This book has been translated and published in the Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works.
This text comprehensively outlines the Position of Women from the viewpoint of Imam Khomeini. Starting with acknowledging the Great Women of the World, such as Hazrat Fatima Zahra, the compilation then covers the status and rights of women in Islam as well as the role of women in their families, and the Jihad of a woman, specifically giving examples from women during the time of the Islamic Revolution.
The book contains six parts as below:
-Great Women of the World
-The status and rights of women in the Islamic system
-The Role of the Family and Women in Nurturing Human Being
-The role of women in the victory of the Islamic revolution
-Women and the Sacred Defence, Jihad
-The crimes perpetrated against women and the plots devised against them by imperialism and the Pahlavi regime
Imam while addressing a gathering of women once said as following:
It is one of the blessings of the movement that you ladies from the coastal regions, and indeed the other respected ladies of Iran, are now involved with the issues of the day and political issues. The criminal hands, which were manifested in the form of the hands of Muhammad Riza and his father, had excluded all segments of the population from involvement in social and political affairs.
Political matters were never presented for the consideration of the ladies, nor for that matter the brothers either. And if a political issue was put forward for the people to decide on, it was still based on their (the West’s) plundering policy. If some classes of the population, the so-called political classes, became involved in the political issues of the day, they were simply involving themselves in policies dictated by the West and aimed at plundering the East.
3 July 1979 (12 Tir 1358 AHS)
It is today when all segments of society have a say in their own affairs, in the affairs of the country and the political affairs of the state. It is today when all people of the nation, whether the esteemed ladies or the brothers, have a say in determining their own destiny.
Under the protection of Hijab, the nobility and individuality of women are preserved. Imam Khomeini expresses his opinion in regards to Hijab and its role in the society: “Of course, the type of Hijab that Islam requires you to observe is to protect your values. What God has commanded, either for men or women, is to protect their true values from the satanic temptations which might be implemented on them by the expansionists. Hijab is for reviving these values.”
With regard to the role of women in the society, Imam Khomeini has said: “In the Islamic government, women along with men can actively contribute to the erection of an Islamic society as human beings and not as objects. Neither women are allowed to lessen themselves to a low stance nor do men have the right to think of them in that context.”
The ten-year superb leadership of Imam Khomeini caused the accessibility to his opinions to go beyond pure theories, and both the theories and the practical examples became available to everyone. This advantage makes Imam Khomeini’s thoughts superior to the thoughts of the other Muslim thinkers and connoisseurs. In a quick glance, the sublime measures of the social life of women can be identified from his point of view.
It is quite surprising to see that the status of women is placed higher than men in this faith related arena.
In the Islamic point of view which emphasizes on the potential of women to develop themselves, participation of women in the social and political matters is not prohibited and it is a sign of maturity and faith; however, the participation of women requires some formalities. As Imam Khomeini has stated: “Today, women should perform their social and religious duties and maintain public modesty and accomplish political-social activities with respect to public modesty.”
Motherhood is the primary stance of women in the society and is responsible for the survival of the human societies. At this stand, women are considered at the same level with the prophets. This concept, unfortunately, has lost its true value in the material standpoint.
The insight of Imam Khomeini examines the heart of the matters and explains them to common people with a simple rhetoric. In his point of view, women are in charge of the purification and constructiveness of the society.
The corruption of human societies –the western societies in particular- and lack of solidity in families, as well as not abiding with the moral principles, stem from ignoring the motherhood responsibilities. The happiness and the wretchedness of nations and countries have profound and genuine ties with the presence of women.
A woman can be the origin of the happiness for a society and the blessings of her being can establish the endurance of a society. The opposite of this situation is true as well. Based on Imam Khomeini’s view, the fundamental role of women in the survival of societies has been greater than the role of men and he has expressed it beautifully in the following statements: “Men are producers of nations and women more so; and the appropriate structures of countries are built through the capable power of women.”
Read more articles:
Imam Khomeini's views on women’s role in society have been too appealing and progressive, Dr. Komsari says