TEHRAN - The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has deplored comments made by some Western officials, the Americans in particular, against Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East, asserting that the issue is none of their business.

“While America has a corrupt and seditious presence everywhere, they regularly raise doubts about Iran’s presence in the region,” Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with a number of religious poets in Tehran on Thursday.

“Should we ask for America’s permission to have a presence in the region?” the Leader asked rhetorically, adding that Iran would hold talks with regional countries for its presence in the region, not with the U.S.

“If we were to seek presence in America, then we would negotiate with you,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, referring to the U.S.

“The issue (of Iran’s regional presence) is none of your business. Is this our region or yours? What are you doing in our region?” he said.

West misusing “gender equality”

Elsewhere in his speech, the Leader pointed to the naming of the birth anniversary of Her Holiness Fatimah az-Zahra (PBUH) the daughter of Prophet Mohammad as Women’s Day, saying that in Islamic logic, women enjoy a complete and reliable model to follow. He added, ‘Islamic Woman’ is a being that has faith, chastity, spiritual and scientific growth and is influential in society, family manager and source of peace of men and besides these possesses womanly characteristics such as delicacy and readiness to receive divine beams.” 

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the role model of Muslim women are great women such Their Holinesses Fatimah az-Zahra and Khadijah al-Kubra, the first wife of the Prophet, and added, “In contrast to the Islamic role model is the perverted Western role model, which in place of all of the outstanding and grand characteristics of Muslim women, has features such as nudity and seduction and pleasing men in itself.” 

He said obliging men to wear full attire and encouraging women toward more and more nudity in official Western meetings is an example of leading Western women toward dereliction and debauchery, adding, “Today, the Western woman is the manifestation of consumption, makeup, exhibition before men and a tool for sexual excitement.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei described issues such “gender equality” in Western speeches as superficial and devoid of truth and pointed to the acknowledgement by a great numbers of high-ranking Western women in the past few months to having been subjected to abuse and violence during administrative affairs, saying, “Through hijab, Islam has closed the door to this point of diversion; therefore, Islamic hijab is a means for women’s immunity not their restriction.”  

He stressed that Iranian women bear the flag of identity and cultural independence, adding, “By preserving their hijab, Iranian women declare their identity and cultural independence to the world and announce this new statement that women can have an active and effective presence in social circles by safeguarding their hijab and chastity and preventing the exploitation of stranger and avaricious men.”    

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution criticized those who belittle the family institution and pretend that “sexual equality means women be present in whatever arena where men are present.” He said this endeavor is a betrayal of women and their sanctity and personality, adding, “Women are respectable and no one is against their presence in social circles and studying sciences and assuming responsibility.” 

He added, “It is an achievement of the Islamic Revolution that today Iranian women are among the best scientists and cultural figures, because this was not the case prior to the Revolution and there were a very limited number of outstanding women in cultural and scientific circles.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei described women as the manager and pivot of the family and said women’s most important responsibility and duty is their motherhood, wifehood and the creation of peace in the family. He urged Iranian women to “maintain and reinforce Islamic concepts and Quranic frameworks about women and keep them away from blight such as prodigality, negative rivalries and following the example of the deviant Western women.”   

SP/