SATURDAY, 28 MAY 2011
Insideofiran – The response of “International Organization to Preserve Human Rights in Iran (IOPHRI)” to the statements of Ahmad Khatami during Tehran’s Political Friday Prayers – on 27th May 2011. In which he said ” If the women assume scarf as hijab … ” by issuing this press release IOPHRI asks Khatami, for the sake of his tyranny should not interpret Quran according his own point of view and as stated in the Quran: ” You in the name of religion, justify your tyranny and use of the Book of God as a tool to interpret the Quran from your own point of view ” فسّر القرآن برأيه فليتبوأ مقعده من النار من ”.
The full text of press release, ” International Organization to Preserve Human Rights in Iran” is as follows:
In Tehran’s so called “Friday Prayer” Market Show the Temporary (Khatib) speaker Ahmad Khatami once again allowed himself to interpret Quran verse according his own personal ideology and defined Jalbab “جلباب” as a Veil ” چادر ” and gave ultimatum to his listeners!
The following points must noted in response to Khatami’s personal interpretation of Quran.
First – Jalbab (Surat Ahzab – verse 54) in Arabic language at the beginning of Islamic period at the time that the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed referred to a one piece cloth which covered from neck downwards and did not convey a veil which covers one from head to toe, this was due to the fact that pre-Islam it was common for women to dress in such a way that their chest was visible and for this reason covering their chest and other parts of body via Jalbab was advised.
Second – In this verse there is no reference to head and hair and therefore covering of hair or head cannot be concluded from this verse.
Third – From this verse there is no trace of imposing a particular type dress code for women’s hair.
Fourth – In this verse the new Muslim women, who were used to ignorant traditions of the era, there is a recommendation on how to dress and makeup according to their own will and to cover their neck, chest and body as they are responsible for their actions to the God.
Fifth – This verse does not allow Geomancers and exorcists to use the Friday prayer for spreading superstitions and their own interpretations of Quran.
Sixth – This verse does not allow those who spread superstitions to interfere in women’s affairs under the pretext of starting a “Hejab Police”, or to spread gender discrimination within society by the use of heavy fines, floggings, dismissal from work, and other forms of inhuman persecutions in order to force them to accept the imposed and obligatory Hejab.
Dressing code of people is subject to customs and culture of a society in which they live in and falls within the area of personal responsibility.
The previous monarchist Iranian regime which was overthrown tried to impose “Non-Hejab Principle” as form of a social convention on Iranians, and now you are trying to impose “Forced Hijab” as the common norm on the society.
But there is a difference between what the current regime is trying to do and what Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his father did. The Pahlavi’s did not impose “mandatory coverage” under the name of religion.
You, in the name of religion, are trying to justify your tyranny and using the Book of God as a tool and are interpreting it according to your own point of view and do not observe the following verse of Quran that explicitly prohibits interpretation of Quran based on personal opinions.
“من فسّر القرآن برأيه فليتبوأ مقعده من النار ”
Muslims advise to you that it is because of the severity of your ambition and lust for power that you can no longer deter yourself from such actions and return to the right path. You are too busy with the business of Geomancy and interpretation of Quran according to your own ideology to realise that you are raising the anger of the Muslims of the world as well as the displeasure of God.
28th May 2011
International Organization to Preserve Human Rights in Iran
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