Statements of the Supreme Leader in the Gathering of Women in Urmia

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Thanks be to God, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Master, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure, immaculate, chosen family, the guiding and rightly guided.

For me, it is a very interesting and beautiful sight to see the women of this province forming such a magnificent gathering. Thanks be to God, you various groups of women from different cities of this province have gathered and formed this splendid assembly. What I find appropriate to say in this large gathering today are two or three fundamental points regarding women's issues:

The first point is that today there is a major problem concerning women, not only in our Iran but throughout the world. This problem is that in some aspects of life, there is negligence or aggression towards the rights and dignity of women. In other words, women are oppressed.

Some imagine that this characteristic is specific to Eastern or Islamic countries. This is a misconception. Oppression of women in Western countries—with all their claims regarding women—is not less, if not more, than in Islamic and Eastern countries. There are statistics on the abuse of women in families by men—whether husbands, fathers, or brothers—that I have seen, and these shocking statistics truly astonish one!

Thus, the problem mentioned exists everywhere in the world. This problem must be resolved. Of course, in our country, during the preliminaries of the revolution's victory, when women participated in massive political struggles and proved their role, the situation changed significantly.

Here, in the presence of you dear women, my sisters, and my children, I say that the role of women's gatherings in the victory of the revolution was likely greater than that of men's gatherings. That is, women's presence in public and political struggles had multiple roles. A man was one person who would come and participate in struggles or gatherings and marches. That was it! But when the housewife considered herself part of the struggle and entered the field, she actually brought the household, where the man, woman, and children were, into the scene and presented a family in the field of struggle. It was the same in the war. That is, if the families of martyrs—mothers and wives—had not been patient, the war would have faced very big problems. In that period, the role of women was very prominent. The revolution and the war endowed our women with social awareness and political growth. When a woman is educated and politically aware, no one can easily oppress her or trample her rights. These were the gains that the revolution brought for women. This is the first point.

I ask young, educated, and intelligent women to pay close attention to the point I want to make: A woman can be considered from three perspectives to reveal the Islamic view of her. One is the role of a woman as a human being on the path of spiritual and moral perfection, in which view there is no difference between men and women. In history, there have been great and prominent women, just as there have been great and prominent men. In the Quran, when God Almighty wants to set an example for the believers, He uses a woman as an example: 'And God sets forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh.' A woman as a prominent believer who was unparalleled or rare among the people of that time. This is from the first perspective.

The second perspective is in the field of social, political, scientific, and economic activities. From the Islamic point of view, the field of scientific, economic, and political activity is completely open for women. If someone, citing the Islamic perspective, wants to deprive a woman of scientific work, prevent her from economic efforts, or deprive her of political and social efforts, they are acting against God's command. Women can participate in activities as much as their physical ability and needs and necessities allow. They can engage in economic, political, and social efforts as much as they can. The sacred law is not an obstacle. Of course, since physically a woman is more delicate than a man, she has necessities. Imposing heavy work on a woman is oppression. Islam does not recommend this, nor does it prohibit it. It is narrated from Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) that he said: 'The woman is a flower, not a champion.' 'Champion' means a respectable servant and steward. It tells men that women in your homes are like delicate flowers that should be treated with utmost delicacy and care. A woman is not your steward and servant to whom you think heavy work should be assigned. This is an important issue.

In a report recently given to me, it is stated that in some areas of West Azerbaijan, seventy percent of daily tasks are done by women and the remaining thirty percent by men! This is oppression. This is against the view of Islam. When some men want to marry, they set a condition that the woman must definitely work and have a job and income, which is a mistake. Although it is not against the law, Islam does not recommend such a thing either. Saying 'we should prohibit women from economic and social activities' based on the Islamic view is wrong. Islam has not said such a thing. But on the other hand, forcing a woman to do heavy work and difficult economic, social, or political efforts is not recommended by Islam. Islam's view is a moderate one. That is, if a woman has the opportunity and leisure, if child-rearing does not hinder her, if she has the desire, interest, and physical ability, and wants to engage in social, political, or economic activities, there is no obstacle. But forcing her and saying she must definitely accept a job, work a certain amount daily to contribute to household expenses, no. Islam has not asked this of women either. This is also considered a kind of imposition on women.

So, in summary, in the second perspective, Islam's view is that in the field of scientific, economic, social, and political activity, women should not be imposed upon or forced, nor should their path be blocked. If women want to engage in social and political activities, there is no obstacle. Of course, scientific activity is very good and preferable to other activities.

I recommend to families to allow their daughters to study. Let no father or mother, out of religious zeal, think they should prevent their daughter from pursuing higher education! No; religion has not said such a thing. Religion does not differentiate between boys and girls in the pursuit of knowledge. If your son is pursuing higher education, let your daughter also pursue higher education. Let our young girls study, learn, become aware, recognize their own dignity, and know their worth, so they understand how baseless and hollow the propaganda of global arrogance regarding women is. In the light of education, these things can be understood.

Today, the most devout, revolutionary, purest, and most faithful young girls and women are among the educated classes. Those who are into luxury and clinging to gold and jewelry, or blindly and unthinkingly want to imitate Western models in clothing and lifestyle, often do not have sufficient education and knowledge. Someone who has knowledge can control their behavior and align it with whatever is right, true, and good. Therefore, in the scientific field, all avenues of activity should be open for women. Girls, even in villages, should study. My recommendation to fathers and mothers is to let their daughters go to school and learn to read and write. If they have the talent and wish to pursue higher and university education after completing elementary stages, do not prevent them. Let them become educated and knowledgeable individuals in our Islamic society. This is also from the second perspective.

The third perspective is viewing a woman as a member of the family, which seems the most important. My dear ones! In Islam, a man is not allowed to impose his will on a woman or force her to do something. Limited rights have been set for a man in the family, which are based on complete wisdom and expediency. These rights, when explained to anyone, will be acknowledged. Similarly, specific rights have been set for a woman in the family, which are also based on expediency. Men and women each have their own nature, morals, temperament, and instincts that are unique to them. If they use their unique characteristics correctly, they form a complete, harmonious, and compatible couple in the family. If a man oversteps, the balance is disturbed. If a woman oversteps, the balance is disturbed. Islam places the two genders, man and woman, within the family like two leaves of a door, two eyes on a human face, two trench-mates in the battlefield of life, and two business partners in a shop. Each of these two has nature, characteristics, and traits, both in body and spirit and in instincts and emotions, that are unique to them. If these two genders live together with the limits and standards set by Islam, they will have a lasting, loving, blessed, and beneficial family.

Today, in the Western world, the family has a very weak foundation. Families—especially women—suffer from separation and disintegration. If a family, God forbid, disintegrates, both the man and the woman become lost, wandering, and distressed, and they suffer. But in this situation, the woman suffers more. Today, in the Western world, women suffer from this pain because families easily break up, disintegrate, and disappear. Sometimes the women themselves initiate the dissolution of the family unit, but they themselves suffer the most from it.

The important point is that in the family environment—as I said—these two elements and two beings, while enjoying their characteristics, have harmony and coexistence with each other. However, a woman is physically more delicate, and a man is stronger and more robust. Nevertheless, if the law does not defend the woman, the man may oppress her. Therefore, the law has very heavy duties in supporting women who have formed families and are within their family environment. The issue we must pursue seriously in our country is the moral and legal support of women so that a man cannot be oppressive in the family environment. Although many reforms have been made in marriage laws and family support after the revolution, they do not seem sufficient. Therefore, our recommendation to all those involved—whether those in the parliament, those in the government, or those on the pulpits of sermons and preaching—and to the women themselves is to pursue such an issue diligently. This is the fundamental point where Islam has done the most important work in this section. This is the point that has been neglected in the Western world, and today women suffer severe oppression. Some superficial observers look at the social environment in the West and see women appearing in societies without any restraint. Therefore, they imagine that they have the same lack of restraint within the family. However, this is a misconception, and women are greatly oppressed in the family environment.

But Islam prevents such oppression against women. Today, if we have a deficiency in this area in our society, it must be resolved, and legal support for women must be carried out with utmost strength and intensity. Of course, in the social environment, there are services and participations where women are more active. It is good to mention the responsibility of nursing, which women have historically been more involved in than men, and it is a very important task with high value, on the occasion of 'Nurse's Day':

Dear ladies and esteemed sisters! The important issue is that today Islam, with its laws and teachings, is committed to supporting all segments of our society—whether men or women, rural or urban, various groups, and especially those who are weak. From another perspective, it can be said that the Islamic system and Islamic laws are committed to defending the oppressed worldwide. It is because of this perspective that today global arrogance conspires against the Islamic Republic system. Now, hardly a month passes without global arrogance, with its agencies, companies, mercenary minds, and design institutions—constantly designing conspiracies against free nations and governments—seeking to strike and conspire against the Islamic Republic system. These conspiracies sometimes take shape every week and every day and continue continuously. But by God's grace and because of these gatherings, these solidarities, these cohesions, and these awarenesses that, thanks be to God, both men and women in our country possess, all the efforts of global arrogance against the Islamic Republic have been nullified and invalidated, and in the field of confrontation with this great nation, its nose has been rubbed in the dirt repeatedly. Certainly, more than any other factor in this regard, the awareness of the people and their presence in important social and political arenas has played a role, and you women have had and continue to have a significant impact in this regard.

Today, thanks be to God, universities and seminaries exist throughout the country, and young girls, in various sections of these two institutions and scientific centers, gain awareness and engage in learning. As long as these young, enthusiastic, aware, determined, and loving spirits are abundant in our society, thanks be to God, global arrogance, America, and the small and large enemies of this nation can do nothing against this country. My recommendation to my dear sisters and daughters is to increase your knowledge and awareness. Study, pay attention, research, learn, engage in religious matters, and consider them as definite and certain duties that today women in the country, like men, must consider themselves obliged to perform. You are the ones who raise righteous children and encourage your husbands to enter positive fields. Many women make their husbands heavenly and save them from the problems of this world and the hereafter. The work and effort of a woman and her awareness and stance have such value.

We ask God Almighty to include all of you in His grace and favor. I thank all of you esteemed sisters for coming from near and far and creating this very magnificent and grand gathering, showing that Azerbaijani women are determined, faithful, active, diligent, and possess the necessary awareness. We admire all of you; we ask God Almighty for His increasing grace and favor for you, and we entrust you to your God.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.