“Iranian Revolution Turned Against Women Who Supported It”
An article by Tayana Marshall from The Peak
MONTREAL -- She walked into a public square in Tehran last March, covered herself with gasoline and set herself aflame. The last words of Dr. Homa Darabi, Iranian university professor and activist against the Islamic regime, were, "Death to dictatorship! Long live freedom!"
In 1979, a revolution in Iran succeeded in bringing down the Reza Shah. Soon afterwards, the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, returned to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran. During this time, many Iranian women joined the 1978-1979 rebellion against the rule of the Shah.
Women came together to protest such sexist attitudes as expressed by the Shah in 1973 when he said, "A woman is important in a man's life only if she is beautiful and charming. . . . You are equal to a man in the eyes of the law. But excuse me for saying so, you are certainly not equal [to a man] in your capabilities."
But did the Iranian Revolution come through for women? Did it give them the freedom, the equality and the dignity that it promised? Zaria, a member of L'Association des femmes Iraniennes de Montre al, said the public suicide of Darabi "was to show all the injustices against a woman [in Iran]."
Zaria said Darabi had repeatedly tried to leave the country to see her children, but was denied permission because her husband would not sign a consent form.
"In Iran, women are not allowed to leave unless their husbands give them permission," explained Zaria, noting that if a woman does not have a husband, it is the father who gives permission. "It is always the man who is in power." Khomeini is quoted as saying at the beginning of his rule, "In our revolutionary movement, women have earned more credit than men, for it was the women who not only displayed courage themselves, but also had reared men of courage. . . . If nations were deprived of courageous women to rear true men, they would decline and collapse." But then, a law was put in place, ordering the hijab (Islamic modest dress) in all places, for all women, Muslim or not.
Women had fought in the revolution so that their choices would be expanded. They had wornthe veils at the demonstrations against the Shah to say that nobody could stop them from wearing the veil if they wanted. Khoemini reversed their statement and made it
impossible for women to choose not to practice the hijab. Women saw the enforcement of hijab as a means to suppress the status of women. After their attempts at repealing the law failed, many women began to flee the country.
The new policy concerning women continued to be implemented in a series of laws between 1981 and 1983. Segregation of the sexes stretched to public pools, buses and, finally, to educational institutions. Women's voices were banned from the radio and female singers and actresses were no longer seen on television. More and more, the public role of women was equated with corrupted morality and lack of chastity.
An example of this policy in practice was the December 1979 execution of Farrokhru Parsa, the female minister of education. Parsa (Persia) was accused of promoting prostitution, corrupting the earth, and "warring against God."
Also, new education policies prevented women from enrolling in the fields of engineering,
agriculture and finance -- as these were deemed to be male professions. Daycare centers closed and women were denied the right to divorce and obtain custody of their children if divorced. The age of consent for marriage was lowered from 15 to 13 years old. Contraception and abortion were also banned.
Khomeini's government seemed intent on making a woman's life revolve around the rearing of "true men." More opportunities for education are available and more women are able to work due to special programs for part-time employment that have been put in place especially for women with younger children. There are also many reports which say the modest dress regulations for women
have been relaxed.
But Zaria said the situation has not improved at all, adding that women who wear brighter clothes or make-up are repeatedly harassed.
She explained that she left because she was tired: "Tired of the whole situation; tired of walking down the street and worrying that my chador wasn't just right." She alleged the government has "tortured, imprisoned and executed" many women who have tried to
rebel.
"The real change will occur for women when they can say, 'I can do what I want. I can dress how I want. I can read what I want and I can publish [what I write] without being censored. . . . I can work where I want. Study what I want. Leave when I want. Divorce when I want and have custody of my children."
When the women of Iran supported the revolution, they did so because of the promise of more equality for everyone. Unfortunately, women have fallen prey to a new form of oppression than that of the regime they helped to destroy.
In 1979, a revolution in Iran succeeded in bringing down the Reza Shah. Soon afterwards, the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, returned to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran. During this time, many Iranian women joined the 1978-1979 rebellion against the rule of the Shah.
Women came together to protest such sexist attitudes as expressed by the Shah in 1973 when he said, "A woman is important in a man's life only if she is beautiful and charming. . . . You are equal to a man in the eyes of the law. But excuse me for saying so, you are certainly not equal [to a man] in your capabilities."
But did the Iranian Revolution come through for women? Did it give them the freedom, the equality and the dignity that it promised? Zaria, a member of L'Association des femmes Iraniennes de Montre al, said the public suicide of Darabi "was to show all the injustices against a woman [in Iran]."
Zaria said Darabi had repeatedly tried to leave the country to see her children, but was denied permission because her husband would not sign a consent form.
"In Iran, women are not allowed to leave unless their husbands give them permission," explained Zaria, noting that if a woman does not have a husband, it is the father who gives permission. "It is always the man who is in power." Khomeini is quoted as saying at the beginning of his rule, "In our revolutionary movement, women have earned more credit than men, for it was the women who not only displayed courage themselves, but also had reared men of courage. . . . If nations were deprived of courageous women to rear true men, they would decline and collapse." But then, a law was put in place, ordering the hijab (Islamic modest dress) in all places, for all women, Muslim or not.
Women had fought in the revolution so that their choices would be expanded. They had wornthe veils at the demonstrations against the Shah to say that nobody could stop them from wearing the veil if they wanted. Khoemini reversed their statement and made it
impossible for women to choose not to practice the hijab. Women saw the enforcement of hijab as a means to suppress the status of women. After their attempts at repealing the law failed, many women began to flee the country.
The new policy concerning women continued to be implemented in a series of laws between 1981 and 1983. Segregation of the sexes stretched to public pools, buses and, finally, to educational institutions. Women's voices were banned from the radio and female singers and actresses were no longer seen on television. More and more, the public role of women was equated with corrupted morality and lack of chastity.
An example of this policy in practice was the December 1979 execution of Farrokhru Parsa, the female minister of education. Parsa (Persia) was accused of promoting prostitution, corrupting the earth, and "warring against God."
Also, new education policies prevented women from enrolling in the fields of engineering,
agriculture and finance -- as these were deemed to be male professions. Daycare centers closed and women were denied the right to divorce and obtain custody of their children if divorced. The age of consent for marriage was lowered from 15 to 13 years old. Contraception and abortion were also banned.
Khomeini's government seemed intent on making a woman's life revolve around the rearing of "true men." More opportunities for education are available and more women are able to work due to special programs for part-time employment that have been put in place especially for women with younger children. There are also many reports which say the modest dress regulations for women
have been relaxed.
But Zaria said the situation has not improved at all, adding that women who wear brighter clothes or make-up are repeatedly harassed.
She explained that she left because she was tired: "Tired of the whole situation; tired of walking down the street and worrying that my chador wasn't just right." She alleged the government has "tortured, imprisoned and executed" many women who have tried to
rebel.
"The real change will occur for women when they can say, 'I can do what I want. I can dress how I want. I can read what I want and I can publish [what I write] without being censored. . . . I can work where I want. Study what I want. Leave when I want. Divorce when I want and have custody of my children."
When the women of Iran supported the revolution, they did so because of the promise of more equality for everyone. Unfortunately, women have fallen prey to a new form of oppression than that of the regime they helped to destroy.