Abstract:
With the Industrial Revolution and the Western civilization’s focus on increasing economic production, extensive efforts were made to acquire raw materials for factories and expand markets. In this process, significant attention was directed toward the East, and every possible tool was utilized to achieve these goals. Among these tools, women were also employed as means to further these objectives. Iranian women during the Pahlavi era, under a regime that was a puppet of the West, were not exempt from this phenomenon, and numerous measures were taken to strip them of their identity. On the other hand, Imam Khomeini (RA), throughout his struggles, paid special attention to the issue of women. However, his perspective was based on Islamic and divine principles, aiming to define and illustrate the true status of women in various fields. This article seeks to explore how the political and social conditions of contemporary Iran influenced Imam Khomeini’s (RA) thoughts on women. By employing a combined approach in political thought studies—which simultaneously examines both the political-social context of the thinker’s era and the content of their ideas—this study attempts to answer the following question: How did the political and social conditions of contemporary Iran impact Imam Khomeini’s (RA) thoughts on women? Using this interpretive and qualitative method, the study concludes that Imam Khomeini (RA), in opposition to the discourse that sought to lead Iranian women toward a Westernized and seemingly progressive model, aimed to safeguard the dignity of the authentic Iranian-Islamic woman. His approach can be summarized in the following principles: Equality of men and women in fundamental and natural rights The sacred freedom of women Women’s social responsibilities, from the family to society Women’s responsibility in preserving their beauty, dignity, and authenticity
Keywords:
Imam Khomeini (RA), political thought, Islamic Revolution of Iran, women, history of Pahlavi-era Iran