Women & Islamic Revolution in Iran, Book Review Example

Westerners and the entire world at large believe that there is oppression on women in Islam. This is something that occurred in the past before the revolution. At that time, Women veiled themselves from head to toe, were denied to school, and confined at home as homemakers. This was monarchy of the highest order.  However, this is a talk of the past in the new Iran. Women woke up during the revolution and stood firm to speak for themselves.  They spoke out their desires, their goals and their struggles.  Women participated in the uprising. Their unity played a critical role in firmly supporting the Revolution (Majdnia and Fadavi 448). The ability of this is by the fact that the government of the Shah had greater determination of to westernizing Iran, with particular regards to women. This paper discusses how the Islamic Revolution in Iran affected women.

The revolution’s impact on women is contradictory and unintended. It is contradictory in the essence that the revolution has opened up new possibilities for women.  At the same time, the revolution has instituted controls that are repressive over women.  The revolution regarded as unintended because currently, the present woman in Iran is very different from the woman before the revolution.  Initially, an “ideal revolutionary woman” described as a woman trained in accordance to the traditions,  a woman whose role are limited to being a mother and house maker,  pious and a woman who is deferent to husbands, fathers, and even brothers. The revolutionary constitution in 1979 obtained a 98% approval by the Iranian people. In so doing, so many revolutions occurred as discussed below:

Beliefs on Traditions vs. Freedom and Rights 

Unlike the early woman who has limited freedom, the real revolutionary woman has freedom, rights, and the courage to speak loud in their favor. They no longer cover the whole body, with the underlying reason being they do not tempt men. Moral police no longer survey the revolutionary woman, and neither do the women segregate themselves from men in public areas.

The House Maker vs. the Leader-Woman

The woman in early days was simply a house maker, but the revolutionary woman goes ahead and fights for leadership positions just as the men do. The Shah government championed reform with regard to women’s issues. It particularly emphasized on equal rights of men and women (Terman 302). The largest campaign concentrated on removing the hijab (an instrument of backwardness and regression). This unveiled the Iranian women, and liberated them to the revolutionized women who can hold leadership positions at various levels in any institutional setup.

The Revolutionized Woman in the Sphere of Education

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic gives a provision of free education for all Iranians for the intermediate stage. It further has commitments to the provision of free higher education.  The Treaty of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities takes position and ensures women have rights to the highest standard of learning possible. This treaty ensures higher education for women through to the highest academic levels possible. It also recognizes their right for women to gain quantitative and qualitative specialist skills. This educational revival took effect after the Islamic Revolution with a campaign promoted by Imam Khomeini. This campaign focused on wiping out illiteracy, and attaining the highest standards of education.

Revolutionized Iranian Women in Social and Political Activities

With the revolutionized Iran, the leaders of the Islamic Revolution desired that a significant number of female to participate in political and social activities. Women have the right to freedom of thought, they have protection from objections, and they enjoy social equality, and take part in implementing the law.  Women have the right to acquire political knowledge, the right to establish parties, participate in elections, and the right to stand for parliamentary seats (Terman 296).  In other words, Women have strengthened political rights, rights to participate in politics, and even rights to take part in the decision making process.  Imam Khomeini advised that there is natural strength that comes along when women, both the elderly and the youth enter the economic, cultural, and even military spheres to move forward alongside the men. They all move strongly in the along the religious perfection path, and in the political path among other paths of interest.

Revolutionized Iranian Women and Property Ownership

The Islamic revolution history has witnessed women owning, selling, and presenting themselves in their own property. Like any other person, they have the democracy and freedom of expression to protect their property. Women participate in society in all ways; studying, working in an office, trading, or working in a factory. They have the opportunity to invest their hard gotten money in any type of assets, be it land, building, vehicles and anything they would wish.  There are no restrictions on property ownership.

In conclusion, the Iranian women have greatly benefited from the Islamic revolution. They women have the right to do whatever they would wish to do. In fact, any woman who carries her life carelessly takes personal blame. Women are as equal as men are in the revolutionized Iran.

Work Cited

Majdnia, Majid and Fadavi, Mohammad. A Review of Political Caricatures before and after the Islamic Revolution of Iran. European Journal of Social Science. Vol. 18 Issue 3, 2011: p444-449. 6p.

Terman, Rochelle. The Piety of Public Participation: The Revolutionary Muslim Woman in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Totalitarian Movements & Political Religions., Vol. 11 Issue 3/4, 2010: p289-310. 22p.