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Friday:
1. Log on to Padlet with your SC email.
2. Post your inquiry under the column for your group (include links and pictures)

Monday:

1. Circulate as a group around the different posts, reading and making comments or questions to information and responses as they build. Stay with one post for 5 mins to allow a digital conversation to develop.

2. Interact & respond - Remember the types of responses you can make as you read: connecting ideas, elaborating on others' ideas, commenting on what others have written, asking others to respond with more detail, and so on.

3. Consolidate the thinking by posting in the last column.
Return to your original starting places to read what others have written on ”your" Chalk Talk poster.

1. What do you see as common issues and reactions? What questions surprise you? (This is an individual post in the last column)

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The region today known as Iran has historically been controlled by various empires and dynasties, both local and foreign. Some important powers that have controlled Iran include the Acaemenid (Persian) Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate, the Macedonian Empire and modern Persia/Iran.

Modern XXth century Iran has undergone various revolutions, such as the 1906 Revolution, which limited the Shah's power; the 1953 coup d'état, when a pro-western government was established and the Shah's powers were strengthened; and the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the Shah in favour of an Islamic Republic.
Even though Iran was relatively prosperous the years previous to the Iranian Revolution, making advancements in education and infrastructure and lowering child mortality rates, its social imbalance and the Shah's poor management decisions, along with other factors, eventually lead to the revolution. Even if the revolution intended to end with an autocracy, it just replaced it with a different one, even if by a National Plebiscite.
The Iranian Clergy played an important role as they supported and even motivated many of these revolutions.

In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran. This was a political and religious motivated invasion. Iraq hoped to easily win a war against post-revolution weakened Iran. However, 8 years later in 1988, the war ended in a stalemate after around up to 1-2 million people died, mostly from Iran.

In the present day, Iran is a contentious nation which has most recently entered into political conflict with the US over the Iran Nuclear Deal and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Iran is considered an Authoritarian Regime in the Democracy Index, having a score of 2.20/10, which falls into a 3-year decline streak.

Interesting videos:

Geography Now! Iran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQM4Zy5zIk&t

The $22 Million Party that Overthrew an Empire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxQ19dzi4YQ

How Iran Threw the World's Greatest Party in a Desert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aF0UqC0J48

Why Iran's Geography Sucks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrrYZl0XJLw

When did Persia become Iran? (Short Animated Documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoyctsgMwq0

Why wasn't Iran colonised? (Short Animated Documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_8zULEJ7e8

Other:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Iraq-War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

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While Iran was going through major political, cultural, and religious conflicts, which altogether led to a revolution, some women were determined to fight for equality and freedom.

Iran has been a very religious country since its establishment and part of their culture was the limitation of women's rights in everyday life.

Around 1936, under the regime of the Shah and later his son, women's liberties were encouraged, for instance, the veil became optional. But then, during the islamic revolution in 1979 the veil was reintroduced by the government and became mandatory.

Another important point regarding the women's rights movement is the fact that many "traditional" women were afraid to leave their homes because they were taught it was dangerous, this of course, distanced reality fromone with equal rights.

ANSWERS:
- There are feminist movements in Iran to this day because equality has not been achieved

- Some women were against the veil and some others were convinced of its use

- As in many other places of the world, the feminist movement has ups and downs, and it resurfaces when it is most needed

- Some women in Iran are still fighting for equality but some others have given up in the process

- The islamic revolution brought importance to the women's rights movement, but it also brought repression.

- I think the main problem for Marjane was the lack of liberty of expression in her country

- According to the book and some of my research, the government says that it seeks equality but it is evident that they are not accomplishing it.

Links:

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/reconstructed-lives-women-and-irans-islamic-revolution

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Culture can be defined as the ideas, customs, characteristics and social behavior of a particular people.

Keeping that in mind, a very important aspect in Iranian culture is the education on has. People are characterized by the knowledge they have, Iranian people commonly have a basic understanding of a broad of things. This knowledge is then seen in daily conversations within one another.

Another important part of the culture is how close they are towards politics, as it is a very commonly spoken topic. It brings people together as they criticize their government.

Iranian people are very humble. They self-deprecate their own success, because showing off is seen pretentious. Reputation is very important in this case. the more humility a person shows the better, and the less is this person gonna be criticized.

Underground Culture:
Due to the government people have developed an underground self. This means that when people are in the surface/public people behave in a way that it is socially acceptable. While on the other side, underground, people behave as their true selves which can not be seen in the public because of the conservative government. At the end, people start living double lives.

Links:

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/iranian-culture/iranian-culture-core-concepts#iranian-culture-core-concepts

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Iran and it's Historical context - Felipe Toledo

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Iran and it's Historical context - Felipe Toledo

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The first panel of Marjane Satrapi’s ‘Persepolis’ is set in Tehran, Iran, 1980.

It is immensely important to understand the historical context of these times to truly comprehend  Marji’s story and what occurred in her environment.

After The Iranian Revolution, in 1979, Iran entered a decade which would leave a mark on everyone, and it still impacts the country today.

1979 was a defining year in Iran’s recent history, with heaps of important events taking place this year. For starters, the Shah and his policies caused massive uproar just before this year began, leading to a start to 1979 where riots and mass demonstrations were common. Martial law is imposed. Just in January, the Shah was forced to leave Iran in exile, as the political environment was too hostile. In April, a referendum took place, resulting in the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Towards the end of the year, a defining moment occurs: islamic partidaries take 52 American hostages inside the U.S Embassy, as they demand for the Shah to be extradited for him to face trials.

In January 1980, a new president was elected, and a massive nationalization campaign began.

In September of the same year, the war with Iraq began and it would last 8 years.

The just before the war ended,  in July 1988, a ceasefire was agreed between both countries. 2 Years later, they resume diplomatic relationships as Iran remains neutral while Iraq invades Kuwait.

In classic history, Iran has also been no stranger to conflict, as it has faced being ruled several times by other powers, as well as a series of civil wars.

Invasions and foreign leadership includes the following:

636: Arab Invasion

1220: Genghis Khan’s troops sweep through Persia, adding it as a Mongolian territory.

1828: Iran cedes Caucasus region to Russia after second Russo-Persian war.

And also, as Marji sets in the introduction of the book, there was foreign invasions and domination, coming from Alexander the Great, Arab neighboring nations, Turk and Mongolian invaders and so on.

Nowadays, Iran finds itself in a rough spot. Political tensions with the U.S in late 2019 and early 2020 escalated as both countries shot down each other's drones and the U.S shot and killed Iranian Quds Force Commander MR. Soleimani with a drone strike. Iran was also recently linked with attacks on Saudi Arabian Oiling facilities.
Sources:
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/06/current-situation-iran .

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14542438

For information on Iran's Political context at the moment and social aspects, the following link gives an insight into these topics which can help draw conclusions of what is to come for the middle eastern country.

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- Iran has based its politics on the 1979 constitution, establishing a fusion between theocratic and democratic characteristics.
- Nonetheless, the country is known for its highly undemocratic practices, as, the persecution of any critics of the government and its leader.
- The country is ran by a supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Also, there is an Iranian president, but with less power compared to the supreme leader.
- Homosexual relationships and encounters are not permitted and punished by even death.
- Women's rights are very lowly respected

Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Government_and_politics
https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran/Government-and-society

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Religion in Iran and its influence in Iranian culture and society

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Religion in Iran and its influence in Iranian culture and society

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Shi'ism is the official religion of Iran, with about 90% of the Iranian population practicing it. Alongside Sunni, Shi'ism is one of the two largest branches of Islam. Shi'ism followers believe that only descendents of the prophet should be leaders of society, whilst Sunni followers believe that the shura (members of the community) should consult on who the leader should be. This difference resulted in schism and civil war.

In reagards to theological beliefs, both branches share a lot of simmilarities. They coincide in the Five Pillars, they share the smae holly book (Qur'an), and prayer customs (with slight differences in fewpostural rituals and prayer phrasing).

Their Five Pillars are the following:
1. Shahada (Declaration of Faith)
2. Salat (Prayer, which must be practiced 5 times a day)
3. Saum (Fasting, during the month of Ramadan specially)
4. Zakat (Alms, 2.5% of one's incomes must go to those in need after providing for oneself on'e family and one's commnity.)
5. Haj (Pilgrimage, a Muslim is required to visit the Mekka once in their lives to perform a specific set of rituals during the month of Haj)

Their main difference, as mentioned previously, radicates in their perceptions of the validity of the historical leaders of the country, with Shi'is not considering the first three successors of the prophet to be valid, since they were chosen and not descendants from the prophet. As a symbol of the value they have for lineage and family ties, Shi'is follow a tradition of wearing a black turban to indicate one’s lineage traces back to the Prophet.

There are reasons that eac branch hold that justify their beliefs of who the successor should be. On one hand, Shi'is believe that the link between God and humanity had to continue through Muhammed's family, thus believing thatʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib—the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law—should have been the Prophet’s immediate successor and, thereafter, members of ʿAlī’s family. On the other hand, Summis believe that Muhammed's death meant that the link between God and humankind had ended and the community was to make its own way forward, thus eleccting their new leaders.

SOURCES AND HELPFUL LINKS:
https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/key2mideast/chapter/islam-in-middle-eastern-societies/

https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/key2mideast/chapter/shiism/#:~:text=The%20word%20Shi'i%2C%20also,many%20considered%20his%20rightful%20successor.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shii

https://www.iis.ac.uk/what-shia-islam

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[i] U.S. Department of State, Country Background Notes: Iran. Online. Available: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5314.htm. Accessed: December 4, 2007.

[ii] For a comprehensive account of Islamic history, see Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, (Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1988).

[iii] Daniel Byman, Shahram Chubin, Anoushiravan Ehteshami, and Jerrold D. Green, Iran's Security Policy in the Post-Revolutionary Era, (Santa Monica: RAND, 2001), p 40.

[iv] Daniel Byman, Shahram Chubin, Anoushiravan Ehteshami, and Jerrold D. Green, Iran's Security Policy in the Post-Revolutionary Era, (Santa Monica: RAND, 2001), p 74.

[v] Gwen Okruhlik, "Saudi Arabian-Iranian Relations: External Rapprochement and Internal Consolidation," Middle East Policy, vol. 10, no. 2 (Summer 2003), p 118.

[vi] "Iran/United Arab Emirates: U.S. Fails to Scuttle Emerging Ties," International Press Service (February 25, 2008).

[vii] "UAE Open for Iran Business as U.S. Seeks to Choke Tehran," Agence France Presse (February 11, 2008).
This page last modified in August 2008

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Strait of Hormuz - Religion in Iran - The Strauss Center

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i] U.S. Department of State, Country Background Notes: Iran. Online. Available: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5314.htm. Accessed: December 4, 2007. [ii] For a comprehensive account of Islamic history, see Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, (Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1988). [iii] Daniel Byman, Shahram Chubin, Anoushiravan Ehteshami, and Jerrold D.

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The Islam has several branches: the Sunni, the Shia (Shi’a/shiite), the Ibadi, the Ahmadiyya, and the Sufism. Despite having different names they follow the same God, follow the same book (Quran) and started based on the last prophet Muhammad.

The Religious conflict of Iran:

The main religious conflict in Iran is between the Sunni and the Shia.

Sunni: This represent the 89-90% of the followers of the Islam. They believe that Muhammad did not apointed a particular succesor, however, they decided to follow Abu Bakr Siddique (the first Rashidun Caliph and Muhammad’s father-in-law). They follow the Quran, applying to all life and that they can approach God directly on Judgment Day. In contrast with the Shia, Sunnis have a less elaborate religious hierrachy and have a different interpretation on the Islam law. Sunnis do NOT recognize Ali as a rightful succesor of Muhammad, and acknowledge him as the fourth succesor.

Shia: Shia belive that Muhammad did actually choose a sucessor, Ali ibn Abi Talib (his son-in-law). They also belive in imam, who they use to refer to the head of the Muslim community (ummah) and one who leads Muslim worshippers in prayer. This school of Islam does not focus on the individual relationship with God, but rather they focus more on the clergy’s interpretation of the Quran. They worship the clergy as saints. They do not believe that people are allowed nor able to see God. They are a smaller sect but it’s the official Islam branch in Iran. Iran fell into a fundamentalist regime after 1979 in which Khomeini applied the Shia law thoroughly.

Terminology:

Rashidun, it means “Rightly Guided”.

Caliph, it means successor of the ruler of the muslim community.

Imam, it’s used to refer to the head of the muslim community.

Helpful links:

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-differences-between-shia-and-sunni-muslims-2015-10

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mideast/what-are-differences-between-sunni-shiite-muslims-n489951

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-major-branches-of-islam.html#:~:text=As%20with%20all%20other%20world,the%20successor%20of%20the%20religion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5lY6S5l5FQ

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/3/13/sectarianism-and-saudi-iranian-relations

Conflicts between the Shia and Sunni:
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/3/13/sectarianism-and-saudi-iranian-relations

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Islamic Religion and its impact and acceptance in Iran --> Changes since Iranian Revolution

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Islamic Religion and its impact and acceptance in Iran --> Changes since Iranian Revolution

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Since the Iranian Revolution, Iran and its society changed a significantly. Some of the main changes, that are related to the new ideology/religion implemented, are the following:
- Population Growth - Due to Ruhollah Jomeini, leader of the revolution, encouraging society to have more children.
- Increase in divorced couples - May be related to the fact that the religious leaders made it illegal to live with a partner, or have a serious relationship in an open and free way, so many couples married before being sure they worked or wanted to be engaged.
- Less Books and cinemas - Since the revolution, there was an increase in the censorship and in the regulation of the news, works, and information that were published and accessible to the Iranian population.
- Increase of Terrorism - "The fear of a foreign invasion has driven Iran to pursue active contacts with terrorist organisations. (...) The Islamic Republic has used radical and terrorist groups in the pursuit of a strategic doctrine that serves its national interest and survival." (The Islamic Revolution’s Impact on Political Islam and the Middle East)
- Big inequality between men & women - In Iran the inequality is way bigger than in other countries, despite the Quran stating that men and women should be treated equally. "The Qur'an, is particularly solicitous of women's well-being and development, yet Islamic traditions discriminate against girls from the moment of their lamented births". (Women in Islam: Qur'anic ideals versus Muslim realities)

Overall (Iran and Islam)
--> Iran is a theocracy that mixes religion and state more thoroughly than any other country in the world.
-- >Shiite Islam gives a special place to its clerics and demands blind obedience to their rulings on religious law.
--> The commemoration of the martyrdom of holy figures is central to Shiite religious sensibilities and plays out in Iran’s populist politics.
--> Since 1979, the Islamic Republic has imposed a strongly patriarchal order, but pious women have found ways to assert themselves in society and education.
--> The contemporary Shiite revival has given Iran influence in the Muslim world and especially among other Shiite communities in the Arab world and South Asia, challenging the Sunni secular nationalists and traditional monarchies.

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-47174319
https://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/the-islamic-revolutions-impact-on-political-islam-and-the-middle-east/
https://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/iran-and-islam
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12346481/

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- Despite repressive laws, women's rights activist are still present and active. Ex. protests which include both women and men take place to fight for equal rights and freedom. These protest are quickly shut down by police in which female officers attack female protesters.

- Post-revolutionary Iran has caused movements such as the "Green movement"  which fights politizacion and influence of Islam  on women's rights.

- islamics consider feminism a radical movement. Both the religion and movement may be considerd as not mutuallt exclusive,. as faith is part of liberty.

The Quran
Despite its relative novelty, Islamic feminism has been criticised. Many question how a feminist approach can be reconciled with Islam, which critics view as an inherently patriarchal ideology.

Abu Bakr responds to such critiques by saying that ″such definitions of feminism are superficial and are limited to liberal feminism. In reality, there are various different kinds of feminism, such as leftist feminism, as well as the Christian and Jewish feminist movements.″

Repression :
“Despite numerous geopolitical, health, and economic crises facing the country, Iranian authorities are treating local civil society as their number one threat and remain unaccountable for their abuses,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

https://en.qantara.de/content/womens-rights-in-islam-can-feminism-be-islamic

links https://theconversation.com/islam-and-feminism-are-not-mutually-exclusive-and-faith-can-be-an-important-liberator-77086

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1536504219864953
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318599872_Women's_rights_and_feminist_movements_in_Iran

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Around the world, the fight for gender equality has been happening for a long time and throughout the years has been gaining more support and strength. With this said, there is still a lot of space for improvement, especially when it comes to education and politics.

In Iran, the difference of treatment between women and men is very clear, and many of these aspects can be traced back to the Iranian Revolution, where in 1979 the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini believed and encouraged women to take their roles as wives and mothers as a way of making society succeed. This had an important impact on how Iranian women were -and still are- viewed by men and other countries. The impact can be seen with more effect in terms of education and politics where;
- Iran has never had a female president, mainly because the rules for this to happen make it very dependent of the approval of men involved in politics, something that makes it nearly impossible for female candidates to get very far in the race.
- Women face discrimination when trying to enter male-dominated fields of work, which leads back to the gender segregations installed during the Islamic Revolution which excluded women from most academic specializations and prevented them from gaining higher education.
- Women who belong to an unrecognized religious minority can't enter university because the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution established that all students have to be from one of the constitutionally-recognized religions to be able to enter (this happens for example, with women from the Bahá'í religion).

Links:
https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download

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In Iran the female roles are very different from the male ones. The main roles that the culture and laws of the country assign to the woman are related to marriage and family.
- Although any marriage involving minors is considered a forced marriage, thus a violation of human rights. A law in Iran establishes that women can marry at the age of 13 and men can marry at the age of 15, and the can marry before that age with the permission of a guardian and a court. In 2013, there were about 276500 marriages involving underage girls.
https://academic.oup.com/jhrp/article/11/3/569/5652057
-There is another law that exemplifies the responsibilities that women are expected to have in a marriage. The Civil Code of Iran commands women to fulfill their husbands sexual needs at all times. Therefore, the role of the woman in a marriage is to please their husband.
file:///home/chronos/u-350432b44502ccecffd4be6013ac2204d2f6e950/MyFiles/Downloads/WLUML_UPR20_IRN_E_Main.pdf
- In Iran, many aspects of a woman's freedom relies in the men. For example, the husband can legally stop his wife to from working in a certain profession or that a woman needs the agreement of her husband to get a passport.

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Back to Index of Gender Equality
Full Report (PDF, 361KB)

Islamic rules of inheritance as expressed through Iran's Civil Code prevent women in Iran from inheriting equally with men. However, a religious decree issued by Grand Ayatollah Sanei'i in 2008 that broke with Iran's Shari'a-based law spurred the implementation of legislation that expanded women's inheritance rights the following year by allowing women to inherit all forms of their husband's property. Similarly, a law approved in October 2019 concerning a woman's right to transmit citizenship, while not putting women on an equal footing with men, now allows Iranian mothers married to non-Iranian men the right to transmit Iranian citizenship to their children under 18 under certain conditions. A girl in Iran cannot legally marry before the age of 13 without the approval of her guardian and a court. Iran's Constitution does not ensure complete gender equality because the rights it affords are circumscribed by the requirement that they "conform to Islamic criteria" that do not give women equal status with men. Iran does not have a law specifically aimed at preventing and protecting women from domestic violence, and a recent bill that purports to expand protections to women against the different forms of violence they encounter does not adequately address the problem of domestic violence.

I. Women's Right of Inheritance

Iran's Civil Code,[1] which is based on the principles of the Ja'fari school of Shi'a Islam,[2] lays down the following rules of inheritance:

Daughters may claim only half of the inheritance sons are entitled to when the deceased is not survived by parents.[3]

The mother of a deceased person is entitled to one-third of the estate, while the father receives the rest. However, if Islamic rules of inheritance give preference to another member of the family over her in sharing the estate, she inherits one-sixth of the estate.[4]

A woman who marries a man who dies of an illness before the marriage is consummated is not entitled to any inheritance from him. [5]

A wife may claim one-eighth of her deceased husband's estate when he has surviving descendants; one-quarter of his estate when he has no other heirs; and, in the event of surviving multiple wives, an equal portion of the one-quarter or one-eighth portion that is shared with the other wives. The husband, on the other hand, may inherit one-quarter of his deceased wife's estate when she has surviving descendants, one-half if she has no surviving descendants, and all of the estate if there are no other heirs.[6]

However, the UN Women's Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence Against Women and Girls, states that Iranians have found "creative ways to ensure their spouse can inherit as they desire."[7] UN Women cites a 2006 report by the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions finding that

families evade the Shari'a-derived inheritance rules and divide property and assets according to their own desires. Because the law allows only one third of a person's estate to be willed, the most common method is to transfer the title of the property into the heir's name while the benefactor is still alive. This method is especially common among married couples because . . . the share to which the wife is legally entitled is the lesser. In case they die first, husbands tend to buy property in their wife's name, or transfer the title into her name. Fathers often do the same for their children and other heirs. In this way, the benefactors, rather than the law, determine how their estate is divided.[8]

In 2009, Iran's Majlis (parliament) "began implementing controversial legislation that allow[ed] women to inherit all forms of their husband's property."[9] Previously, article 946 of the Civil Code had entitled a husband to a share of his wife's entire estate, but the wife could not inherit any of the husband's land; rather, she was limited to inheriting movable property and the monetary value of buildings and trees on her husband's land, unless the heirs refused to pay her the value of the buildings and trees and a court subsequently ordered that she could receive her share of the allotted property.[10] The 2009 law allows a woman to inherit property from a deceased husband and removed the limits on the proportion of movable property a woman could inherit.[11] According to Iranian legal scholar and human rights lawyer and activist Dr. Leila Alikarami, the 2009 law's enactment was catalyzed by a fatwā (Islamic legal decree) by Grand Ayatollah Sanei'i that "undermin[ed] the claim that the current state of legislation concerning female inheritance . . . correctly adhere[d] to Islamic principles . . . [and] put pressure on the political system to change its stance regarding inheritance."[12] Sanei'i's fatwā was so significant because his interpretation that a wife whose husband passes away with no other heirs becomes the sole heir of his assets markedly differed from Iran's Shari'a-based law.[13]

II. Right of Women to Transfer Citizenship

Iran's Civil Code provides that Iranian men automatically transmit Iranian nationality to their non-national spouses and to their children, regardless of where the children were born.[14] Iranian women, on the other hand, are not able to transmit their nationality to non-national spouses, and were unable to transmit citizenship to their children until the approval of a law by Iran's Guardian Council in early October 2019.[15] This law gives Iranian mothers married to non-Iranian men the right to transmit Iranian citizenship to their children under 18 years of age if the mother and father were married in accordance with the Shari'a, the mother files a request for the children's citizenship, and no security concerns have been identified by the Ministry of Intelligence and the Intelligence Service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.[16] Thus, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "[w]hile the law still doesn't put mothers and fathers on a fully equal footing with respect to their ability to confer nationality, it represents a significant incremental improvement."[17]

III. Legal Age for Marriage

The Civil Code of Iran prohibits a girl from marrying before attaining her majority-that is, before she reaches the age of 13-unless her guardian approves of the marriage and the competent court determines that the marriage is in her best interest.[18] A person's age is determined according to the 365-day Iranian calendar rather than the shorter Islamic lunar calendar.[19] A boy cannot marry before the age of 15 without the approval of his guardian and the competent court.[20]

IV. Constitutional Provisions Related to Ensuring Gender Equality

Article 20 of the Constitution of Iran provides all men and women of the country with "equal protection of the law and all human, political, economic, social and cultural rights in conformity with Islamic criteria."[21] Article 21, the only article in the Constitution explicitly mentioning women's rights, provides that "[t]he government must ensure the rights of women in all respects, in conformity with Islamic criteria."[22] Thus, article 21 "strictly limits women's rights according to the principles of Islam . . . [and ensures] that every dialogue about women's rights must be understood in its religious context."[23] Iranian lawyer and women's rights activist Mehrangiz Kar notes that what constitutes "Islamic criteria" in articles 20 and 21 is very vague because the ultimate definitions of women's rights in Iran have always been made by the ultra-traditionalists comprising the legislation-vetting Guardian and Expediency Councils rather than the reformists, but that the specific obligations of the government mentioned in article 21 (as reflections of the section "Women in the Constitution" in the Constitution's preamble) center on protecting the family and women's role as mothers.[24]

While "women 'as citizens,' can vote and be elected [to] some offices,"[25] the "Islamic criteria" mentioned above may effectively serve to disqualify them from running for president of the republic and serving as judges.

Article 115 of the Constitution sets the qualifications for candidates for president, providing that the president must be elected from among the rijāl who meet certain qualifications. Controversy arises because of the ambiguous use of the word rijāl, which in Persian means "respected religious and political figures" but can also be used in the Arabic sense of "men."[26] According to article 98 of the Constitution, the Guardian Council is the only body with the power to interpret provisions of the Constitution, and it has never clarified in what sense rijāl is meant.[27] Significantly, the Guardian Council has not given its requisite approval to any woman candidate for president since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979.[28]

Regarding women serving as judges, article 163 of the Constitution provides that "[t]he conditions and qualifications to be fulfilled by a judge will be determined by law, in accordance with the criteria of fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence-'the science of ascertaining the precise terms of the Sharī'ah, or Islamic law']."[29] Iranian human rights lawyer and scholar Delaram Farzaneh writes that, to implement article 163, lawmakers drew up the Law on the Qualifications for the Appointment of Judges in line with "the famous consensus of opinion of the Shi'a foqaha (Islamic jurisprudents)."[30] Article 1 of this Law explicitly provides that judges should be chosen "from among qualified men [ mardān]. According to Farzaneh, after the Law was implemented, "all then serving female judges were either removed from the office or demoted to lower positions such as administrative and consultant roles," and what the government of Iran has called its "women judges" are "not decision-making judges who preside as a real judge in the courtroom . . . [but] counselors in family courts or administrative authorities."[31]

V. Domestic Violence Laws

Iran currently has no law aimed at preventing domestic violence and protecting women victims of violence.[32] In fact, human rights activists in Iran maintain that certain articles in the country's Civil Code "effectively undermine protections for women against domestic violence" and "exacerbate the vulnerabilities of women to domestic abuse."[33] For example, the Code provides that the husband is the head of the family and a wife who refuses to fulfill the duties of a wife without a legitimate excuse is not entitled to receive maintenance costs from the husband. The wife must also stay in the dwelling the husband allots for her unless doing so causes the risk of bodily or financial injury or loss of dignity, in which case she must be able and willing to go to court to prove she is endangered.[34] According to Iranian journalist and women's rights activist Jelveh Javaheri, "[t]his leaves Iranian women deeply vulnerable to violence, including marital rape, especially given the requirement of witnesses, the fact that a female witness's testimony is worth half that of a man's, and the stipulation that if a woman leaves the marital home, she is not subject to maintenance."[35] Javaheri adds that "[m]any female victims of violence . . . have been ignored by the police because domestic violence is not considered a crime. . . . The police have treated these cases as public battery and urged the women to go back home and face their abuser."[36] The fact that Iranian laws contain no protections that allow the police to take women victims of violence to safe houses or keep a violent person away from a woman's place of residence also results in women being forced to return to their unsafe home environments and possibly even killing themselves.[37]

On September 16, 2019, about eight years after it was originally formulated and after two years of review and what critics have termed "disagreeable" changes, the Iranian judiciary sent to the executive branch its approved version of a bill aimed at protecting women from violence.[38] Originally titled the "Bill for the Protection of Women Against Violence," the judiciary changed the name to the "Bill for the Protection, Dignity and Security of Ladies Against Violence."[39] While calling the bill a "positive move" containing several "significant strengths," the Center for Human Rights in Iran stated that the bill "does not provide effective and sufficient guarantees to protect women against violence and, in many cases, promotes and supports stereotypical, discriminatory, and sexist views toward women."[40] Among the shortcomings of the bill specifically concerning domestic violence that the Center hopes will be addressed by the executive and the Parliament are the following:

The extreme caution in the bill's use of the word "violence" and the complete absence of the term "domestic violence."

The unaddressed legal and enforcement deficiencies in protecting women from domestic violence and the obstacles to taking effective legal action against the abuser (e.g., the difficulty of proving marital violence in court and the numerous obstacles and long period involved in obtaining a final criminal court verdict).

The bill's insufficient and ineffective measures to institute protection orders that keep the abuser away from the woman's home or workplace.

The bill's limiting a wife's separation from her abusive husband to three months, after which, if she refuses to return home, she loses her subsistence support.

The provision that before filing a lawsuit in the prosecutor's office and the court, a woman who claims to have been physically or sexually abused by her husband or father must pass through a one-month compulsory reconciliation period and referral of the case to the Dispute Settlement Council.

The requirement that the husband be definitively convicted three times of committing violence against the wife before she can obtain a divorce on the grounds of abuse.[41]

Prepared by Barry Lerner
Legal Research Analyst
February 2020

[5] Civil Code art. 945; Jokinen, supra note 4, at 25.

[10] Civil Code art. 946; COHRE, supra note 8, at 35.

[11] Vafai, supra note 9.

[15] Law Amending the Law Establishing the Obligations of Citizenship of Children Resulting from the Marriage of Iranian Women with Foreign Men, Oct. 7, 2019, https://perma.cc/CU59-Z6T3 (in Persian).

[18] Civil Code art. 1041; Jokinen, supra note 4.

[20] Civil Code art. 1041.

[21] Const. of Islamic Rep. of Iran, 1979, as amended, art. 20, https://perma.cc/6N3Y-9N6L (in Persian); Delaram Farzaneh, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Brief History of Legal Discriminations Against Women in Iran and the Violations of International Human Rights, 20(1) Ann. Surv. Int'l & Comp. L. 201, 223 (2014), https://perma.cc/UMJ2-ZERQ.

[22] Const. art. 21; Farzaneh, supra note 21, at 223.

[25] Farzaneh, supra note 21, at 223-24.

[26] Const. art. 115; Farzaneh, supra note 21, at 227; رجال, Dekhoda Dictionary (published online by Dictionary Abadis), https://perma.cc/69SV-5RXM (in Persian).

[27] Farzaneh, supra note 21, at 228.

[31] Farzaneh, supra note 21, at 231, 233.

[32] Ahmad Zahedi Langroudi, Statistics on Domestic Violence Against Women Are Unmistakable: Interview with Jelveh Javaheri, Member of the Domestic Violence Against Women Campaign (Dec. 14, 2017), https://perma.cc/5JDH-G98B (in Persian); Iran Must Pass Legislation to Protect Women Against Violence, Ctr. for Hum. Rts. in Iran (Nov. 23, 2018), https://perma.cc/4UZF-XPV4.

[34] Civil Code arts. 1105, 1108, 1114.

[37] Langroudi, supra note 32.

[38] Judiciary's "Bill on the Protection, Dignity, and Security of Women Against Violence" Does Not Provide Effective and Sufficient Guarantees for Women, Ctr. for Hum. Rts. in Iran (Sept. 27, 2019), https://perma.cc/REG9-A27Q; Combatting Violence Against Women by Removing the Word "Women," Deutsche Welle (Sept. 30, 2019), https://perma.cc/9WLX-SL3X (in Persian).

[40] Judiciary's "Bill on the Protection, Dignity, and Security of Women Against Violence, " supra note 38.

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Back to Index of Gender Equality Full Report (PDF, 361KB) Islamic rules of inheritance as expressed through Iran's Civil Code prevent women in Iran from inheriting equally with men. However, a religious decree issued by Grand Ayatollah Sanei'i in 2008 that broke with Iran's Shari'a-based law spurred the implementation of legislation that expanded women's inheritance rights the following year by allowing women to inherit all forms of their husband's property.

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Branches within Islam

As of now, the official religion of iran is Islam, more specifically, Shi’a Islam. Although Iran is predominantly Shiite, there is a smaller percentage of people that belong to/follow Sunni Islam. The difference between both branches of Islam is in whom they chose to become the successor of Muhammad. In Shi’a Islam, it is believed that the natural successor is Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and/or son in law) or another one of Muhammad’s relatives. On the other hand, Sunni muslims believed that Muhammad’s close friend, Abu Bakr, should be the successor. The Sunni branch eventually won the debate/discussion, and Abu Bakr became the successor.

Effect of the Islamic Republic on religion

Before the Islamic Republic was established, there was more freedom in terms of “religious expression”, or more so the lack of expression. Prior to this system, women were not necessarily punished for not wearing a Hijab, which is a sign of modesty, but after this, it was punished and frowned upon. Every aspect of life in Iran is now controlled or based on the principles of the Qu’ran. This has gotten to the point where laws have been put in place to punish any act that may be considered "anti-Islamic".

Present view on religion:

Newer generations of Iranians feel unsatisfied with the current situation. These newer generations have a more westernised view of religion and believe in more religious freedom, but since it is a difficult environment to speak out in, not many have.

Other religions in Iran:

- Bahá'í: "minority religion" that believes in unity. Extremist muslims find them dirty and say that if one is to touch them, you may be tainted.

Links:

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/iranian-culture/iranian-culture-religion#iranian-culture-religion

https://www.history.com/news/sunni-shia-divide-islam-muslim#:~:text=Though%20the%20two%20main%20sects,the%20Islamic%20faith%20he%20introduced.

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Iran within the context of the Cold War, and its relationship with the US

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Iran within the context of the Cold War, and its relationship with the US

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Throughout Persepolis, we see how the Iranian people resent and gradually reject the Western world and its society. The following timeline details key events that happen before, during, and after the events present in the graphic novel. The events present in the timeline focus on Iran’s relationship with the US (the epitome of western society), so as to present further context for the deterioration of the relationship between the two nations.

1951: Mohammed Mosaddeq (Iranian PM) nationalizes Iran’s oil, which previously belonged to the British, sparking political tensions between the two countries. The USA acts as an intermediary for de escalation (Truman’s administration), but quickly realizes that Mossadeq is more of a problem than previously thought (Eisenhower administration). Thus, the CIA launches a covert mission to dispose of the problem.

August 1953: A coup is set in motion by the US (CIA)  and Britain (MI6), deposing the Iranian PM and putting the Shah (son of the previous iranian monarch, Reza Shah) in power.

1969: The Nixon Doctrine grants the already very authoritarian and quasi-dictatorial Shah access to US weaponry and implied immunity to the US’s previous calls for his reform

1970s: Iranian resentment towards the Shah grows

1978-1979: The Iranian Revolution overthrows the Shah, placing Ruhollah Khomeini (an Islamic fundamentalist cleric) as Iran’s new Supreme Leader

1979-1981: The Iranian Hostage Crisis occurs after Jimmy Carter (US President at the time) allows the Shah to pursue and receive cancer treatment in the US. The Crisis itself consisted of the United States Embassy in Tehran being taken by Iranian students, who held US diplomats and citizens hostage.

1980: Iranian Embassy Siege: The Iranian Embassy in London (and the 26 to-be hostages inside) is taken by 6 terrorists opposed to Khomeini’s rule, who demand the independence of Khuzestan, a region located in the south of Iran. The terrorists’ demands shifted as tensions with the police waxed and waned, releasing 2 sick hostages on the 2nd day of the siege. On the 6th day of negotiations, 45 minutes after the terrorists threaten to kill one of the hostages if their demands are not met, 3 shots are heard from within the building. However, the authorities are unable to confirm the apparent death of a hostage.  cultural attache Abbas Lavasani’s (one of the hostages) body is pushed out of the building. Upon confirmation of a dead hostage, two SAS teams storm the embassy, leading to the release of 19 hostages (the exact number varies from source to source, this number was taken from the London National Army Museum’s website (linked below)) and the death of four of the six terrorists, the other two having been wounded and arrested by the police.

1981: After a year and a half, all 66 hostages taken during the Iranian Hostage Crisis are set free.

1980-1988: During the Iran-Iraq War, the US sides with Saddam Hussein (Iraqi leader), further increasing animosity between Iran and the US. Near the end of the war, the US began to participate more directly in it, mainly attacking Iran’s navy.

July 1988: A US naval ship accidentally attacks an Iranian civilian aircraft, killing all 290 passengers.

Links: https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/age-reagan/essays/iran-and-united-states-cold-war

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-hostage-crisis

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/iranian-embassy-siege

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Given that Iran is an Islamic theocracy, it is indisputable the role that Islam has in everyday life, especially concerning gender.

Before the Islamic Republic was installed, women enjoyed many of the liberties which are common for western women. such as fair divorce and abortion. It is once Iran becomes a theocracy that these rights are revoked under the pretext of religious integrity.

By itself, the Iranian law guarantees gender equality with explicit phrases in it's code such as "[a]ll citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights,". Yet, the law has to be exercised "in conformity with Islamic criteria". This filter constantly used to contradict what was previously written. Given that gender equity doesn't conform to the Islamic criteria according to the Iranian government interpretation of Islam, it can simply be ignored. Religion is used as an excuse to benefit the government's agenda.

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Born 1969, November 22, Marjane grew up as an only child for her "Westernized parents". She was born in Tehran, Iran, where she attended the Lycee Francais, moving to Paris in 1994. Her father was an engineer, and her mother a clothing designer. After the Iranian revolution in 1979, Marjane's family's westernized influence way of living endangered Marjane by attracting the attention of Iranian authorities which then forced Marjane to be sent to Austria by her parents in order to attend school.

A problematic relationship in Austria worsened Marjane's already present feelings of alienation - ultimately, Marjane's way of life declines, resulting in her being homeless and resorting to drugs as a coping mechanism. At the age of 19, Marjane returned to Tehran, where she had a short marriage and then moved back to Europe 1993. When moving back to France, Marjane decided to live in Paris permanently, where she also earned a degree in Arts.

During 2000, Marjane published her first book; "Persepolis 1" in France, and her second book; "Persepolis 2" in 2001. However, in the english version that was published in 2003, both books were combined and renamed "Persepolis: The story of a childhood". In 2007, Marjane adapted her book (or books) into a film which was also called "Persepolis", which was then later nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature.

Links:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marjane-Satrapi

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/opinion/satrapi-bio.html

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-Because of thye oil boom in the 70´s, Iran suffered big impact in their economy because of an increase in their inflation.
-All political parties were banned except from one (Rastakhiz party), where all iranians were rquiered to join.
-This same party tried to fight inflation but it didnt work, which ended ut generating even more inflation and an increase of merchants in the black market.
-In 1977 an influential islamic theorist died under suspecious circumstances which angered her followers in iran.
-Later in 1977 many groups of people started to meet in secret to denouce the goverment, gtheir politics and actions.
-On january 1978 hard protests started on iran. As Iranian forces had very antique anti-riot equipment, they were not able to supress and control the protests.
-Later in that year, forcest started shooting protesters which resulted in many dead. An example of this is september 8 (aka black friday)
-After  the "revolution" and many protests the Shah leaves the government in 1979

Links: https://www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution

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The impact of the dictatorship on present day politics

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The impact of the dictatorship on present day politics

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- Existence of a "Supreme Leader" who is unelected and holds the position for life
- Thus, Iran is not a full democracy even though they do elect a president.
- Instead of ideological differences, what prevails is the struggle of power between the three main factions
-The election for presidency in 2013 was declared their most democratic due to the widespread support for the political candidate Rouhani.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/world/middleeast/iran-presidential-election-democracy.html

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Culture is the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. For example, it includes traditions, language and customs.

Iranian culture

-Language: Farsi
-one of the most prominent     languages in the middle east.

-Iranian culture is one of the oldest of middle east

-Islam is practiced by most of the Iranians.
- it governs their political, social and economical life.

-Iranian cultures and traditions are very old and have a deep history

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I was surprised by Tom's question regarding how Islamic religion is percieved as more extremist than other religions. I think that I was mainly surprised by how this question starts from a specific POV that does not neccessarily arise directly from the information on my post.

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After reading the comments I have received, I have seen that my explanation did not include as many social explanations as it should, and how history affected society, because all comments were directed at this specific topic. Maybe for the future I should consider doing a investigation process that includes much more aspects than two very close ones, like history and politics are.

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This investigation helped me understand in a more precise way the historical continuum of Iran. However, I still have some questions on the political aspects, specifically the role of the legislative body.
There were also some things that I knew that I could contribute to others' posts.
It was also very interesting to see how Marjane's life was more different than I thought when compared to its representation in the book.

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I can connect most questions with an idea that is normally emphazised in literature clases. Context of the author connected with the content in the book and the message. Im not surprised but I do think it is interesting that everyone commented in relation to the book and how the context of Marjane affected the story.

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Based on my topic which was political context, I was pleasantly surprised to see a high interest on behalf of my classmates. Furthermore, I received a lot of questions that i could answer, but also many that i could not. That being said, this activity helped me investigate and learn about a variety of different aspects regarding Iranian context, and also make me want to develop my information and learn more from this process.

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I'm mostly interested in the impact of religion on present-day Iranian politics and how it is seen through the different societal aspects like culture. I'm also suprised at how little Iran has changed in comparison to what I know happened only from Persepolis.

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After reading and commenting I have come to understand that religion plays a important role in the placement of laws, cultural traditions, and politización of human rights activism’s. I am surprised that some of the. Untried actions take place even do we have developed an progressed on human rights movements.

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Most of the questions on my research showed me that I was lacking details that were essential for the understanding of the gender issue in Iran.

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Iran is recognized by its imperial power due to its resources ( petroleum). This has caused Iran to have a several number of rivalries. “Its roots as a distinctive culture and society date to the Achaemenian period. Through history, Iran has been invaded and conquered several times, the most important and influential was the conquest by the Muslim Arabs.

Family and roles:

Family roles and dynamics vary significantly between those households that have progressive understandings of women’s rights, authority and privacy and those that maintain traditional values. Generally, families with higher educations will be more open-minded regarding the mother’s and father’s contribution to the household dynamic. Across most households, elders are deeply respected and cared for. When an elder family member’s husband or wife dies, they will usually move into the house of one of their children.

-people in Iran show very strong loyalty to their family. The interests of the family can supersede the needs of a single individual. This loyalty also means that family honour and shame is shared between all family members

Language:
They speak Farsi.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Persian
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/beliefs.shtml

https://www.britannica.com/place/Iran
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/iranian-culture/iranian-culture-family

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Most questions that were asked in my post showed me that my investigation was superficial and that I could have dug a little deeper in the Iranian culture. On the other hand, reading all of the other posts I learned a lot about Iran in general, helping me understand better this country.

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With the comments left on my post I was able to make more connections regarding to how the Islamic religion impacts women's rights, as well as how the system of electing female presidents is more common than what I believed, seeing as how it is similar to the one in the USA.

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Reading the comments on my post made me think about the consecuences of US-Iran tensions instead of just focusing on the events themselves. Essentially, the comments made me think about how the past influences our present and future.