BY: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer
One of the outstanding features of the Islamic Revolution was the role of Iranian women in ensuring its victory over the British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime, which in blind imitation of the decadent western culture had been trying to turn women into commercial and carnal commodities.
We all remember the eye-catching sight of thousands of Hijab-clad women and girls of all ages and of various strata of society, whether wrapped in the traditional chadors or in modest coats with headscarves, rallying on the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities, to demand restoration of the dignity and freedom that Islam grants to the females.
Iran is indeed indebted to the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), for placing Iranian women back on the pedestal of honour and liberty, and inspiring them to participate in all spheres of life.
As a result, the percentage of girls rapidly increased in colleges and higher education centres, with many graduating as doctors, engineers, architects, and experts in various other fields, both in the sectors of science and humanities, as well as in the field of sports.
A new breed of female Muslim journalists also emerged in the Islamic Republic, active as correspondents, columnists, TV & Radio broadcasters, news and views presenters, media anchors and etc.
The US and its comrades-in-chiefs in the cultural enslavement of women, such as the West European regimes, were alarmed, as conscientious ladies in their societies began observing Hijab in public places in emulation of Iran’s female Muslims (Muslimahs). They even resorted to blasphemy and by trespassing all limits of Christian values, promoted the culture of nakedness by projecting as TV anchors and media experts some morally-loose women.
Some ignorant and characterless women in Muslim countries may have been misled or manipulated by the West’s propaganda, but the overwhelming majority of Iranian women who without the least doubt are pious and patriotic have defeated the enemies’ plots by playing prominent roles in various fields, including media and journalism.
This is evident by Iran’s holding of the First International Khorsheed Media Festival in the holy city of Mashhad by inviting some one hundred female journalists from forty world countries.
With “Women Narrate, Illuminate & Initiate Change” as its motto, the festival was inaugurated with a speech by Mrs. Jamileh Alam-al-Hoda, the wife of President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi, who paid glowing tributes to the Late Palestinian female Christian journalist, Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was killed in cold-blood in the city of Jenin by Israeli forces on 11 May 2022, while covering news for Al Jazeera, the international news TV of Qatar.
It is to be noted that although Shireen also held US citizenship and for 25 years diligently covered news and events in the Zionist-Occupied Land and other places, the regime in Washington neither commemorated her death nor condemned Israel for her murder in broad daylight.
This is indeed the height of hypocrisy. Is this the American claim to women’s dignity, rights of female journalists, and freedom of expression and presentation?
Iran for its part is undaunted. The Islamic Republic will continue its role at home and abroad to promote feminine values in keeping with their dignity, in every fields, including journalism.