Speech [Role of women in society]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I appreciate the sisters and respected women for coming to this assembly to let me highlight some of the problems befalling our sisters in the former period and touch on the role of women in the course of 100- odd year history of Iran. In time of the arrogant Pahlavi regime, the respected ladies underwent more oppression than the men. The Iranian women who felt bound to the act according to the rules of Islam and observe the dress code of Islam were subjected to different forms of oppression in the reign of Rida Shah and Muhammad-Rida. I remember the time of Rida Shah, and it is good you do not remember, because what better the women is beyond description. The suffered by this class of the nation on those days is inexpressible. The pressure exerted on them and the afflictions they endured in time of the corrupt Shah are immeasurable. In time of Muhammad-Rida, the situation degenerated and corruption deepend compared to the reign Rida Shah. The latter employed coercion, bullying and forcing women to remove their veil. The former targeted the women's chastity. He destroyed everything in Iran, one being the chastity of Iranian women. Employing a special scheme, they worked to lead the society to corruption and strip it from chastity. Thank God Iranian women resisted. Excluding a group of them who were women of their own persuasion, westernized and suiting the regime, other sisters put up resistance. Therefore, Islam was revived in Iran. The service Islam has done and will do to women is so valuable that we cannot describe. If it were not for this revolution and the transformation-takin place in Iran, there would remain nothing of Islamic ethics in Iran after a few more years.

Thank God, the problem is over now. The situation is such that women work shoulder to shoulder with other brothers in acquisition of knowledge, mysticism, philosophy and all branches of the sciences and industry. At that time, it was said that half of the population of Iran were behind the curtain and they could do nothing. Actually, they did not want ladies to do anything, because they had even deprived men of active works. Actually, they intended to bring women into society in the manner of themselves, their friends and campanions so as to lead the society to corruption. However, God had ordained otherwise. You ladies are today a source of pride because you are as active as your brothers, who in the seminaries are in pursit of learning, teaching and other Islamic activities. I hope you are even more avtive than them. Definitely, you should try to do the opposite of what was prevelant during the former regime. They wanted to replace Islamic ethics by European one. You should do the converse so that some of those credulous people who still might be found in Iran be impressed by you and follow your lead.

The role of women in society- as much as I remember, and history has recorded- in several movements, which took place in Iran, suh as the tobacco movement, the constitutional movement and Khurdad 15 event was more or less equal to that of men. They were present in the arena, and due to their presence the men who were uncertain became resolate and the determined men become more so. What you witnessed, the role of women was greater than men in the Islamic Revolution. You were active and make men active as well. The pride you created is greatly appreciable.

You should be present in all arenas as much as permitted by Islam such as election that is today a practice to be carried out. It is the talk of the day in Iran. Women should be as active as men in the elections because there is not difference between men and women in determining their destiny. Iran's destiny is the destiny of all. The extent Islam served you it did not serve men. Islam protected you and you should reciprocally serve Islam. Islam did not serve men that much; it protected you and you should reciprocally safeguard Islam. One of the ways of safeguarding Islam is taking part in this election, which will lead to the second demo of Majlis. Know that election is among affairs that play an important role in determining your destiny. It is the highest of roles. The election should decide on all affairs of the country both inside and outside of the country. Therefore, you women should have a very active role so that God forbid Majlis is gradually pushed towards the east or west due to presence of some incompetent elements, as it was the case in the former regime. In such circumstances, all of wil undergo the affliction we experienced in the past.

Thank God, the Majlis to be set up today will hopefully be better than the first one because all strata are active. Those who have surveyed these issues say that people are present in the arena and voice their opinion. You all should be present and voice your opinion, you should have a say in political affairs because political issues are not exclusive to a certain class, in the same way as know lodge is not exclusive to a a single class. As men have to interfere in pololitical affairs and safeguard their own society, women also havee to interfere in social and political activities along with men. Of course, they should observe what Islam has ordered, which is fortunately the case in Iran.

I hope that the Majlis will be a good one, a Majlis in which the entire people participate freely and do not care about what others may say about them later. Those who are our enemy are today active to spoil the Majlis. There is activity inside and outside the country and you should be actively present and massively turn out in the election polls to foil their activities. I hope the Majlis will be a good one. By the presence of the `ulama', lawyers and the Guardian Council lawyers, our heart is at ease. In the Majlis, no bill will be passed against the interests of Islam and Muslims. If a mistake creeps into the Majlis, the esteemed Guardian Council should act with utmost power and independence, as it has done so far, push forward the nation, government and the country. I hope that the war would come to an end in favor of Iran and those who are grappling in the world to keep Saddam in power will fail. I hope they cannot keep this criminal in place and the war will come to a good end. All of you and we should be engaged in activity to advance this country in terms of spirituality and material perspective. I hope we can Islamize this country efficiently so that it can serve as a model for all Islamic countries. You know that the group who came to investigate into the big crimes committed by Saddam who has threatened humanity produced a report. However, those who should have condemned Saddam did not do so. It would be expedient for them not to have sent the team, as this caught them out. Those who claim that they are independent and upholder of human rights were unmasked and could not condemn Iraq due to the considerations they had to observe with regard to east and west. They made a general statement and condemned the use of chemical weapons without citing the user. They should not have taken this measure. We will ourselves oust the Baath Party and Saddam and liable the Iraqi people from the bondage of this wicked men with strong fists and without committing that type of crimes.

I beseech God almighty to grant success to you women and sisters to be assiduous in knowledge, action and moral purification. As knowledge alone is not useful, blind purification alone is not useful as well. Knowledge and purification of the self together elevate man to the station of humanity. I implore God almighty to make you ladies, the other sisters across the country as well the brothers successful in giving reality to knowledge and action along with Islamic ethics, and implementing Islam in Iran as prescribed by the almighty God.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!