Leader hails ‘very exalted’ status of women in Islam, slams Western culture
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, told thousands of Iranian women on Wednesday that Islam grants them a “very high and exalted status” with equal rights to men in social, political, and spiritual life, denouncing what he described as the “corrupt Western culture.”
Speaking in Tehran, he cited Lady Fatima (PBUH), daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as a model for Iranian women, Khamenei.ir reported.
Fatima, he said, embodied the highest virtues across all arenas: Spiritual devotion, humility, selflessness, resilience, political insight, household management, and raising children.
“The Iranian woman, thank God, takes guidance from such a sun and moves in accordance with her goals,” he said.
Khamenei emphasized that men and women have “equal roles in the life and history of humanity” and equal opportunities for spiritual advancement.
“In social activities, business, politics, governmental positions, and spiritual conduct, the path to women’s advancement is open,” he added.
The Leader sharply criticized Western culture, arguing it undermines family and women’s dignity. He said Islam’s regulations on gender interaction, dress, and modesty safeguard women and control “dangerous sexual desires,” while Western societies largely ignore these issues.
He described men and women as “two balanced elements” whose complementarity is essential for societal management, human continuity, and civilizational progress.
Highlighting women’s rights in Islam, Khamenei cited justice in family and social conduct, security, dignity, equal wages, insurance for working women, and specific leave provisions.
He called family formation a central role for women, contrasting it with the neglect of family in Western capitalist culture, which he said treats women as objects and fosters social harms including fatherless children, gangs, and sexual immorality.
Khamenei asserted that the Islamic Republic disproves Western claims that restrictions such as the hijab limit women’s progress.
He praised Iranian women’s unprecedented achievements in science, sports, research, politics, health, and social support, saying the country has never seen such a concentration of learned and active women.
He cautioned domestic media against repeating Western views, urging coverage that emphasizes Islam’s “deep and effective” perspective, which he said would attract women globally.
“The Islamic Republic has enabled the advancement of women in all major fields while preserving their dignity and identity,” Khamenei concluded, contrasting this with what he described as Western “enslavement disguised as freedom.”