A brief glance at Maryam Rajavi’s views on women’s role in the Iran uprising
Iranian women’s equality and regime change are two sides of the same coin.
Thirty-three years ago on this day, October 22, 1993, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced it had elected a woman, Maryam Rajavi, as its President-elect for the transitional period of transferring power to the people of Iran after the mullahs’ overthrow.
In doing so, the NCRI embarked on a strategic campaign to defeat the misogynist clerical regime that took advantage of a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam to deprive Iranian women of their rights, marginalize them, and crack down on the entire society by imposing the mandatory Hijab.
Having served six years as Secretary-General of the main opposition force, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Maryam Rajavi had already proven her competence and qualifications to lead the opposition movement in its entirety.
During her time at the helm of the PMOI/MEK, Maryam Rajavi overhauled the organization by giving women equal opportunity for participation in leadership and decision-making. By the time she resigned her post in the PMOI/MEK, an all-woman leadership council headed the organization, an entity, which has today expanded to become a Central Council with 1,000 female members.
Iranian women’s equality, the other side of regime change
Maryam Rajavi believes that women’s equality and regime change in Iran are the two sides of the same coin. That is why women are leading the way as the Iranian people challenge one of the most brutal dictatorships in contemporary history.
On September 16, immediately after the innocent young woman from Kurdistan, Mahsa Amini, died in hospital, Maryam Rajavi called for public mourning and urged the courageous women of Iran to “protest nationwide against the mullahs’ evil and misogynous regime.”
She vowed that, “The resistant and resilient women of Iran will stand up to the tyranny and oppression of the mullahs and the IRGC and defeat them. Iranian people and women will fight back with all their might.”
Then the world saw that on the ground, Iranian women and girls played a leading role in the protests that started against Mahsa Amini’s murder by the Morality Police, but quickly expanded to become the longest-enduring nationwide uprising calling for regime change.
Deep roots of Iranian women’s struggle
In a speech on September 30, addressed to Iranian women and girls, Mrs. Rajavi said, “The world has heard your voice and has seen that you have initiated and instigated the uprisings. You stood up to and repelled the Revolutionary Guards, the repressive forces and their snipers. You were not intimidated by the enemy’s crackdown and terror, by the lack of means to defend yourselves in the face of the regime’s savage forces. And you launched attacks with your bare hands against the enemy.
But no, you are not empty-handed. The experience of four decades of blood-drenched struggle by the nation’s Mojahed and combatant children backs you up.
You are the continuation of four decades of struggle, rebellion, and defiance of Iranian women for freedom and equality. Your battles today are an extension of the sacrifices of tens of thousands of Mojahed women who were tortured or executed by this regime; yes, they planted the seeds of your generation.”
Women are the force for change
Maryam Rajavi reiterated in her speech, “Many years ago, I addressed the mullahs’ religious dictatorship and said, ‘You have used all possible forms of humiliation, oppression, repression, torture, and murder against Iranian women. But be sure you will receive the fatal blow from those you never count.’[1]
“Yes, our message has always been and remains that women are the force for change. And the women of Iran will eventually bring down the religious dictatorship. Today, the arisen women of Iran attest to this truth with their blood.
From Mahsa Amini, the innocent Kurdish girl, to the martyrs of the uprising, Minoo Majidi, Ghazaleh Chalavi and Hannaneh Kia, who laid down their lives for freedom just in recent days. Yes, all of them are witnesses to the unwavering resolve of Iranian women and girls, and the courageous youths, to bring down this misogynistic tyranny.”
Iranian women’s goal and desire
In her remarks, addressing members of the US Congress on October 21, she said, “The mullahs’ regime has deprived women of their most essential and fundamental rights, including the freedom to choose their clothes. Yet, women do not demand anything from the regime. Their main demand is regime change. They know they need to overthrow the fundamentalist regime to achieve their rights.”
In a speech to the members of the UK parliaments on October 19, she said, “Iranian women know very well that the freedom of choice –in all personal, social, and political fields— including freedom to choose their attire, and the right to political and social participation is possible only if the mullahs’ religious dictatorship is overthrown. Therefore, their determination to fight the regime is to bring freedom to all the people of Iran.”
In yet another speech on October 17 to a rally in Luxembourg, Maryam Rajavi pointed out, “The goal is to bring down the regime of compulsory religion. As the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced 40 years ago, everyone should be free to choose their beliefs and religion based on the principle of separation of religion and state. And yes, we repeat: No to the compulsory veil, no to the compulsory religion, no to the compulsory regime.”
[1] Speech by Maryam Rajavi to a gathering of Iranians at Earls Court Hall in London, June 20, 1995
