Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Woman's right!

Iran: Ayatollah Support Women's Right to Inheritance and Abortion - According to Parsine News Agency,
Grand Ayatollah Mazaheri, one of the more renowned religious scholars based in Isfahan, has issued a Fatwa allowing unwed mothers to obtain abortions.

16 comments:

billie said...

another hole in the gop theory :)

Zeinobia said...

Naj,Pardon me dear,But I do not get the inheritance right is granted for women in Islam , is there a problem regarding it in Iran ??

Naj said...

Betmo, ... yes!

Zeinobia:
I am not quite sure about the details of inheritance law, but I think there is something like daughters inherit 1/2 of sons, and wives inherit only 1/6th of the dead husband's fortune. (the rest goes to children and don't know who else)

However, if someone writes a will while alive (obviously :) ) then these laws can be entirely different.

Anonymous said...

Only a matter of time before the Christian anti-abortion extremists make this into another reason their God fearin' candidates should attack Iran.
Sorry I took your silver lining and added a cloud!

MarcLord said...

remarkable! please write more about this, when you have the time...it deserves expansion. This is real, real movement at the most basic level of equality under law, and it's one of the most significant things I've heard on the world stage (for the positive) in a looong time. I know his saying it does not make it so, but for someone of that stature to come public with his views indicates a great deal of confidence, and one would think support.

Id it is said...

Pardon my ignorance Naj, but how powerful/influential is Mazaheri with the general populace in Iran. That would be a ground breaking stance not just in Iran but in most parts of the world.

On a different note, what was the stand on abortion for unwed mothers prior to this Fatwa?

Naj said...

Hi all, apologies for absence of context, two reasons, I am not a very religious savvy person, I do not practice religion and thus do not follow these fatwas.

But, the way it works is like this:

Shiites in Iran (don't know about other parts of the shiite world) pick one of these grand ayatollahs to follow! These ayatollahs have studied for many years, they often have a worth of 5 PhDs under their belt (was tempted to say belly!) and at certain stage they become "mojtahed", it means qualified to issue fatwas, based on reading from Koran and etc.

So, if people follow Mazaheri, then they will sanction his fatwa.

This fatwa is the first in its kind. Unlike teh catholics, Iranian "mojtaheds" are not against birth control. You can do anything you wish to prevent pregnancy. But if a life is conceived, then up to now, you were not allowed to abort UNLESS mother's physical heath was in danger!

Now, what has happened is that this Ayatollah is treating a woman's "social" and psychological life, just as seriously as her physiological one!

Abortion clinics are already plenty in Iran; not publicized but there. It has always been that way.

What is significant about this is that, "temporary marriage" has become the Iranian loophole that allows sexual intimacy without marriage. This, expectedly, increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies. Usually, girl ended up marrying the man with whom they conceived to save face. Now, they can go get an abortion, I assume.

If one Ayatollah sanction it, 2000 clinics can pop, and claim that they are servicing the followers of ayatollah Mazaheri! A lot of these things are just heart-pledges, and suddenly, ALL iranians can turen into followers of Mazaheri.

jmsjoin said...

Naj
That's great! I suspect Ahmadnejad is not to happy with this! At least things seem to be getting better over there.

Naj said...

Jim,

I don't know why you think Ahmadinejad is not happy with this. Ahmadinejad is not a religious expert, and he neither has the authority nor the inclination to weigh in on what the religious figures issue.

Also, these ayatollahs are operating quite independently of eachother and also of the political system.

Abortion, in Iran, is NOT a political discourse. It is a part of the moral dilemma, for people who care about religion. And those who don't, well they can do whatever they want.

No one has ever bombed an abortion clinic in Iran, you know?!

jmsjoin said...

you guys have it right. Here they mind everyones business but their own. We are so screwed up. It isn't funny but you're right about clinic bombings. Those damn Christians think they can kill if you don't live the way they want. Perverted Religion runs rampant today and that is only a part of the problem.

jmsjoin said...

you guys have it right. Here they mind everyones business but their own. We are so screwed up. It isn't funny but you're right about clinic bombings. Those damn Christians think they can kill if you don't live the way they want. Perverted Religion runs rampant today and that is only a part of the problem.

Naj said...

Jim,

fanatics are everywhere. We have our share of fanaticism too; but the overall culture is not tolerant of intolerance. And this is pretty much the way America is too.

Bushitis is a disease.

or ... maybe an acne-full rapture of American puberty.

But in my opinion, political intolerance is just as troubling as religious one. Bombing a country because "it is not democratic" is tantamount to bombing a clinic!

Sophia said...

Hi Naj,
I have tagged you in my latest post to perform this exercice: list six things one should do, or shouldn't do, before 18. Read the rules of the game in my latest post and do it only if you feel OK about it.

nunya said...

Whoa. Unprecedented.

"No one has ever bombed an abortion clinic in Iran, you know?!"

funny :)

Unknown said...

Live and let live. Imposing one's morals on another has never worked in the history of mankind. Immoral acts will eventually be paid for when the final judgement comes. It is between a man and his Creator.

I blow the trumpet and sound the alarm, if you choose not to heed it, it's between you and Him. (I don't mean you, personally, Naj) :)

Peace and Grace, Sister.

Naj said...

"The Will of Allah" ... makes me shriek!

Any human who considers himself a "messenger" of Allah to an extent that he/she is willing to spill blood of others (and the of course enjoy the material resources, given to him by "the will of allah") makes me shriek too!

Of course, the soldiers always go to war for a noble cause! The cause however is NEVER noble, it's just dressed to fool the gullible!