TEHRAN- In a meeting with a group of women, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, explained the logical and rational view of Islam regarding the various dimensions of the presence of women in the family and their unlimited activity in society, politics and management at various levels.

The meeting took place at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on Wednesday, a week before the birth anniversary of Lady Fatimah Zahra (pbuh), which also marks Women’s Day on the Iranian calendar, according to khamenei.ir

The Leader considered the identity of a woman, her values, rights, duties, freedoms and limitations as a vital and very pivotal issue, while underlining that there are two general approaches to women’s issues in the world that oppose each other – a Western approach and an Islamic approach.

Ayatollah Khamenei explained that the Western civilizational and cultural system often avoids discussions that revolve around women’s issues. He further added because Westerners have no logic regarding women, they try to convey their point of view through controversies, through rowdyism, by paying political and non-political figures to say what they want, by using art, literature, and cyberspace as tools, and by dominating international centers that are related to women.

While noting that the official statistics on moral corruption in the West is appalling, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution raised a question about the West’s conduct towards women: “Why is it that every issue that destroys families becomes more highlighted in the West every day, while, in contrast to this, we see no condemnation or serious action being taken against the perpetrators who attack women that wear a hijab?"

Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that Islam’s approach to the issue of women is based on logic and reasoning and is the exact opposite of the Western approach.

"The issue of women is one of the strengths of Islam and it should not be presumed that we need to provide answers for issues relating to women," he added.

The Leader considered gender equality with regards to a person’s dignity and values as one of the constituents of Islam’s strong rationale. "With regards to human values and spiritual ascension, neither gender is favored over the other."

In addition to this, he added that, "In the fields of spirituality, God has even sometimes preferred women over men in the Quran and introduced women such as the Pharaoh's wife [Asiya] and Maryam [the mother of Jesus (pbuh)] as role models for all believers."

During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei also remarked that being present in the society and undertaking social responsibilities are some of the other areas where men and women can equally play an active role. "According to Ayatollah Khamenei, being involved in the politics and the fundamental issues of the country is the right and duty of women. Furthermore, according to certain hadiths, everyone has a duty to deal with society’s affairs and this includes paying attention to the affairs of Muslims, such as the current issue that is taking place in Gaza."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution considered family duties to be an area in which men and women have different duties according to their physical and mental capabilities. "Based on this, the slogan 'gender equality' which some state in absolute form is wrong, and that which is correct is actually 'gender justice.'"

Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that a woman’s special duties such as the raising of her children is in accordance with a woman's mental, physical and emotional format. "Even though the duties of men and women differ in the family, they still have equal family rights according to that which is specified in the Holy Quran."

He regarded the role of a mother as the best and most important role in human creation due to the fact that this role guarantees the continuation of life and the human race. Ayatollah Khamenei also mentioned the issue of housework, saying, “The perception that housework is a woman’s duty is absolutely incorrect and the tasks within a family should be undertaken with a mutual understanding from both sides.”

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that the way to deal with certain violence within the family, such as physical abuse, is to pass laws that contain harsh punishments for men who make the home environment unsafe for women.

Elsewhere in his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution noted that the progress that Iranian women have made in various fields after the Islamic Revolution has been ten times more than the period prior to the Revolution. “Despite the fact that we still have not been able to truly make the country Islamic – it is only partially Islamic – these accomplishments have been achieved and if Islam is fully implemented, these achievements will multiply.”

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that meritocracy is the only criterion for handing over social and political responsibilities in positions such as ministerial positions and the representatives of the parliament.

In his concluding remarks, the Leader pointed to the upcoming parliamentary elections that are set to take place on March 2024, while emphasizing that the role that women play in this field within their home environment and in society is crucial.