Women In Iran

Women's rights in the Middle East have always been a controversial issue. Although the rights of women have changed over the years, they have never really been equal to the rights of a man. This poses a threat on Iran because women have very limited options when it comes to labor, marriage and other aspects of their culture. I believe that equal treatment for women and men is a fundamental principal of international human rights standards. Yet, in some places like Iran, discriminatory practices against women are not only prevalent, but in some cases, required by law. In this essay I will explain to you the every day life of an every day Islamic woman living in Iran. You will be astonished by what these women have endured through the centuries.

The rights granted to women in the Quran (the Islamic Holy Book) and by the Islamic prophet Muhammad were an improvement to the rights prior to the birth of Islam. In fact, the Quran states that "God treats men and women as spiritual equals". The Quran also states the dress code for the believers but does not support or advocate it. It was innovations and fabrications that introduced the Hijab (veil) to the Islamic religion. The Hijab is a veil that is a traditional, not religious, head cover that dates back to the ancient civilizations. In Iran, the law is that all women MUST wear a Hijab in all public places, regardless of citizenship, religion or choice. Those in contravention of the dress code are subject to punishment, such as lashings. This type of dress code impairs women to do certain jobs or tasks that most males can do. For example, if a women decided to become a doctor, this would be impossible because she wouldn't be able to operate on her patient if she was wearing the required dress. Although the Quran states that women are equal to men, there are also man made books, called the Hadith, which put women on the same level as animals. As stated in the Hadith, "Women are naturally, morally and religiously defective." Although this may sound odd, the more traditional Muslims prefer the Hadith, over the Quran even though it is their religious book.

Not only are women not allowed to choose how they dress, they also aren't allowed to choose where they would like to work or go to school. They can't work with men because they are segregated from men in every aspect of public life. They also are barred from taking employment in a large number of occupations simply

because these jobs would compromise their chastity. A married woman is only allowed to be employed if she has the consent of her husband. Women are forbidden to choose their own academic or vocational field of study and there are 169 fields of study that are strictly for men

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