Excerpts from "Three Generations of Women's Demands in Binds"
from Jens-e Dovom by Nooshin Ahmadi Khorasani

transl. MS


The demands of three generations of women are reflected in the present generation. In the first generation, women demanded for the right to education, and were faced with numerous instances of opposition:

In 1324 of the lunar calendar, one of the first girls' schools- established by Bibi Khanoum Vazirof in her home- was closed down because as it was stated then, "you must cry for a country that has a girls' school."

When Farrokh-e Azarakhshi established the first girls' school in her Mashad home approximately 60 years ago, she was confronted with damnation, cursing, excommunication, and death threats such that for years she preserved and protected her school with weapons.

When Marokh Goharshenas established a girls' school, her husband despaired, "What will I tell your father in the other world when he asks me about your actions?"

When Noor-Alhoda Manganeh staged all-female theatre productions in her home to finance a night school for adults, she was attacked by officials.

These are some examples of how the first wave of women's demands were responded to by the government. Ultimately, female education was established and accepted by society, allowing for the present generation of women to excel in higher education.

As a result of gaining the fundamental right for education, reading and especially writing, became powerful new tools for women. Writing about themselves and their experiences led to women's publications, giving rise to the second wave.

Women's writings were precisely what men in power feared. They found it so threatening that when schools for young women began to flourish, officials demanded that each woman sign affidavits promising to not write "personal letters."

"Recently, Zaban-e Zanan's (Women's Voice) newspaper has begun to brazenly publish without the permission of the Interior Ministry. Its contents are filled with nonsense and are in opposition to the government's policies; as a result, it should be closed at once."

Shahnaz Azad was imprisoned and exiled for writing articles in Nameye Banoovan (Women's Letter.)

Fakhr Afagh Parsa was threatened and exiled to Qom for writing articles that addressed women's issues.

Nevertheless, Iranian women continued to resist and challenge such obstacles, and the next generation continued writing in spite of greater opposition. The second generation of women's demands for writing and now, publishing, continued.

Around this time, women were demanding the right to participate in the nation's social and political arenas. And once again, they were met with resistance:

In 1921, Jamileh Sadeghi and Shokat Roosta were sentenced to four years in prison for founding a newspaper called Payk-e Sa'adat-e Nesvan (Message for Women's Happiness). They had also established an adult education program, a library, and a reading room.

In 1946, there were no women's prisons in Tehran. When Razieh Shabani was arrested for her political activities, the house of an army general was transformed into a women's prison. Since then, women political prisoners have become commonplace.

During and prior to the 1979 revolution, women's demands for political participation resulted in significant and effective involvement; however, this trend encountered two major obstacles. The majority of politically active secular women were faced with imprisonment or forced migration. Additionally, women's political participation after the revolution was limited to voting, and their exclusion from positions of power.

Despite the fact that the demands of three generations of women have been filled with difficulties and challenges, they have also been filled with resistance. The past demands of women are carried by the present generation.

Iranian women's history and struggles are very similar to those of women throughout the world... When women began the struggle to smash their domestic prisons, prison bars were erected in front of them.

Much time has passed since the period in which there were no women's prisons in Tehran. Today, two of Iran's most active women, Mehrangiz-e Kar and Shahla Lahiji, are behind Evin's prison bars. However, it seems as if the methods of subjugation have remained the same. Certainly some think, that if those in authority could have defeated the first generation, then today, they would not have to contend with women's continuing demands. Women would not be writing and publishing books. They would not even be thinking. Maybe today, there are some who imagine if their predecessors had shown more force, women would not be the unmanageable and uncontrollable voices they are today. However, if these people stop and think fairly, and put aside their chauvinism and traditionalism, they will recognize this to be an impossible task. Their forerunners tried very forcefully, but could not stop women's development. Growth and modernism can be stopped on a short-term basis, but not forever. Visions of achievement, freedom, and justice are deeply rooted in the soul and spirit of human beings. The body can be destroyed, but the sprit cannot.

In 1547 England, a decree that forbade women's gatherings to put a stop to "chit chatting" was issued. However, many such decrees became obsolete. Throughout time, people have been sentenced to death by kings and emperors because of their beliefs. Even with so many kings in the world, people's beliefs and ideologies survived. They silenced the voice of Sedighe Dolatabadi, and now even louder voices have taken her place. Sedighe Dolatabadi once told her sister that she was hoping for the day when women's voices would grow stronger. This is not in the hands or order of anyone, but it is a necessity in order to achieve social progress.

It is important to understand that Mehrangiz-e Kar and Shahla Lahiji's imprisonment is not because they used harsh words, spoke wrongly, were too conservative, or had bad timing. Looking at history, we see that women activists have always faced the risk of exile and imprisonment, regardless of the words they used--be it harsh, soft, left, right, bad tempered, good tempered, or just plain good or bad.

If it were possible to prevent these bitter events from happening, then all changes in the world would have occurred without hardships, and at no cost. In reality, this event has very little to do with these women, or any women individually, and has more to do with male-dominated society's dislike and disdain for women's voices. If this weren't the case, we would have seen more written objections to Kar and Lahiji's imprisonment in our reform-minded, "intellectual," and male-run newspapers. Unfortunately, there are very few men, and even women, who are willing to pay a price for women's issues, especially when they are looking to obtain power for themselves one day.

It was said that Mehrangiz-e Kar and Shahla Lahiji were arrested because of their participation in the Berlin Conference with two other reformists, Akbar Ganji and Ali Afshari. For the first time, equality between men and women was considered. For years, we have read these two women's publications and heard their arguments. Even now, when they are behind bars, their ideas are with us, because their thoughts do not belong to one person; these ideas not only exist in Iran, but are also heard around the world. These two women have been active on behalf of women for years; they talk, write and publish on women's issues--their right to divorce, child custody, and many other issues pertaining to women's rights... Perhaps most importantly, these two women, who did not suffer from such difficulties in their own lives, defended the rights of the daughters, wives, and mothers of their prison guards and those who imprisoned them:

"She who is your prisoner today/ Is in sorrow over the future of your children."

For years, Mehrangiz-e Kar has written and published books and articles in accordance with the law, and is a successful lawyer. After years of activism, she was arrested and imprisoned in Evin. Shahla Lahiji is the first woman publisher in Iran. She has been a publisher for seventeen years. With six books currently ready for publication- researched and translated by herself- and suffering from severe spinal problems, she was imprisoned. For years, she has been receiving appraisal from the Ministry of Culture for her work in organizing book fairs. She was sent to prison while she was an active member of the Publisher's Advisory Committee for the International Book Fair.

Presently, Iranian women want to know, what were these two women's offenses?

Is their "offense" writing and speaking on women issues? If this is the case, then we can revert back to sixteenth-century England, and outlaw the right to "chit chat" in the twenty first century. The question of why these two women have been arrested whispers in women's hearts. We do not know how to ask why, because we fear being arrested also. The fear of being harassed is threatening our society. If women are not asking why, it is not because they don't care, but it is because this fear has consumed Iranian societies for centuries. In light of all the events and changes that have happened within the last two or three years, this fear still exists within us. Fear from speaking is one kind of social decay, and more than anyone, the people in power should fear it. If the needs and wants of people are not expressed through reasonable channels, it will create problems foremost for those in power. It is clear that in the long run, the unspoken ideas will create such peril that it will eventually destroy a great deal, and primarily, the dominant group.

In democratic societies, some people look forward to change, while others benefit from the status quo. However, there is progress only when these two forces confront each other, and the one with the greatest popular support prevails. In an unstable society these channels of competition do not exist, and as a result, all the pain and resentment become so intense that they can destroy society. For all these reasons, it is to everyone's benefit that people are not silenced. And that is why, again we want to ask this very crucial question. Why are these two women intellectuals in prison? Why?

Back to top