AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A women's delegation titled "Women of the Resistance and Virtue Front in Iraq," from among the members of the Nahdat al-Liwa al-Kawthar movement, had an official, cultural, and spiritual trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran from September 13 to 19, hosted by the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly; it is worth noting that the majority of the selected members of this group are prominent active figures, including two deputy ministers, former parliament members, a former minister, officials of women's affairs in governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions, as well as from the Supreme Council of Iraq and the Popular Mobilization Forces, who were guests of the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly on Tuesday, September 15, from 11 AM to 12 PM.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Roknabadi, while welcoming and thanking the women activists of the resistance for their trip, referred to the responsibility of Dr. Hala al-Jaberi al-Mousawi in introducing the guests and the planned programs and activities for them, and invited the honorable Secretary-General, Ayatollah Ramazani, to grace those present with his wise guidance.
Ayatollah Ramazani, while welcoming the women present at the meeting, stated, "We hope that with the planned programs, you women, who are among the influential women in various fields in Iraq, will experience a blessed trip."
Then, referring to the status of women from the perspective of the Holy Quran, he stated, "In the Quran, about 300 verses have been revealed regarding women, which address various dimensions of a woman's personality. In general, given that a woman has found divine preparedness earlier, she enters the scene of worship earlier than men. In the Quran, we have a chapter named Women (Nisa), and it has also been named after some women like Mary (a.s.), or other women like Asiya have been introduced as role models. In fact, it must be noted that men and women participate together in all positions related to the human domain, and there is no difference between them, as referred to in verse 35 of Surah Al-Ahzab."
He continued, referring to the status that the prophets and divine saints accorded to women, stating, "The divine prophets throughout history were the greatest defenders of women's rights, a clear example of which is the Noble Prophet of Islam and his respect for the personality of Lady Khadija and Fatima (peace be upon them), to the extent that they called him abtar. And God granted him Kawthar. And this grant is due to the defense that the Noble Prophet of Islam made of women's rights. In fact, this Kawthar-ism is the same monotheistic current against the current of polytheism and disbelief. Therefore, if you look carefully, the Prophet brought women into various arenas."
Then, the Secretary-General of the Assembly, referring to the crimes of the West against women, stated, "In the West, you see the opposite. The greatest crime against women is the instrumental use of them, which is prevalent in the West, and unfortunately, until today, they have not been able to reach their status. Women with the feminist movement failed to achieve their goals."
Ayatollah Ramazani continued, referring to the role of women in advancing the culture of resistance in the world, stating, "In Iraq itself, women have played a very important role in the arena of resistance. In fact, resistance must be expanded to the social and organizational structure. It must be noted that Iraq has been one of the most sensitive centers of cultural transformation in West Asia and the Islamic world for more than four decades. The temporary collapse and finally the widespread invasion of ISIS in 2014 confronted Iraqi society with numerous problems. In the meantime, women were more exposed to threats than all other segments. Organized violence, imposed poverty, psychological harm due to losing family members, etc., were all factors through which women could well demonstrate their resistance. The prominent role of women in this resistance system must be carefully considered. This is apart from the role of activism in the field of education and training. The role of women in the conscious upbringing of generations, sustainable family management, logistical support for fighters, and psychological confrontation with the enemy's media is very important, evident, and praiseworthy, which itself is rooted in the beliefs of Iraqi society."
He continued, referring to the praiseworthy capacities of Iraqi women, stating, "Love for and adherence to the culture of the AhlulBayt (a.s.), protection and defense of the holy shrines, fundamental support for the ideals of the Islamic nation, and standing against waves of religious seditions are all a comprehensive culture of resistance in which the effective presence of women has been influential. Of course, it must also be acknowledged that this presence has never been influenced by Western movements but is rooted in the religious and social history of this country."
Then, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, referring to the role of the martyred Bint al-Huda Sadr during the oppressive Baath rule in Iraq, stated, "She manifests as a great activist and a thinking Muslim woman, writer, and mujahid, and has been able to give meaning to a social bond, committed literature, knowledge production, and the upbringing of brave political fighter girls. By establishing al-Zahra (a.s.) girls' schools and writing novels suited to the needs of young people, she created a strong barrier against the cultural onslaught of the Baath regime. And when they arrested her honorable brother Sayed Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr, she went to the shrine of Amir al-Mu'minin and gave a Zainabi speech, and ultimately was martyred with her brother. In fact, she made Zainab (a.s.) her role model. Therefore, the Zainabi school must grow more today in our resistance women's communities."
The Secretary-General of the Assembly continued, referring to the importance of Jihad of Explanation in today's world, stating, "The women of our society today must manage events appropriately. The conditions of transformation today in Iraq are not comparable to the past. We are facing exceptional transformative conditions in Iraq. If you are not present in the arena of resistance, all these struggles will be buried. Just as if Zainab (a.s.) had not been there, Ashura would have been buried in the soils of Karbala and could not today be a role model for the free people of the world."
Then, Ayatollah Ramazani, referring to Arbaeen, stated, "Do not view Arbaeen as historical under Ashura; rather, Arbaeen Husseini today can be a reproduction of resistance and the public diplomacy of women. Therefore, Arbaeen displays the largest international solidarity network and socialization of the contemporary world, a point that has received less attention. And Iraqi women in this unique scene are the main pillar of this feast."
The Secretary-General of the Assembly continued, stating, "The AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, as the scholarly authority for Shia affairs in the world, is ready to provide this rich content to you and to play a role in this transnational networking and cultural diplomacy and in promoting civilizational perspectives. And ultimately, I must acknowledge that today we are facing a cognitive invasion, the influence of Western lifestyle, and the challenge of chastity and hijab. These threats are active against the resistance front, and enemies seek to weaken the values of modesty and chastity and fuel the phenomenon of removing the hijab and even nudity in society. Therefore, it is important to make the young generation understand that hijab and chastity are a kind of resistance against the whisperings of Satan."
He continued, referring to the importance of ummah-building, stating, "Forming the ummah was the duty of all prophets, and the Prophet of Islam succeeded in forming it. But later it was disrupted, yet Imam Khomeini (r.a.) pursued the discussion of ummah-building, and the martyred Imam trained the ummah for 37 years. And with their blood, this ummah was resurrected. Meaning it reached maturity, and this resurrection has emerged not only among Muslims but also among non-Muslims. And this geography of resistance is expanding. And on this path, we must not grow tired. Of course, the path of resistance also has martyrdom. We lost the best ones. They took our Imam from us. They took the children of Minab, the great commanders from us, but we still stand firm."
And in the end, by directly narrating from the one who washed the martyred Leader, he referred to the similarities of his martyrdom to Imam Husayn (a.s.) and Lady Zahra (a.s.), and expressed hope that God will keep us steadfast on this path.
In this meeting, which was met with the welcome of Iraqi women, the sisters, while presenting blessed gifts to the honorable Secretary-General and thanking the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly for its excellent management in successfully holding effective and useful cultural, scientific, religious, and educational programs, noted that these programs will be very fruitful in creating motivation and carrying out future activities.
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