Iranian Election could be Test for Women's Rights

CNN ^ | June 11, 2009 | Reza Sayah and Christiane Amanpour

[StilettoRaksha]

There's no doubt that Iran's election will be a major test for incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But many Iranian women hope the results will also shake the current status of women in the Islamic republic.

"Thirty-four million women demand to have female Cabinet ministers; 34 million women demand to be eligible to run for president," Zahra Rahnavard, wife of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Whether her husband wins or loses Friday, Rahnavard has broken barriers for women just by appearing on the campaign trail with her husband, a rarity for political wives in Iran. "We look at her, and we say, 'We want to be like her in the future,' " said Shakiba Shakerhosseie, an Iranian woman who packed into Tehran's indoor Azadi (Freedom) sports stadium along with nearly 12,000 others to hear Rahnavard speak in March.

[SolidWood]

"Thirty-four million women demand to have female Cabinet ministers; 34 million women demand to be eligible to run for president,"

Flashback 30 years ago...

Imperial Iran had in the 1960's more women in Government and Administration than West Germany.

...

Tehran in the early 1970's had the world's only female Police superintendent. (not pictured)

...

Remember Farrokhroo Parsa, Iran's first woman to become a cabinet minister.

Executed 1980 by the savage islamic regime.

...

1967 Farah Diba was crowned Shahbanou, the first time in the history of islamic Iran that a woman could become head-of-state, equal with the Emperor and his legal successor.

[StilettoRaksha]

The good ole’ days.

[madameguinot]

Interesting, thanks.

But I am confused by this entire ‘election’. Was this a legitimate election? Do you mean this whole time all the Iranians had to do was vote this guy out? Like Dorothy clicking her red slippers?

[SolidWood]

No the elections are sham. The candidates are all pre-approved by a mullah council. The head of state, commander in chief, veto holder and real dictator is the Ayatollah Khamenei, not the “President”, who is only a kind of powerless Prime Minister or Chancellor.

The mullahs count the “votes” and decide which of their two puppets (Ahmadinejad or Musavi) shouled get the nod. This is a cirus down to channel Iranian dissatisfication, so they get the impression that they can at least “somewhat” change their government, while in fact they do not.

[StilettoRaksha]

Watch these videos: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/13/iran.election/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

[StilettoRaksha]

And hence Khamenei doesn’t care who wins because he will maintain his position as the highest decision maker.

[Carley]

The dead media is trying so hard to put lipstick on a pig.

[Carley]

Iranian constitution calls for a theocracy.

In order to be rid of the mullahs there would have to be a constitutional amendment. At this time, the citizens are not even allowed to speak of deposing the mullahs.

[SolidWood]

The “constitution” of today was written by the Mullahs themselves 1979/1980. It is part and parcel of their regime.

In order for regime change the mullahs would have to go. Their fake constitution will go with them.

The real Iranian consitution, approved by the real, democratic Parliament 100 years ago, calls for a Constitutional Monarchy ala Belgium.

When the mullah regime is gone, there will be a new constitution written (or less likely the old partially restored).

[djf]

Do we have a weiner yet?

[Dosa26]

Iran's Interior Ministry claimed hard-line incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was heading for a surprise landslide victory Saturday in the country's ...

If they're the ones counting or not counting the votes...

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election - 9 hours ago -

[moose2004]

I’m sure the Revolutionary Guard oversees vote counting.