- Iran: Eight Prisoners Hanged on Drug Charges
- Daughter of late Iranian president jailed for ‘spreading lies’ - IRAN: Annual report on the death penalty 2016 - Taheri Facing the Death Penalty Again - Dedicated team seeking return of missing agent in Iran - Iran Arrests 2, Seizes Bibles During Catholic Crackdown
- Trump to welcome Netanyahu as Palestinians fear U.S. shift
- Details of Iran nuclear deal still secret as US-Tehran relations unravel - Will Trump's Next Iran Sanctions Target China's Banks? - Don’t ‘tear up’ the Iran deal. Let it fail on its own. - Iran Has Changed, But For The Worse - Iran nuclear deal ‘on life support,’ Priebus says
- Female Activist Criticizes Rouhani’s Failure to Protect Citizens
- Iran’s 1st female bodybuilder tells her story - Iranian lady becomes a Dollar Millionaire on Valentine’s Day - Two women arrested after being filmed riding motorbike in Iran - 43,000 Cases of Child Marriage in Iran - Woman Investigating Clinton Foundation Child Trafficking KILLED!
- Senior Senators, ex-US officials urge firm policy on Iran
- In backing Syria's Assad, Russia looks to outdo Iran - Six out of 10 People in France ‘Don’t Feel Safe Anywhere’ - The liberal narrative is in denial about Iran - Netanyahu urges Putin to block Iranian power corridor - Iran Poses ‘Greatest Long Term Threat’ To Mid-East Security |
Tuesday 22 April 2014Khamenei, Rouhani clash on women’s role in society
Al-Monitor - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani have presented contrasting roles for women in society. On the occasion of Women’s Day in Iran, Iran’s president and supreme leader presented contrasting roles in society for women. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously rebuked President Hassan Rouhani’s cultural policies, but this appears to be the first time that the president has contradicted the supreme leader in an area that the two have consistently clashed. “If we want our view with respect to the issue of women to be healthy, logical and precise,” Ayatollah Khamenei said yesterday, April 19, “we have to empty our minds of this talk that Westerners say about women, [such as] about employment, about management, about gender equality. “One of the biggest intellectual mistakes of the West about the issue of women is ‘gender equality’,” he continued. “Why should a job that is masculine be given to a woman? What pride is there in this for [a] woman to do a job that is masculine? I’m disappointed that sometimes women themselves show sensitivity on this issue, that ‘What difference is there between us and men?’” Khamenei continued that with respect to Islam, in some respects “there is no difference,” but that “the shapes are two shapes. One shape is for one job and one shape for another job.” Khamenei stressed the importance of women’s role in managing the home and the detriment that can be caused by women working outside of the home. “If someone wants to discuss the issue of women separate from the issue of the home, they are entangled in a contradiction of understanding. These two have to be seen together, despite it being two issues.” He added, “A women at home is the source of peace, the source of peace for the man, and the source of peace for the children. If the woman herself does not have mental and spiritual peace, she cannot give this peace to the family. A woman who is humiliated, who is insulted, who has pressure of work, cannot be a housewife, cannot be the manager of the house.” Today, April 20, Rouhani talked about a different vision for women’s roles in society. “Today our women are active in all of the scenes with the same dignity, integrity, character and honor as men,” he said. “Women should have equal opportunity, equal privilege, and equal social rights,” he continued. “Is it even possible to marginalize 50% of the members of society?” Without addressing anyone in particular, Rouhani said, “This talk is true that the home is the foundation for society, and reform begins in the home, but if we ignore half of the population of the country, we will not see real development and growth in that country.” On the issue of women’s rights and employment, Rouhani continued “We have a long road ahead to reach our goal. Valuable steps have been taken for women to have a presence in the fields of science, schooling, work, employment. Today our women have a presence in all parts of our culture and economy.” He added that the Quran sees men and women side by side and that “Those who are scared of women’s presence and excellence, or have other views, to please not attribute these wrong views toward religion, Islam, and the Quran.” by Arash Karami |