(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - According to the internet website of the Supreme Leader’s Office, the objective of the former two Strategic Thoughts of Islamic Republic of Iran Conferences, titled “Islamic Paradigm, Iranian Advancement” and “Justice”, like the third one, has been establishment of a scientific, end expert level atmosphere for exchange of ideas and viewpoints leading to decision making over strategic and essential national level issues.
During the meeting that lasted four hours ten thinkers presented their viewpoints in accordance with their presented research papers which were chosen from among 188 papers presented to the secretariat of the conference, and selected as the top works, each elaborating on their viewpoints and hypotheses.
After listening to the scientific comments by their authors, Ayatollah Khameneie addressed the distinguished audience elaborating on the objectives of Strategic Thoughts of Islamic Republic of Iran Conferences with the elites and the think tanks of the country.
His eminence said, “Exchanging scientific ideas aimed at providing an appropriate atmosphere for taking advantage of the various scientific viewpoints and achieving a sound and comprehensive shared viewpoint as a disciplined program that can be turned into a work plan are the objectives of these sessions.”
The Supreme Leader emphasized, “The outcome of these meetings, which are held on major issues and would continue to be held, must be noble, deep, sustainable, presentable, and defendable.”
His eminence reiterated, “Regarding the presented discussions during the past two conferences a good amount of work has been done and the matter is seriously pursued.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasizing that the issue of women and families, too, is among the top priorities of the country, added, “Regarding women and families there are significant, and sure Islamic sources and teachings, which must initially be theorized and then presented to the public.”
Ayatollah Khameneie considered the role of women unique and unmatched in the Islamic system, reiterating, “The role of the women during the campaign era, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and after the revolution, particularly during the very tough era of sacred defense (against the Iraqi-invasion) and in various fields, has been an effective, unique, and unmatched role, which is immeasurable with entire known measurement sticks.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added, “The first person who comprehended the women’s outstanding status was the great Imam (Khomeini – P), just as that imam was the first person who realized the real status of the people and the effect of their presence.”
Ayatollah Khameneie emphasized, “Imam (P) appreciated the real worth of the people, realized their capabilities, and relying on that recognition, he trusted them, and the people, too, responded positively to the Imam’s call in various fields, and people from all walks of life were present at every needed field, wholeheartedly, and it was that conscientious presence that continues up to the present day alertly in all needed fields.”
His eminence emphasized that the country is always in need of the presence of women in the context of the nation’s comprehensive presence at the scenes, reinterpreting, “On this basis we must try to preserve the women’s presence for role playing in the society.”
The Leader of the Revolution said that the second major reason for heeding the women’s role is the significant and pivotal role of women in the families.
His eminence reiterated, “From the viewpoint of Islam, a family is the very significant foundation stone of the society, in a way that without being benefitted from sound, jubilant and vivacious families the possibility of social advancement, particularly in cultural field, is non-existent, and thus, the families, too cannot exist, or continue to be, devoid of the presence of pious and understanding women.”
The Leader of the Revolution said that focusing of the enemies on women’s issue is obvious within the contest of their political-propagation onslaught against the Islamic system, and the third reason why it is necessary to fully heed the women’s issue, adding, “We must illuminate the world public opinion and not permit the western policy makers and politicians to succeed in their invasion against the fundamentals of Islam regarding women.”
His eminence in the same respect referred to the west’s cunning escape from entering discussion on families, reiterating, “The westerners discuss the women’s issue seriously, but refrain from mentioning the family matter, because debates on families is among their obvious weak points.”
Ayatollah Khameneie referred to the bulk of unaccomplished tasks regarding women and families, emphasizing, “Theorizing and holding dialogues in this field is a dire need and the matter is in need of due consideration, and of course the media, too, have a significant role in providing the appropriate atmosphere respectively.”
Ayatollah Khameneie considered making research investments and refraining from passiveness in surveying the criticizing the prevailing theories in the world regarding women and families as two prerequisites in this field, adding, “We must rely on the immense bulk of our scientific wealth, and in the mid and long terms deduct dozens of advanced Islamic theories and patterns in this field and present them.”
His eminence said that the west’s viewpoints on women are deviations and deeply erroneous, while highly insulting and a severe blow on the prestige and real worth of the women, adding, “Even the most extremist feminists, too, despite their assumptions, are dealing sever blows against the entity of women, because by demolishing women, they have created an instrument of them to quench the sexual lust of the men, and unfortunately this issue has become a commonplace and accepted phenomenon in the public opinion of the west.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution aid that Islam’s viewpoint on women is extraordinarily exalted, emphasizing, “In Islam’s comprehensive viewpoints, women are not different from men in terms of being God’s creatures as human beings, and in accordance with the Qur’anic verses the women are full equals with men in their path or seeking proximity with Allah, and becoming His special friends.”
His eminence considered Islam’s viewpoints on family, too, quite exalted, reiterating, “Many of the problems of the women are related to the family issues, and in this respect we have amazing legal and traditional gaps, and if these issues would be solved, the women’s social problems, too, would be decreased and become tolerable.”
The leader of the revolution said that gender is a matter of secondary importance in Islam, adding, “The issue of gender finds meaning in life performances, and has no place in determining the status of women and men in Islam.”
His eminence said that the roles of wives and mothers are unique, reiterating, “A good wife can make a useful and effective element out of a man in the society.”
Ayatollah Khameneie said that women’s employment in the society, too, is OK, and yet emphasized, “In this respect there are two major conditions that need to be observed: firstly, the women’s employment in the society should not create an obstacle in the way of their performing their major tasks in their homes and within their families, and their significant roles as wives and mothers should not be overshadowed by their employment, and secondly, the insider and outsider issue regarding the opposite sex must be observed properly.”
His eminence advised the government to assist the working women, adding, “The government must plan in a way that the working women would be able to heed their major tasks, which is none, but their homes and their families.”
The leader of the Islamic Revolution considered marriage as a sanctified issue in various religions, particularly in Islam, reiterating, “The sanctity of marriage should not be ruined in the society by such ugly deeds as asking for outrageously high dowries, or very ceremonial and costly marriage ceremonies.”
Ayatollah Khameneie emphasized that promoting simple marriages with minimum financial costs and with dowries as they are the Islamic tradition, is in need of culture building and holding dialogue sin the society, adding, “The influential individuals in the society, the university and seminary professors, and the media, particularly the national radio-TV network, play an important role in shaping up this dialogue.”
His eminence meanwhile considered the men’s role of effective importance in safeguarding the entity of the families, reiterating, “One of the important tasks of the men is constant appreciating of the women’s roles and services at home, particularly that of the women who have great opportunities for having a presence outside their homes, but in order to play their roles as mothers effectively, have chosen not to be employed outside their homes.”
The Leader of the Revolution stressed the need for appreciating such women, and particularly ensuring their financial security and insurance.
Ayatollah Khameneie at the end referred to the role of the children in the families, considering one of their most important tasks respecting their fathers and their mothers.
Before the leader’s address ten of the distinguished guests present at the meeting presented their viewpoints on the matter as follows:
The first speaker at the conference, Professor Dr. Shokouh Navvabinezhad, faculty member of Tehran Teachers Training University (TTTU), elaborated on her article titled “Pathology and Ideal Paradigms for Ideal Families”, surveying the positive and negative developments that have affected the family foundation during the past decades.
Professor Navvabijejad focusing on emerged changes in the pattern of marriage due to increased level of academic studies of women and their employment status, changing attitudes of some people regarding the sanctity of the marriage bond, decreased tendencies regarding having more children, physical and psychological aggressive moves of some men, and influence of satellite TV networks on some families, as influential pathological factors affecting women and family lives.
She pointed out that the involved factors in ideal family pattern, such as intimacy, flexibility and exchange of thoughts, as positive factors involved in having dynamic and healthy families, emphasizing, “Sociological studies, personal observations and western studies show that there is a meaningful relation between religion and spiritually on the one hand and mental health of the individuals, the families, and the societies on the other hand, which means those factors are in need of being fortified in present day society.”
Assistant Professor of Isfahan University, Dr. Amir-Hossein Bankipourfard, too, focusing on the difference of the family concept in Islamic-Iranian paradigm, with that in the western development paradigm, deducted that unlike the western pattern, a family is considered the main core of the body of society in the Islamic viewpoint.
Dr. Bankipourfard spoke about the statistics on marriage and divorce in recent years, surveying the reasons for relatively increased age of marriage. He criticized the process of the national five-year comprehensive development plans, arguing, “Economic difficulties, attraction of rural life compared to life in villages, and focusing on leading leisurely lives are among the obstacles in the way of marriage today, but most of these problems have social and cultural roots, which need to be tackled.”
The social researcher ended his remarks making some proposals: “Development plans must be harmonized with the system’s policies regarding families; laws must be ratified to make marriage easier for the young generation; national will for establishment of families, and provision of practical living expertise for the family members,” as some of the most important proposals of his.
The next speaker at the conference was Dr. Fariba Alasvand. She spoke about capacity building in families, reforming the life style patterns, and giving the most influential role to families in child bearing in the process of achieving social credit and capital. She meanwhile criticized the process of relativism in dealing with the values, arguing, “The conceptual identity of families must not take shape on traditional basis any longer though.”
Dr. Alasvand elaborating on the ideal pattern of the government’s relations with the families, added, “In indirect method of this relation, the government deals with such issues as empowering the families, and supporting the fathers, the mothers, and generally speaking, the spouses, but in direct method, the families find pivotal role in any type of planning of the three branches of power, and facilitating the family functions, adoption of systematic solutions, and fortifying the norm-making foundations for families, particularly the education and nurturing of the children, which need to be put on the tasks to be executed seriously.”
Research Deputy of Qom Science Conservatory Hojjatoleslam Ali-Reza Pirouzmand was the next speaker at the 3rd Strategic Thoughts of Islamic Republic of Iran Conference. He spoke on “Perfectionism in Women’s Social Responsibilities from the Islamic Viewpoint”, the topic of his paper.
The researcher who works both with the seminaries and with the universities of the country elaborated on various viewpoints on women’s perfectionism, arguing, “In Islam, perfectionist tendency in women means their doing their best in nurturing a responsible, revolutionary, competent, and perfectionist generation.”
He emphasized on acceptance of social responsibilities aimed at establishment of justice, and the women’s role in materializing the Islamic-Iranian life style, as important expected roles from the women in Iran.
Hojjatoleslam Pirouzmand presented his hypothesis on the matter, and based on it proposed tactics for materializing perfectionism in women’s social responsibilities: “Choosing the optimum hypothesis on performance of social roles by women through holding free thought seats; comprehensive and gradual training of the optimum pattern for women’s role, and legal support for the appropriate job opportunities in accordance with the natural physical and psychological characteristics of men and women.”
Imam Sadeq (P) University and Tehran Teachers Training University Professor Dr. Ezzatossadat Mirkhani, too, elaborated on her viewpoints under the title “Prophecy of Motherhood, Religious Objectives, International Schools and Conventions”.
Dr. Mirkhani surveyed Islam’s viewpoints on the grand prophecy of motherhood in safeguarding the children’s faith in Islam; the mother’s role in safeguarding the generation, and the mother’s role in safeguarding the rational health of the family members and nurturing them.
She added, “In humanist and feminist schools the mother’s role declines drastically and the status of women and mothers decreases to the extent of a material object.”
The university professor proposed that in order to assist the mothers in performing their real prophecy we should provide retirement and physical disability insurances for entire mothers and appropriate culture building in accordance with the Islamic teachings on mothers’ status.
Faculty member and Deputy Research Head of Imam Sadeq University Professor Dr. Fa’ezeh Azimzadeh Ardebili was the other speaker at the Third Strategic Thoughts of Islamic Republic of Iran Conference. She spoke on contradiction between feminism and functions of
