AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Organized by the General Department of Women and Family of the Deputy for International Affairs of the AhlulBayt World Assembly, a webinar for Shia sisters in North African countries, managed and executed by Dr. Taraghi in Arabic, was held on the topic "Woman and Family in the Thought of the Martyred Leader Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei (may his soul be sanctified)."
In this program, speakers from Tunisia and Algeria presented their views on examining the martyred Leader's thought regarding women and family.
At the beginning of the session, Dr. Roknabadi stated: "My dear sisters in North Africa, we have gathered today to speak about a man who considered women not merely half of society, but the primary source of all human developments towards perfection."
She pointed to the importance of women's dignity from the Qur'an's perspective in the martyred Leader's view and said: "He always emphasized that in Islam, woman is the axis of dignity. In one of his speeches, the martyred Leader stated: 'From the perspective of Islam, woman is a being who possesses all the moral energies and human capabilities present in a woman.' In truth, the martyred Leader did not consider gender as a criterion for distinction; rather, he believed that closeness to God, knowledge, and resistance are the true criteria."
Referring to the "third model" of women as a response to Eastern and Western perspectives in the martyred Leader's view, Dr. Roknabadi stated: "The martyred Leader introduced the concept of the 'third model.' He rejected the Eastern model, which restricts women to the margins, and rejected the Western model, which views women as commodities and tools for pleasure. The martyred Leader said: 'In the Islamic model, the woman is chaste and honorable, stands at the heart of the struggle, and builds her family with love and her society with reason and faith.' This model perfectly matches the nature of the Muslim woman in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and all our countries. In truth, in the martyred Leader's thought, the patience and forbearance of woman bring victory. He always pointed to the role of Zainab al-Kubra (a.s.). The blood of the martyrs of the Minab school—young schoolgirls—is an extension of this thought. The martyred Leader said: 'If it weren't for the courageous presence of women in the streets and squares, Imam Khomeini's uprising would not have been victorious.' Today, we see this manifestation in the resilience of the women of Gaza and Palestine."
She finally stated: "The martyred Leader's will to you is to cling to knowledge and insight. As Islam has asked of you, be pioneers of knowledge, educators of generations, and mujahideen on the path of truth."
Subsequently, Ms. Basma bin Aifa Muammar from Tunisia, speaking on the topic of "Women's Identity and Dignity in the Thought of Seyyed Ali Khamenei: A Reading of the Muslim Woman's Model in Confronting the Western Perspective," stated: "Between the two extremist perspectives—'imitation of the Western model,' which reduces woman to a consumer commodity, and 'rigidity,' which advocates confining woman to the home—the thought of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei offers a new model based on 'human dignity' and the restoration of authentic Islamic identity. In this view, woman not only walks on the path of spiritual perfection alongside great figures like Fatima al-Zahra (a.s.), but also, as a driving force of society, enjoys the right to education, work, and political participation, playing a key role in raising mujahid generations and preserving the family foundation. In this framework, modesty and hijab are not tools for isolation, but a shield to protect woman's true freedom and moral dignity from exploitation, so that she may participate with dignity and awareness as a capable human being in building an advanced and faithful society."
Another speaker, Ms. Noura Bouliha Ferhat from Algeria, responding to the question, "How can we preserve women's dignity and human identity in a world that seeks to reduce them merely to image, body, and consumerism?" stated: "By examining Ayatollah Khamenei's perspective, we conclude that the dignity and identity of woman in Islamic society stand in opposition to the materialistic view of the West. In his view, Western culture, by reducing woman to a tool for consumerism and profit, ignores her true dignity, while Islam, based on piety, considers woman a being with full dignity and an essential partner in building society. The Islamic model of woman from Ayatollah Khamenei's perspective is based on three pillars: faith, modesty, and social activism—a woman who, while preserving her religious and moral identity, actively participates in educational, scientific, cultural, social, and political arenas. Figures such as Fatima al-Zahra (a.s.) and Zainab (a.s.) are clear examples of this comprehensive model, combining faith, modesty, and active social presence, freeing the Muslim woman from isolation or blind imitation of the West."
The final speaker, Ms. Dhahabiya Fahim from Tunisia, citing the thoughts of Ayatollah Khamenei, emphasized the necessity of restoring the identity of the Muslim woman through spirituality, modesty, and social participation to counter Western cultural aggression and "soft war." She added: "This perspective is based on two main pillars: first, taking inspiration from lofty figures such as Fatima al-Zahra (a.s.) and Zainab (a.s.), who embody the link between worship, knowledge, and familial roles with a powerful presence in political and social arenas; and second, a clear critique of Western capitalist civilization, which, with its materialistic and instrumental view of woman, has led to the collapse of the family foundation and the loss of her human dignity."
She continued: "The path to salvation and excellence for women in today's societies is not in imitating Western models, but in attaining a high level of 'Zainabi' awareness and patience, in which woman, as a civilization-building element, plays an active and influential role in all aspects of society while maintaining dignity and piety. In the progressive view of the martyred Leader, the Muslim woman, maintaining a balance between spirituality, modesty, and social activism, while preserving her central role in the family, also has an active and influential presence in political, scientific, and economic arenas. In this framework, modesty and hijab are not tools for isolation, but a shield to protect woman's freedom and personality from cultural exploitation and 'soft war,' so that she may participate as a capable and aware human being in building civilization and advancing society."
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