This Women’s Day feels very special to me because I have been deeply moved by the strength and determination of Iranian women. I have rarely witnessed such courage in the fight for women’s rights. They have been incarcerated, tortured, raped, shot, or hanged, with their organs taken, and still those who survive keep fighting… meanwhile, many women in the West (self-defined as feminists) are in the streets defending that patriarchal regime and others like it. We often hear the same response:
“Iran is complicated.”
When Did Violence Against Women Become “Complicated”?
When did crimes against women and girls become something complicated to condemn?
Women in Iran have been arrested and killed for not complying with strict dress mandates imposed by the Islamic regime. These rules are justified as necessary to prevent men from being “tempted”, shifting responsibility onto women rather than holding men accountable for their behaviour.
This logic should concern anyone who believes in equality and personal responsibility.
When Culture Becomes an Excuse for Abuse
Often, when these issues are raised, the response is that we must respect “their culture.”
But what exactly is culture?
If we define culture as the ideas, customs, and social behaviours of a society, then culture is something that evolves. It changes across time. History shows this very clearly.
There was a time when slavery was considered normal in many societies. Over time we recognised that it was morally wrong, and cultures changed. There was also a time when women in many parts of the world were denied basic rights, including education, property ownership, and political participation. Those cultural norms were challenged and eventually transformed. Do you know why? Because sometimes parts of our culture are simply rubbish.
As humans gain more education, they evolve and become better, more enlightened. Using culture as a defence to remain a caveman is unacceptable.
Utilizing culture as a justification for oppression does not protect culture; it protects abuse.
The Reality of Iranian Society
Another important point is often overlooked: Iran is not an Arab country. Iran is Persian, with a long intellectual and cultural history that includes philosophy, science, poetry, and some of the earliest ideas related to human rights. Now, Iranians are forced to live in the past, when in the past they were people of the future.
Many Iranian men and women are highly educated and deeply aware of the freedoms they have lost. The current system was not chosen freely by the people but imposed through revolution, violence, and repression.
Today, many Iranian women are trying to reclaim the freedom and dignity that once characterised their society.
When Values Meet Political Convenience
If someone truly believes in women’s rights, it should not be difficult to oppose the imprisonment, torture, and killing of women who protest against discrimination.
Yet sometimes the issue becomes “complicated” only when speaking clearly would conflict with certain political alliances or ideological narratives.
This is where consistency matters. Human rights should not depend on political convenience.
The Epstein Argument and Double Standards
Another argument sometimes raised in Western debates is that Western societies also have serious problems, pointing to cases such as the Epstein scandal.
This is true. Abuse and exploitation exist everywhere, and they must always be exposed and prosecuted.
But there is an important difference, in most Western countries, paedophilia is illegal. Once crimes are uncovered, investigations take place, journalists report on them, and courts intervene. Citizens demand accountability from their institutions.
The existence of crime is not the same as the institutional acceptance of it. I other countries it is defended or normalised.
Honouring the Courage of Iranian Women
Today I want to honour Iranian women, and others like them, who continue fighting for freedom and dignity.
Especially Shiva, an artist who had to flee Iran because her artwork could have cost her life, and her friend who was shot, kidnapped, tortured, raped, murdered, and had her organs taken by the Islamic regime, leaving behind two young children.
Their fight for women’s rights is not theoretical. For many women in the world, it is a matter of life and death.
They deserve not only our admiration, but also our solidarity.
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Thank you for reading.
Bye for now.