Simin Sabri: "Some Men Approach Women’s Issues the Same Way Pan-Iranists Approach the Turkish Issue"

 Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, July 31, 2021

Simin Sabri

The topic of sexual violence against women has recently been discussed in Clubhouse rooms focused on Iranian Azerbaijan. Political activist and psychiatrist Simin Sabri shared her thoughts on the debates in these rooms with Voice of America.

Simin Sabri views the effort by women who have experienced sexual violence to share and generalize their experiences on social media as a positive and constructive step.

At the same time, she compares some men’s attitudes toward women activists to how pan-Iranist forces treat Turkish activists.

“When we talk about the discrimination and oppression Turkish people and children face from the Iranian regime, pan-Iranist forces claim, ‘It’s not just you; it happens to everyone.’ They try to downplay the oppression, suggesting you should endure it until the more significant issues are resolved, and then we can discuss your concerns. Similarly, when women talk about their struggles, some men respond in ways similar to pan-Iranists when addressing Turkish issues. These men also mix other problems into the conversation about women’s issues,” the political activist explains.

Sabri highlights that some of her observations in these discussion rooms were encouraging, while others were disappointing.

She states, “On one hand, it was encouraging that, particularly some men—despite sometimes being unaware of what sexism even is—came forward to show solidarity and support. They criticized [sexual violence]. But I expected more focus on the issue at hand. Instead, efforts were made to divert the conversation, claiming that some people were trying to exploit the situation or that it was a trap. Above all, this assault (sexual violence) should have been condemned, and the perpetrator (the man) should have been ostracized by all ideological groups. Unfortunately, they tried to portray it as a dispute between two political factions, which was deeply disappointing.”

Simin Sabri believes that having a high level of education does not necessarily translate into a belief in gender equality:

“The assumption that acquiring knowledge automatically instills a belief in gender equality, religious equality, or interethnic equality is not true. For example, when we talk about our national identity, we see that even individuals with multiple doctorate degrees often approach the subject with a condescending and deeply offensive attitude. Similarly, it’s not the case that individuals who have become political figures, members of parliament, or who hold or are pursuing academic degrees necessarily believe in gender equality.”

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Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: “Pan-İranistlər türk məsələsinə necə yanaşırsa, bəzi kişilər də qadın məsələsinə elə yanaşır”