Position in the Family

12 Islamic culture, but similarities in patterns of behavior are not always associated with similarity of religious belief. The relationship between men and women in Iran has also been influenced, especially in the present century, by western ideas and ways of life. A suitable accommodation between the western and native cultural elements has not yet been achieved in Iran. Hughes stated that men were granted the power to make all family decisions, including the movement of women and custody of the children. Your wife, who is your possession, is in fact, your slave, is the mullah’s legal view of women’s status. The misogyny of the mullahs made women the embodiment of sexual seduction and vice 22. To protect the sexual morality of society, women had to be covered and banned from engaging in immodest activity. Women must cover their hair and body except for their face and hands and they must not use cosmetics 23. The legal age at which girls can be married is 9 years formerly 18 years. Polygamy is legal, with men permitted to have four wives and unlimited number of temporary wives. Women are not permitted to travel or acquire a passport without their husband’s written permission. A woman is not permitted to be in the company of a man who is not her husband or a male relative. Public activities are segregated. Women are not allowed to engage in sports in which they may be seen by men; or permitted to watch men’s sports in which men’s legs are not fully covered 23. Furthermore, The New Encyclopædia Britannica mentions that the organizational principle of Iranian kinship is patriliny. This means several things: 1 Formal authority is vested in males. 2 Males are the primary property holders 13 and property inheritors. 3 Membership in the kinship group is determined through males but not through females 863. Traditionally, the civil rights of women have been minimal, women as individuals are often not as completely passive and subordinate as it sometimes assumed. The influence of mothers on their son is reported to be profound and persistent; especially in choosing the brides for their son 864. The head of the household-father and the husband- expects obedience and respects from other members of family. In return, he is obligated to support them and to satisfy their spiritual, social, and material needs. In practice, he is strict disciplinarian. http:www.csis.orgmideast0101current history.pdf According to this, women’s position is under their husband. This is an example of subordinate position in Iran culture. Women generally use the chador veil when in public and when males not related to them in the house. In the traditional view, an ideal society is one in which women are confined to the home, where they perform various domestic tasks associating with managing a household and rearing children. In Iran, the family is the basis of the social structure. The concept of the family is more private than in many other cultures. Female relatives must be protected from outside influences and are taken care of at all the times. It is inappropriate to ask questions about an Iranian’s wife or other female relatives because Iranians take their responsibilities to their family quite seriously. http:www.kwintessential.co.ukresourcesglobal-etiquetteiran-country- profile.html 14

2.2.2. Positions in the Society

In the society, women also have the same position in the family as they also still stand behind men. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution Iran became an Islamic Republic. During this era of Islamist rule, Iranian women lost many of the opportunities they had and faced more restrictions in most matters. One of the striking features of the revolution was the large scale participation of women from traditional backgrounds in demonstrations leading up to the overthrow of the monarchy. This could have been due to increase in the level of participation during the time of Shah, which led to the revolution as well. However since the culture of education for women had been established before revolution, families continued encouraging education for women and therefore a gap between womens demand and the society grew, for instance the society has been facing many educated women and less employment opportunities for them, which had led to a general dissatisfaction and frustration among women. http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiIranian_women. Hughes also finds out that Iranian women really want changes. Women demand more participation in social activities, such as education, sport, and laws 23. However these educated women do not enjoy the same right as men. Women testimony in the court is half a man. Womens right to heir is half a man and so there are many other rules, laws and regulations suppressing women when it comes to basic rights. According to Hughes, Iranian perceives women as inferior side and must be treated differently under the law 2. Hughes also points out a statement from Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who currently heads the powerful Council to 15 Determine State Exigencies. He said that justice does not mean that all laws must be the same for men and women. The difference in the stature, vitality, voice, development, muscular quality, and physical strength of men and women shows that men are stronger and more capable in all fields 3. Iranian really believes that women must accept the reality of men dominating them, and the world must recognize the fact that men are superior. In 2005, Women’s Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran or WFAFI has distributed and compiled official laws against women in Iran. These laws are prohibiting women from the presidency, leadership, judgeship, and certain educational fields. This means that Iran constitution controls both the public and private lives and role of women. According to WFAFI, Iranian women are not free to choose or control various aspects of lives. Some of the articles from Iran Constitution are article 115, which states the condition for the presidential candidates. The law states that, “The President must come from among the religious and political statesmen rejal. The word rejal literally means men of high achievement. Another article is article 209, which states that womans life is valued only half as much as a mans life. A convicted man who has intentionally slain a woman is subject to execution only after the payment of Deyeh by the family of the victim. Deyeh is defined as a sum of money that the victims family has to pay to the assailants family for the physical damages, dismemberment, or death of the assailant. WFAFI also added that family courts in Iran do not provide women any protection from abusive husbands.