AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A senior official from Iran’s Islamic Development Organization has criticized what he described as “modern ignorance” in contemporary approaches to women’s rights, warning that such views strip women of dignity under the guise of freedom.
Mohammadkhah, head of Quranic Affairs at the Islamic Development Organization in Kurdistan province, reflected on the historical evolution of attitudes toward women, saying that societies have long oscillated between contradictory and extreme perspectives.
“Throughout history, dual and conflicting views of women have emerged, shaped by the cultural outlooks of different societies,” he said.
Referring to the pre-Islamic era, often described as the age of ignorance, Mohammadkhah said women were deprived of basic dignity and rights, noting that the birth of daughters was viewed as a source of shame and, in extreme cases, led to the burial of newborn girls alive.
Turning to the present day, he argued that a different but equally harmful mindset has taken shape. “Today, centuries later, we are witnessing a new form of ignorance known as modern ignorance,” he said. “Under the pretext of defending women’s rights and freedoms, this outlook exposes the bodies of women while burying their personality, dignity, and innate humanity.”
He warned that such perspectives reduce women from their human status to what he described as a “second sex” or a consumable commodity serving men.
In contrast, Mohammadkhah outlined what he described as Islam’s balanced view, saying the religion recognizes women’s inherent dignity and grants them rights and status equal to men. Within this framework, he said, women play a decisive role in nurturing the family and contributing to the development and progress of society.
Concluding his remarks, he stressed that women occupy a central position within the family in Islamic thought, warning that hostile forces are deliberately seeking to weaken this role to advance what he described as anti-cultural agendas within Islamic societies.
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