INTERNATIONAL Women's Day in Tehran in 1979 saw 20,000 women demonstrate for equal rights with men. This was a few months after the success of one of the most important anti-imperialist revolutions this century, coming to power of its leadership, Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic clergy.
terms of the massive population and the ousting of the Shah's brutal dictatorship and US domination in the region.
Women had been part of this revolution.
However the new regime's decree on the abolish of the Family Protection Act and compulsory wearing of hejab (Islamic dress) was the alarm signar tor tae beguning of a wave of represSOl deals! WU LICI Lilal continues today.
In the last three years VY ULLICH have been systematically driven out or ine workrorce into une home where their position as third GaSs citizens is regulated by the Islamic codes on, COOLEC! things, marriage and GIVOLe.
So why did women (and workers UCaDalLS and the left) mobilise behind Khomeini and the clergy?
This is one ot the main and OBeSORS GOKCE analysed in *Women of I his series of CAcellent result opa pers were the much research and interviews women in Iran. They were brougnt togetner unrougn the personal involvement Dolaya Afshar and Sima Bahar in the Hallal WOLC S movement, and they explore the situation of women Iran and the contradictions in their support TOH Islamic fundamentalism.
Farah Azari, in 'Islams Appeal to Women — Illusions and Realty survev's Islam's attitudes women, from what is written in the Koran, Shi'ite history and myths to the present day Islamic law codes.
She also gives a critique of the main Iranian neoteneans in recent Nicaragua Benefit Fun, celebration and solidarity themes of the highly successful Evening for organised by the Solidarity Campaign on Sunday 13 February and compèred by socialist comic Andy De La Tour (see photo).
The Shaftesbury West End, witness a thrilling assortment of song, comedy, drama and readings from a spectrum of notables including Uraguayan singer Daniel Viglietti: comics French and Saunders; Thompson and the Johnson Brothers; poet Benjamin Zephaniah and Christie, Maggie Steed and Alfred Molina. The greetings from the revolutionary government of Nicaragua with a special message to Britain's Greenham Common.
to Nicaragua for jects that's 100 percent United States Government has sent in over two years!
by Channel 4 later in the spring. Don't miss it. It was a revolution that shook the world in mobilisations Gulf years who have had an CLLOLHLOLS U11 organisations such as the Mojahedin and the educated young in general.
An example is Dr Shariati and his theories of Islamic socialism and denunciations ot 'western feminism'.
baDc. Ol SCAuality Azari brings togetner sexua repression women's oppression and the puritanical nature of the Islamic regime's *crusade against sexuality ana picasure Rooted She looks at how this is only rooted in the -TH010E Islam, but also at the reaction against uie accaeuce oi western domination experienced under the Shah's regime.
Soraya Afshar ploes the economic base for the revival of Islam.
Through original research she explains that Islam, as a mercantile ideology the merchant TOOLeC class and the bazaar They provided the base for the clergy's coming to power and this is directly related to women's economic position in the society.
Sima Bahar gives
historical background to the women's movement and Soraya presents an outline of the attitudes of the Iranian left to the women's question.
These are CALL CHICY portant for an understanding of why, before 1979, there was no autonomous women's movement.
They raise fundamental Issue relevance to the internawere me Theatre, in London's was packed to the seams to Hiexei oayle, Mayall, musicians Emma Carlos Augusto Guarita performers Julie Ambassador brought and the The evening raised over E15,000, to be sent education and health promore than the Photo:
Highlights of the evening will be televised Iranian women face increasing repression tional women's struggle -do we fight for women's rights independence or socialism or do we begin now?
As the left in Iran said *Let's solve the problem of democracy and ten we will get to women's issues*.
STOCV Con ereco ar as autonompus women's movement only splits the anti-imperialist, working class movement.
The result was that when the attacks on WORner were launched, women and the left were in whole and the Khomeini regime's attacks on the national minorities, especially the Kurds, the working class and unions.
also examine the differences in the situation of Iranian women, both in class terms and also nationally and regionally The criticism's of the pre of given in the context of the history •of botn tre brutdi repressiol by the Shah and of western domination. rights to women, workers and so on, let alone lead to socialism It is also of relevance to us in Britain, in the light of growing attacks women Thatcher's Azari ends on an optimistic note when she exD auEs SUTCE desnite repression, for the first time in iran the questiot of women's rights has become a major issue.
The experience of being repressed violently