WOMEN

Women’s inheritance rights are 1/8 that of men, not half.

If your husband dies you get 1/8 of the inheritance and the rest to be distributed among the children.  If the child is a daughter again 1/8 goes to her and the rest distributed evenly among the boys.

I don't know what is the share if you are a woman, your husband dies and they don't have any children.  Does the woman get 100% of the inheritance?  

Everything is sacred

More stupid, ignorant propaganda

Honestly, at times I think some of the people on this site have never ever been to Iran recently.

Iranian women are not treated as chattel - they would never allow this. It is misgogynistic to assume that they have no voice.

The fact is that women in Iran:

1) Vote and hold public office. (Iran has women vice-presidents, Majlis deputies, municipality members,cabinet ministers and mayors)

2) Work in practically every profession.

3) Attend university and gain doctorates.

4) Drive cars.

5) Participate in the arts, media and sport.

6) Serve as lawyers even if they are prevented from being judges.

Now, compare that with Saudi Arabia.

The issue of inheritance in Islamic law is totally just. Since men are obligated to work, whereas women are not, it is fair that they should receive more with which to invest. A married woman can claim maintenance from her husband and is also entitled to a dowry.

If a woman really wants a divorce, her husband is not going to stop her. How do you explain the high divorce rate in Iran?  The majority of women marry whom they please. If the husband turns out to be abusive,  they have to accept responsibility for choosing him.

I agree Azadeh azizam

for sure no
No political Islam & no Clergy 

no political religion of any kind I should say .... and no clergy of any kind either .......

well said Azadeh jan ......

Please see what i just blogged . 

 Come , Let's Fall In Love Again

I still would like to discuss a few  things later with you on the issue of women and religion ......  I appreciate your input cause i have found you a very open minded  person to discuss issues with despite of our occasional but not serious disagreements.......... so many thanks dear Azadeh 

No political Islam & no Clergy

Thank you, dear Soosan, for your further explanation. This is the way my parents lived before the 1979 revolution. They simply ignored the horrible parts of Islam and followed human-made laws of the land. All they did was to pray 3 times a day and when they could, fast once a year.

Ignoring social and ideological parts of Koran and Hadith and sticking to spirituality is an essential way to the salvation of our nation. For that, the concept of a Clergy as interpreters of Islam to be followed has to be completely eliminated.

Cheers,

Azadeh

Azadeh jan / Revised

Islam has  spiritual as well social aspect.  I am talking about social aspect  of the Islamic verses . This has nothing to do with contradicting "God"'s words ........ Social issue are adjustable and I do not see any verses in Quran that disagree with that . 

You may think that they are not subjected to any  interpretation.  I am saying the verses that concern our day to day social life should be interpretated based on the time that one's live in.  What you are thinking and stating is what exactly the mullas want people to say. I firmly stand against it.  In addition to that I am not also going to bring crazy excuses to proof something that does not make sense in today's life (example:the specific verse you mentioned) and  since I have not lived 14 centuries age I can not judge this social verse either.  So I let it stands as it is and I try to fit it in a way that suits my life as a woman today. Or as you mentioned it ignore it.  And yes we can do that wether anyone agrees or not.  

That is me, a muslim woman ,and I want to make it happen and I have the right to think this way and I do not necessarily follow any one  or any school of thoughts in that regards.  I told you when it comes to Quran we each have one vote. You and many others can vote differently I vote this way.  I support the voice of the progressive muslim women.  There are many beautiful and incredible spiritual verses in Quran that I enjoy and because of just a few adjustable social verses I am not going to let the only benefit I get from this book  to be in its denial. 

I will get to this in more detail later as this is a very important subject.

By the way no where in Quran is mentioned about stoning. There is no single verse that even suggest stoning.  This is in bible but not Quran.  Now why on earth they stone people in Iran I have no idea. 

talk to you later  :) 

.................

................ 

Dear Soosan

You did not answer my question. When you cannot defend a statement, it is wise not to make it.  I do know about women you have mentioned as well as many more like-minded ones. I am not impressed by them.

The tradition of hermeneutics has existed for a while among some Iranian women who call themselves "Islamic feminists" such as Shahla Sherkat. The result is catastrophic in its ridiculous sense.

One of these so-called interpretations  foolishly assert that Koran is not patriarchal, but our culture is. While, firstly, Koran and the Bible are major *pillars* of patriarchy. These books and their corresponding religions have * invented and established patriarchy.* You should have read my series on the Origin and Nature of Patriarchy.  

Secondly, to say that Islam and Koran are not patriarchal, but our culture is, is simply meaningless. Anyone who is familiar with Sociology 101, knows that religion is an inherent part of the culture. Separating them is meaningless and unscientific.  Furthermore, if you are a practising Muslim, you have to believe that Koran is the word of God that cannot be interpreted to the point of contradicting "God"'s words. No Hermeneutics can spin the misogynous nature of a law that states the witness of one man is equal to the witness of two women.

But if you are not a practicing Muslim, then why do you defend Islam? Let Muslin women who have been brainwashed by their male relatives and the IRI's propaganda machine do this anti-woman job.

If your defense of Koran and Islam is part of some ideology such as Shariati's and the likes, then I don't see any point in discussing these issues. The only way Islam can be reformed is by *ignoring* its inhumane and irrational laws.* We have Stoning of the women in the Bible as well. Judeo-Christians have stopped practising it by simply ignoring it, not by interpreting it.

Cheers,

Azadeh

Azadeh jan

I believe any social law in Quran is subjected to the interpretation of the time that we live in ....... and definitely the gender had an extremely important role in the interpretation of these laws  .....  we should not necessarily see it as the law of land .......  I hope one day we do not even have such a laws ..... i hope one day we will be able to separate religion of any kind from the state and its laws .......  but even if the laws are non religious ........ the are muslim women who give up their rights anyway ...... and that happens in any country at any given time .. they are passive and submitted women with no opinion of their own ....... i want that mentality to be changed FOREVER  ........  that is what I mean by progressive muslim woman ........ in my opinion when it comes to Quran we each have one vote ....... man or woman ........ after all anything that is subjected to interpretation is not immune of that .......  i do not see any reason that  a mullah knows better than me .......  i do not believe in the bull shit of Marja-e-Tagleed ......    These are bunch of craps ........... 

Have you heard of Amina  Wadud ?  check her on line and see what I am talking about ........ She decided to conduct the prayer sessions as an Imam but no single Mosque in the U.S let her in ....... She finally did that in  a church .......

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amina_Wadud

Have you heard of, Laleh Bakhteeyar, the first woman ever who translated Quran?  check all the fights over her 

My dear Azizadeh there is a war going on between blinded conservative men who believe in Islam and progressive women who believe in it .......... we need to fight for a just cause no matter what 

Soosan

This is the second (or more) time you speak of "bias interpretation of Islamic laws." How would "progressive Muslim women" interpret the Islamic decree that considers the witness of one man to be equal to the witness of two women?

Azadeh

A Sober Analysis!

A sober analysis of the barbaric Islamic law which is the real cause of the deplorable socio-economic conditions in which Iranian women have been suffering for tha past three decades. The only way out of these dehumanizing conditions for Iranians, in general, and Iranian women, in particular, is to establish a democracy in Iran.

anymore tedious platitudes

?

Thank you for this great article

You stated ,

" The acceleration in the rate of literacy among Iran’s women, paired with their significant achievements in education during the last three decades has empowered them to fight for their rights, and challenge the institutionalized discrimination against them."

Well stated.

In my opinion women's education is the Key. 

Women's right is something that women themselves have to fight for it.  No one not even the world's human rights organizations can provide it for Iranian women . We all have seen how they have failed to do so. It should come from within and it only can be achieved as more women get educated and enlightened.  

Iranian women aboard and especially those inside Iran are the only ones who can win this fight. This is a fight against male dominant religious figures with their super bias interpretation of Islamic laws as well as a fight against the rusty old culture of Iran and Iranians.  

In my humble opinion we need more progressive muslim women in Iran today.   In a country that more than 90 percent of its population are muslims I see no other way to tackle this subject .......  We have to open the eyes of practicing muslim women and warn them about the dangers of falling in the wrong path. Making them aware that if they do not stand up for their rights no one will  .....

Great article Elham jan .... I loved it ...

Thank you : ) 

Thank you Ms. Yaghoubian

Thank you. More Power to Shir Zanan-e Irani (who have lost the most under barbaric Islam/IRI) to re-gain their freedom and all their human rights in a free secular Iran

irrational and offensive Islamic laws

as well as their malign cultural ramifications must be brought to an end. Thank you, Elham, for this article.

Azadeh

Thank you

The ruling Islamist Rapists in Iran are nothing without their dogma mandated uber-misogynistic laws and practices. Misogyny is their raison d'être .

Very good article, thank you.