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| Suheyla Azizi, political activist |
Political activist Suheyla Azizi, in an interview with Voice of America for International Women's Day, says that from the early years of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the regime considered it necessary to keep women under pressure and control to strengthen its tyranny.
"The Islamic Republic insists on deciding how women should cover their bodies because the foundation of tyranny is to force women to be passive and obedient. If a woman submits to tyranny, society will also submit to tyranny," says the political activist.
"The Islamic Republic knows that if women are free, society will become free. That is why they create so much pressure on women and make them suffer. The protests of 2022 caused a fear in the regime about its foundations. That’s why they are now trying to pit society against itself, putting society and women at odds, to create a completely obedient society that won’t go against their commands."
According to the political activist, "Since the responsibility of educating society lies with women, if women are passive and obedient, accepting guidance and protection from others at home and outside, they will educate society in that way. In other words, at the heart of this policy lies tyranny. That’s why the Islamic Republic places so much importance on controlling the issue of women. Sometimes they open things up a bit, sometimes they close them. For example, during elections, they give women a bit more freedom, but once the elections are over, they turn women into a villain, claiming that women are provocative and lead men astray."
Suheyla Azizi emphasizes that the issue of compulsory hijab and women’s rights in Iran affects various aspects and layers of politics.
"This system ties everything to women and their hijab. For example, the men in the Islamic Republic government restrict their wives and daughters first in order to reach higher positions. That woman’s hijab is what helps that man rise to those high positions and build his career... Even in assimilation policies, such as language assimilation, they always use women. They first try to work on women, and after taking away their identity, they take away the identity of the society that the woman nurtures," Suheyla Azizi added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Süheyla Əzizi: İran İslam Cümhuriyyəti bilir ki, əgər qadın azad olsa, bütün toplum azad olacaq