Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to social media on Wednesday to outline how women are viewed in Islam, just one day after he reportedly instructed the government to step up its enforcement of the Islamic dress code.
“According to Islam, women can be active in society, in business and work, in political activities, in most governmental positions, and in all fields of life,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
“A woman is like a flower. A flower must be cared for and protected, and she will enrich you with her color, fragrance, and qualities,” he added.
“You didn't take very good care of this flower,” one user responded, attaching a photo of Mahsa Amini.
Mahsa Amini's death in 2022 after being beaten by Iran's morality police for wearing tight pants sparked worldwide protests, including the first big show of opposition on Iran's streets since authorities crushed fuel price protests in 2019, in which 1,500 people were killed.
“The Islamic Republic has shown a Muslim woman observing the Islamic dress code can progress further than others in all areas and be influential both in society and at home,” Khamenei wrote.
“Guided by this view, our women have made great progress in numerous fields since the victory of the Revolution.”
Khamenei's posts directly contradict reality in Iran
In his posts, Khamenei also criticized Western countries for the gender pay gap, despite Iran having severe income inequality, as women on average earn 17% of the income men earn in comparable fields, according to a 2023 report from the World Economic Forum.
Khamenei continued posting over the course of several hours, with posts that both highlighted the position of women in Islam while shaming Western countries for forgetting true family values with the “erroneous logic of the capitalist culture.”
“Safeguarding a woman’s security, dignity, and honor is one of women’s rights. A woman’s dignity must be protected. The evil capitalist logic tramples on and destroys women’s dignity,” he wrote.
While women are permitted to work in Iran, current laws forbid them from being employed in jobs deemed ‘dangerous, arduous or harmful’ by the regime. Additionally, a woman’s husband may prevent her from pursuing any occupation he believes would be against the family's interests or his dignity.
Despite his insistence that women are championed in Iran and have total freedom, Article 18 of Iran’s passport law states that women under the age of 40 must obtain permission from a male guardian before being permitted to travel.