SMCCDI-The Case of Iranian Women

For the Persian version, please visit:

http://iona.ghandchi.com/Groups/darbare_zanan.pdf

SMCCDI (Public Statement)
January 3, 2002

A commentary by the "Student Movement Coordination
Committee for democracy in Iran" concerning conflicting
view points between the Iranian Women?s Movement wishes and
the Islamic Republic and its laws.


If we reviewed the Islamic Republic?s scorecard since its
birth, and focus on Women?s issue during this past 24
years, we notice very disturbing facts that have left deep
wounds on the Iranian Society in general and Iranian Women
in particular. Most noticeable are the Islamic laws that
have hindered the women?s progress:
1. The Islamic Republic?s efforts in obstructing women?s
progress.
2. Segregation of Men & Women in public places

In spite of these two enormous hurdles, the Iranian Women
have struggled through much trouble and hardship and have
shown to the Islamic Authorities that they are tougher and
more resilient than what the Authorities had expected. In
all, the Iranian Women?s actions and deeds have not only
been disparaging to the authorities but have shown that
they are not what the Islamic Republic portrays them to the
world. However, the true face of Iranian Woman is that
which she creates and is one that shows a progressive and
forward looking image. The image that so far, the
Authorities have ignored.


Controls preventing women?s progress put in place by the
Islamic Republic:

Veil (hejAb):
The first assault on the women?s movement was the Veil,
which the authorities ruthlessly implemented and put the
Iranian Woman in a ?black sac?. It was thus that the first
steps of the Islamic Republic was taken against the society
and specially women, that they were neither competent nor
fit to choose there own clothing. Furthermore, the
authorities claim, women to be the source all corruption,
perverseness, and villainy. Hence, the authorities called
on the suppression of women to stop corruption and
villainy. We all remember the words of the first President
of the Islamic Republic, who said: ?undesirable rays
emanate from women?s hair, it is for this reason that they
have to cover their heads with ?chAdor? or head scarf?.

Thus, the women?s struggle begins, with chanting ?no
covering, no thrashing? (?na ru sari, na tu sari?).
Although, in the face of eminent prosecution and in some
cases throwing of acid and slashing of faces by the
authorities, the women were forced to observe the Islamic
Code for covering their hair and head, but they never bowed
to it. In defiance, the Iranian Women use any excuse not
to fully and completely cover their hair or adhere to the
strict Islamic Code. Hence, from those very early days of
the Islamic Revolution the Iranian Women sawed the seeds of
resistance.


Employment Restrictions:
Other effort by the Islamic Authorities in curbing the
influence of women in the Iranian society was to ban their
employment in certain industries. One of the forbidden
occupations was the position of women judges. Ounce again,
the authorities with the power and advocacy of the judicial
system told the Iranian Women that they were not competent
to hold such key positions. Facing this anti-woman ruling,
the Iranian Women ounce again stood fast against it, and in
lieu of turning to their homes and kitchens, as hoped by
the Islamic Authorities, they rushed to universities and
places of education. Today, as reported by the Islamic
Republic, more than 60% of all students are women. Even,
those subjects in which historically women participated in
lesser numbers, have seen a dramatic increase in their
enrollment, in Architecture, Engineering and Law. This
alone is evidence of the resistance of the women against
the Islamic Republic.


Restriction of women participation in sporting events:
Next step was to limit and completely stop participation of
women in sporting events, International or National.
Again, Iranian Women did not stand by and accept the
authorities? demands. They flocked to gymnasiums, riding
schools and martial art schools. The Islamic Authorities
even prohibit the participation of women in soccer games as
mere spectators, ounce again enforcing that women are of
lesser importance and relevance in the society.


Women?s right and family law:
The lawful age for a girl to get married is reduced to
nine. A 9-year-old girl, to whom all across the word is
referred to as a child is turned to something that the
father, brother, grandfather or uncle (all male element in
here life) have the right to give this child away as bride.
One asks, ?What are the rationalization of such
legislations? Moreover, who in their right minds would pass
such laws?

The answers are simple! As for the rational behind the
legislation, it is understood and accepted in the Islamic
Republic, that a nine years old girl is the possession of
the male in here family, and they can do what they fell fit
for her, demeaning ounce again the value of women and
daughters. Who would pass such laws? Those same men, who
believe in archaic mid-evil laws that have no place in
today?s free society

In other facets of family life and law, it is pertinent to
look at the rights of children after a divorce or death of
the father. Ounce again, we see the vindictiveness of the
Islamic Republic towards women. Fathers get custody of the
children after a divorce, since the Islamic justice does
not believe children, (girls of 2 and boys of 4 years old)
no longer require the love, affection nor supervision of
their mother! Even though, the mother has visitation
rights, the x-husband determines those rights and more
often, the father uses the children as ammunition in taking
revenge. The mother has no legal grounds to fight for her
rights. Let us not forget that all judges in the Islamic
Republic are all men and it is illegal for women to occupy
such post!

In the case of death of the father, the children fate is in
the hands of the male family members of the deceased
father, and the mother has no say in the future of her
children.

It is for these laws and alike, that the role of women from
a partner has diminished to a reproduction machine under
the Islamic laws. Thus, it becomes self-evident the true
oppressive nature of Islamic Laws towards women. Moreover,
the women as citizens have no legal protection against such
travesty.


Causes of segregation:
Glancing into a bus, we see a line drawn at the back of the
bus, showing the border between where women with their
children can sit, and where men would occupy. The front
2/3rd of the bus is for men and the back for women. In the
face of it, the Islamic Laws prohibits mingling of men and
women, but this segregation aim is more than just mere
mingling. Ounce again the Islamic Authorities attempt in
social engineering and demeaning the role of women in the
Iranian society. The Islamic Republic believes that women
should remain in homes and hence do not require public
transport, even though, half the population of Iran is made
up of women, the public allocation for women, even in buses
is 1/3rd.

With unemployment at an all time high, Islamic Republic?s
believes, since men are major bread winners in a family,
therefore all efforts in job creation should be focused on
jobs which are suitable for men, and attempt in creating
employment for women should not be a priority. Even
pre-school centers are considered not essential!

Evidently, the Islamic Republic has not even been
successful in created employment for men either.
Unemployment has risen to such levels, that the regime
seems to have no solutions for it. All, these are cause by
incompetence at the highest level of government and lack of
true leadership among the governmental agencies. Although
the export income has risen dramatically, but this has had
little or no effect on the economy, widespread poverty, out
of control unemployment.

Other factor fueling this economic chaos is the
uncontrolled population growth, which has risen by 65% in
the past 24 years. The Islamic Republic in its acumen
never predicted nor planed for such inadequacies, and now
has reached a point that in order to alleviate the
hardship, has resorted in inhuman conducts. Such conducts
as prostitution, although forbidden by Islamic laws, has
become a source of income for women, and the Authorities
are promoting such behavior. They have gone as far as
kidnapping girls from the streets of town and cities and
selling them to Arab Sheikh?s across the Persian Gulf. It
is remarkable that the Islamic Republic boasted about the
advancement of Iranian Women. Although all the progress
made by those women were through hardship and resistance to
archaic Islamic Laws. Now, after the demise of women?s
role in Iranian society, the Regime in Tehran is attempting
to blame anti revolutionary movement and foreign elements.

The people of Iran have lost faith in the Islamic Republic.
They witness that a major portion of the GDP is spend on
non-productive services. An increasing number of Mullahs
have been put on the Governments payroll, with no
accountability. The Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) have
joined the three branches of the armed forces creating a
fourth and independent branch. Have added the basiji?s
(sworn fighters of Islam), and foreign mercenaries to the
local law enforcement (Police and the Gendarmerie). Why is
it that the Islamic Republic, with all these increase in
security forces are not able to control the pilfering and
corruption. And why is it that the Islamic prisons are
filled with writers of conscious, students, teachers and...

It is evident that the people of Iran are frustrated and in
real economic hardship. Poverty, unemployment and
hopelessness have undermined the fabric of our society.
The ultimate bearers of this suffering and hardship are
our children and women.

The father of the Islamic Revolution set the corner stone
of the Regimes economic policy, when he announced: ?economy
is for idiots?. Today we are witnessing the result of that
policy, the policy of pilfering the national wealth
established by the founder of the Islamic Republic.

In the effort of segregating men & women, in the class
rooms, in universities and even on the beaches, the
authorities have not been successful. After 24 years, we
see boys and girls who are the product of the revolution
and were born after the revolution, who have been subjected
to continuous Islamic propaganda in schools and
universities, have taken the opposite path to that
advocated by the Islamic Authorities. We are constantly
witnessing the confrontation of these youngsters with the
security forces in parks, restaurants, and other public
places, all in an effort to have and to keep the natural
right of being in the company of opposite gender. Although
they are faced with eminent and threat of imprisonment,
lashing and in some cases stoning, they are in defiance.
These youngsters, especially the Iranian girls, in the
river of the Islamic Republic, are swimming against the
current.


The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy
in Iran" considers the Iranian Women to be in the forefront
of our struggle in the form of social disobedience. Their
resistance and defiance of the oppressive laws despite
eminent hardship, torture, imprisonment and stoning is
encouraging to all other freedom loving people who are also
struggling in defiance to the despotic and oppressive
Islamic Republic. During the past 24 years the Iranian
Women, without any political or communal organization have
been the biggest thorn and headache for the Islamic
Authorities, and their defiance has played a major part in
the creation of the ?Third Force?. The force that in the
near future will end the rein terror and horror which has
cast a shadow of us in the shape of Islamic republic, which
will bring about the era of freedom, equality and the rule
of law to our home land.

In the hope of prosperous future and freedom for the People
of Iran!


January 3, 2003 (13th Dey 1381)

The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy
in Iran" (SMCCDI)

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