to show their abhorrence to wearing forcefully hijab. Although modesty requirements are forced by the police, women upload a lot of pictures to this page to show their oppositions. The other right that has taken from Iranian women is the right to attend sporting events in their country.

Although living under these harsh restrictions, Iranian women succeed to progress. Education is one of the elements that help them to have a voice, to be able to choose the life that they deserve, and to be empowered. According to the BBC report in 2001, for the first time, female students outnumbered male students; however, new rules in more than 30 universities banned female students from almost 80 different degree courses in 2011. Asef Bayat, a well-known Iranian sociologist states that nothing has stopped women from asserting themselves through everyday practices.

References:
 

Brown, K. (2008) ‘The Promise and Perils of Women's Participation in UK Mosques: The Impact of   Securitization Agendas on Identity, Gender and Community’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 10. 472 - 491.

Bayat, A. (2007). "Making Islam Democratic: Social Movements and the Post-Islamist Turn." Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Hacker, Helen Mayer. "Women as a Minority Group." Social Forces, 30, October1951:60-69.

Henslin, James M. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014.

"Anthony Bourdain: Iran not what I expected (Parts Unknown)" YouTube, Published by CNN, 28 Oct 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysYGCtGYGdc 

"15 Iranian Women! This is Iran !" YouTube, uploaded by Mark Landon, 27 Oct 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTuKASUdI5s
 

 

 



Chief Journalist
Mehrmoush Raissi

Mehrmoush is majoring in medical sonography. Mehrmoush enjoyed the Marriage and Family class she took with Professor Ryhmes that she decided to take this required Sociology class to fulfill her educational requirements.  Mehrmoush is a fast learner, hard worker, and knows the value of education.