The True Identity of Woman (Part 3)
The need for cheap labor: a factor behind "women's freedom"
Since the day Europeans introduced the new industries - in the early years of the 19th century when western capitalists established the big factories - and they felt the need for cheap labor, they started whispers of "women's freedom" in order to drag women from inside the home environment into the factories, provide cheap labor for themselves, line their own pockets and take dignity away from women. Today what is known as "women's freedom" in the western world is an effort to continue the same thing. Therefore, the oppression that western women have been exposed to and the wrong conception of women in the western culture and literature are unprecedented in the entire history of mankind. Previously women used to be oppressed every part of the world, but this widespread and comprehensive oppression is particular to the contemporary era and is the result of the western civilization.
Promoting immodesty in the early 20th century
In Europe once a woman got married and moved in with her husband, not only her body but also whatever wealth and property she had received from her father and family were her husband's. This is a truth that westerners cannot deny ... When an extremist movement is started in order to promote the rights of women in such an atmosphere, naturally other extremist forces are introduced to counter its effects. As a result, such corruption and immoral behaviour was introduced into western societies by "women's freedom" that even western intellectuals were terrified. Today wise western reformers and those who care about the well-being of western communities are terrified at what has been happening. They are sad about what has been happening, but they cannot stop it.
Lack of attention to the family and raising children from around 50 years ago
The situation of western women used to be different in the past. Since 30, 40, 50 years ago the situation of western women - especially in America and certain European countries - has been becoming worse on a daily basis. The day when western women started this wrong path [the path of neglecting the family and raising children], they did not think their society and country would be suffering from such a situation in 30, 40, 50 years, a situation in which 12-year-old children carry handguns and knives in their pockets in order to kill people during the day or at night in different corners of the streets of New York, London or other western cities whenever they find the opportunity, without taking anything into consideration. This is their situation now. This is what happens when the family breaks up.
Destruction of women's dignity and honour
We can see today that there is a lot of difference between the current situation of our women and their situation during the time of the oppressive Pahlavi regime. Nothing had been left for women at that time. They did not let women have anything called honour, hijab, dignity and purity, especially in large cities. Today's situation is not comparable with those times. Of course, there is no doubt that we need to improve this situation, but what we have already achieved today is not comparable with our situation at that time.
Overtaking the West in promotion of moral corruption and lack of hijab
Before the Islamic Revolution of Iran, during the late 1960s and the early 1970s - I provided evidence and pointed out to our youth during my speeches that our situation was worse than the situation of European countries in terms of immoral behaviour, lack of hijab and moral corruption. That was the truth. I knew that for a fact.
I saw the situation of our society before the Revolution. At that time our country, our society and our women were heading towards a horrendous and dangerous situation. Because women in our country were imitating European women, in some cases their situation was even worse than the situation of European women: I had seen the photos, spoken to those who had travelled to Europe and read reports about the situation of European women. This was the kind of situation that they were promoting.
By Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
Source: Mahjubah Magezine
Other links:
Womens Rights in Islam
