Opinion: Women and girls in Iran are launching a remarkable female-led revolution
The Age of Revolutions is not over. Iran and China have shown strong resistance to autocratic domination. Even Russians have conducted demonstrations against their government. Because of the unusual contribution of women and girls, I will focus on resistance to domination in Iran.
Americans have been more or less ignoring Iran since their Revolution in 1979 that established the Islamic Republic. The revolutionaries sacked the American Embassy and held the embassy staff as hostages for 444 days. Most people only think of Iran as a dangerous theocratic nation that is working to acquire nuclear capabilities. However, many Americans have Iranian friends or know Iranians.
We should not let the fact that most people do not think much about Iran make us ignore this current remarkable female-led revolution against domination by the morality police. It may not succeed, but it is a revolution that has roots in the same thinking that inspired most of the revolutions since the seventeenth century: opposition to coercive domination by the government. The revolutionary girls and women have made individual freedom and rights central to their cause. They are resisting the religious rules regarding head covering being enforced by the “morality police.” Behind this enforcement are religious leaders, not a government elected by the people.
Ever since at least the 17th century revolutions have been taking place in various nations around the world. These revolutions went beyond revolts because they changed governments and the social organizations of societies. Unfortunately, some revolutions, after removing oppressive regimes, have introduced new oppressive regimes. Communist revolutions are a prime example of oppressive rule replacing oppressive rule.
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On the one hand, Americans can rejoice that people are inspired by freedom and human rights to cause people to revolt against oppressive regimes. Sadly, America has not always been on the side of national freedom in other lands, for example, in Iran. The elected Prime Minister, Muhammad Mossadegh, was overthrown basically by British and American governments because he wanted to nationalize the oil production in Iran. The Revolution of 1979 in Iran was against the tyrannical Shah who had been installed and supported by America and Britain. In our relationship to Iran, we did not show ourselves to be on the side of greater freedom.
The lesson from Iran is that Western democracies, in spite of being founded on the concepts of freedom and human rights, can support right-wing oppressive regimes that are thought to be supportive of Western economic interests. The oppressive regimes in some lands were often anti-Communist to gain American support. The support of repressive regimes against revolutionary forces has been especially evident in Latin America. The internal conflict in America regarding support for non-democratic forces goes back to the division in the West between two types of revolutions: one bringing in democracy, the other bringing in a new oppressive regime, often Marxist-Communist. This division overseas and in American foreign relations has been a source of much debate by Americans.
The current Iranian Revolution does not appear to exacerbate division within our country because the freedom desired by the women of Iran is very much in line with the freedoms enjoyed in America. In addition, America from its founding has made clear that religious authorities should not participate in the government to enforce moral behavior. In fact, America as a nation does not claim any religious identity. Some of the Christian population is not happy with this stance and would like America to be declared a “Christian nation.” This “Christian nationalism” is directly contrary to our nation’s Constitution and the teachings of Christ.
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When it comes to distinctive religious outward symbols that can be worn, particularly clothes, America upholds the right of individuals to choose what religious symbols to display or what religious clothes to wear. The women, girls, and their supporters are demonstrating in large numbers for personal freedom and removal of an oppressive regime. Not having personal freedom has led them to question the legitimacy of the religious rulers of the country. The issue has been constitutionally settled in America. The historical trend, which in many ways America initiated, is for people in many lands to oppose coercive domination by governments that were not elected. Namely, they do not rule by the consent of the governed. The inherent power of democratic freedom to appeal to people under oppression is being revealed in yet another land. America must continue to be a model for both democracy and freedom.
Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D., lives in Black Mountain
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Iranian women and girls are leading a remarkable revolution
