Information about the article:
In light of the ongoing challenges faced by Iranian women at the hands of the Islamic regime in Iran, particularly regarding the compulsory hijab, this article was published in Persian on April 26, 2023, and in German on August 20, 2024, on the Research Institute's Persian and German websites.
Article Category: Social Affairs, Women's Rights
Date of publication of the English version on the respective website: August 20, 2024
Author and translator of the article: Faramarz Tabash
German Version (AOG)
Persian Version (AOG)
In light of the ongoing challenges faced by Iranian women at the hands of the Islamic regime in Iran.
The Sisters of Horror and
The Brothers Karamazov
Preface
Dostoevsky [1] was undoubtedly one of the most famous Russian writers of the second half of the 19th century, and all critics and analysts of world literature know him as a writer who tried to analyze the psychological roots of the themes of his novels from his point of view.
One of his most famous novels is "The Brothers Karamazov" [2], which achieved world fame and was his last novel. In this novel, Dostoevsky searches for the mystery of life and raises the same questions to which all philosophers, scientists, and mystics of all times and centuries have tried to find an appropriate and logical answer.
The most hated character in this novel is Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, the father of the Karamazov brothers. A father whose sons finally decide to destroy him. But who will be his murderer, Smerdyakov alone or in conspiracy with Ivan?
The story is about an immoral family that, amid them, seemingly always the end justifies the means.
The eldest son, Dmitri Fyodorovich, by Fyodor's first wife, an army officer, is more at odds with his father than the other brothers. Ivan, from Fyodor's second wife, is an atheist and seems more balanced than the others. Alyosha or Alexei, also from Fyodor's second wife, is a devout monk but is unable to change or influence his brothers. And finally, his illegitimate son, Smerdyakov.
In this novel, there is an exciting exchange of dialogues between the characters in the story, including the following paragraph, which is helpful for this article:
"...a person who lies to himself and believes in his lies comes to a point where he cannot recognize the truth in himself or around him. Therefore, he loses respect for himself and others..."
(Excerpt from the novel)
Some literary critics believe that Dostoyevsky revealed a part of his personality in this novel during his lifetime. In any case, the characters in this novel range from naive faith to unbridled atheism to all kinds of evil. However, our main concern in briefly introducing this novel is reconciling these characteristics with the present events.
The Psychology of the Sisters of Horror [3]
These radical sisters, both in Iran under the current regime and earlier under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, have similar characteristics that appear in two more or less different forms. However, both have constant harmful psychological codes that directly affect their way of thinking and determine their social behavior. Some of these behavioral traits are:
1- They are markedly inflexible in their views.
2- The dogmas [4] embedded in these people's psyche [5] prevent the penetration of other opinions like a thick barrier. In other words: Their thinking is one-track, so they have a very one-sided extremist worldview.
3- They are very violent because these fanatical beliefs have robbed them of all tenderness, affection, and flexibility.
4- They are very idealistic, and their idealism makes their thoughts go only in the direction they have set from the beginning, only in this one-way street of their thinking. So, they are ready to commit a series of violent acts that can range from street fights against young girls to torturing and murdering these women.
I believe that the dogmatic and radical hijab bans [6] in Iran suffer from the same mental viruses as their comrades under the Khmer Rouge [7].
A Hijan Ban is called "Sister of Terror" [8] by many Iranians, but we will call her "Sister" in this article. Such a woman does not use perfume because she considers it a violation of religion. She covers her entire hair and body with a veil of dead colors, such as black and gray. In her lexicon, smiling is an example of promiscuity, and music is also considered haram [9]. She sees herself as an angel who has to guide apostate women to the right path, if necessary, with apparent violence! Into the same dogmatic one-way street of their thinking.
In their minds, the sisters constantly accuse women who do not believe in the hijab obligation and pass the worst judgments on them. So it happens that in the necessary moments, i.e., on the street when they meet young girls without hijab, this way of thinking, which after years has turned into psychological leprosy, jumps out like the giant from the magic lamp and forces these sisters to commit acts of violence.
In this conflict, the first system to become ineffective is the conscience. Because the dogmas anchored in the psyche prevent this system from manifesting itself. That is why the sisters force the girl, who is not wearing a headscarf, into the van. And when she refuses to enter the van, these sisters become violent [10] - a tense moment!
In the struggle against the poor girl, part of her dress is torn or pulled up, and the feminine angles of her body become visible to the audience.
It
really is a great situation! If one of the sisters doesn't manage to
throw the girl into the minibus alone, that's no problem at all. Because
one of Karamazov's brothers, probably Alyosha, is there. He is ready to
grab the girl by the head and legs and throw her into the minibus by
force, touching her female parts again and again - what a brilliant
twist!
Afterward, the Karamazov Brothers and the Horror Sisters are overjoyed to have saved Islam, which was endangered by this girl's hair! Then, they euphorically drive the dangerous criminal girl to an unknown destination. What a happy ending!
Iraj Mirza [11], one of Iran's most famous poets, writes in a verse of his critical poem against religious radicalism:
“… After the Sharia of Islam was saved, they went home and rested.”
In this poem, he criticizes one of these conservative religious reactions. The poem tells how one of these religious extremists sees a plaster statue of a naked woman on the facade of a building, angrily informs his fellow believers, destroys the statue with their help, and then they all go home reassured because they have saved Islam!
An old Iranian proverb says:
“Do not burn Caesarea for a piece of handkerchief.”
Anyway, these sisters are not the type to stay home and relax. Such a sister is never calm and rested because, in every corner, she sees a girl without a headscarf, destroying religion and weakening its foundations. She is sure that God has entrusted her with an important task to protect God and His instructions! just like the angels of the galaxies! What an honor!
But there is one thing we must never forget: These sisters and even the brothers mentioned above are victims themselves. These people are, unfortunately, victims of false religious thinking that leads to violent reactions against those who think differently. Thinking that is full of extreme dogmas of all kinds and that represents a narrow-minded, selfish, short-sighted, extreme, violent, and cruel God.
I find such a way of thinking very unfortunate because, in my opinion, it is a kind of mental leprosy that destroys healthy thinking.
The sisters we are talking about used to have the same natural and normal feelings as their current victims due to natural factors and laws. However, the victims were subjected to rigid religious orthodoxy by their families as children. The fear of going to hell after death and being confronted with all kinds of snakes and scorpions!! [12] and the need to survive in a highly radicalized Islamic society forced these ideological victims to accept the way of life that had been transmitted to them by their families and that had psychologically shaped them as the best and most divine. This way of life ultimately led them to become what they are today.
This process explained above gradually becomes a dogma and darkens the psyche of those affected so that they, unfortunately, see all people with a different lifestyle as enemies, which is, of course, an enormous lie. Now imagine what can happen when such sisters and brothers have the authority to act! This brings to mind Dostoyevsky's sentence from the story "The Brothers Karamazov," which reads:
"...a person who lies to himself and believes in his lies comes to a point where he cannot recognize the truth in himself or around him. Therefore, he loses respect for himself and others..."
(Excerpt from the novel)
However, each of the extremist sisters mentioned here still harbors a small desire in the still-bright corners of her psyche for a life free of unnecessary and unfounded religious constraints. Still, this desire is like a candle with a short and weak flame. For this flame not to turn into an awakening fire, these extreme sisters necessarily have to take the price of this inner conflict from the young victims of the streets and markets.
In the simple language of psychology, the thought arises in their minds:
“Since I can't live free from the shackles of bondage, I won't let you live that way either.”
Man - a God-like Being
The first paragraph of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany reads as follows:
Article I
Section 1
"Human dignity is inviolable. It is the duty of all state authorities to respect and protect it."
There is a suspicion that this law may have been written under the influence of the thoughts of Immanuel Kant, the famous German philosopher of the 18th century. In fact, it can be said to be the most essential and central part of the German constitution.
It should be noted that humans are not only made up of their bodies but that their essence also includes other non-material aspects that can be summarized under the term human quantum dimension.
Humans differ from other living beings, such as animals, in their thinking and speaking abilities. This ability can be traced back to a particle, a fermion, such as the Higgs boson. In the AOG literature, this particle is also called the "divine particle". This particle is connected to the origin of creation, which gives human beings a divine value. The power of this particle is beyond the imagination of today's science. Therefore, to degrade man is to degrade the essence of man and the divine particle. One's worldview, lifestyle, Race, skin color, social relevance, and... do not influence the essence of man. As long as this particle exists, man is ascribed divine status.
For these reasons, it is an insult to the true God to insult the character of a girl or any other human being just because of a difference of opinion about how to dress and how to live. The truth is that the manifestation of the Absolute God is characterized by love, gentleness, and respect for the rights of others.
It should be noted that hijab control is an extreme form of restriction that is accepted by those affected for various reasons, such as false beliefs or the prospect of financial gain. In this context, the question arises to what extent participation in this measure is compatible with the principles of humanity and whether the practice of this activity, considered extremely abhorrent, can be ethically justified as a profession.
At this point, it should be noted that:
"According to the eternal law of "action and reaction," one day, in another place and a similar environment, you will meet people who will do to you what you have done to these innocent girls whose only weapon is resistance to get into this van. This will happen to you in any case, in this life, in the afterlife, or another earthly life, not out of malice, but so that you understand in depth what you have done to these women who had a different lifestyle.”
Experience through personal observation
It must have been about forty years ago that I was doing my compulsory military service as a soldier in the Iranian Air Force. One day, I was waiting on the side of the road for a taxi to take me to the garrison. Right in front of me, on the other side of the street, a woman was waiting for a taxi or a bus with her five- or six-year-old daughter. The child was impatient and kept trying to separate her hand from her mother's. The woman looked confused and worried, and in this delicate situation, her Chador fell from her head to her shoulders, and the headscarf underneath slipped back over her head. Suddenly, a Toyota belonging to the Sarullah Patrol [13] pulled up next to the unfortunate mother and her child. Three Revolutionary Guards [14] got out and started a discussion with the woman about her hijab.
On the one hand, the woman tried to correct her hijab; on the other hand, she tried not to let go of the crying child's hand during the heated discussion with the men. In this confusion, her Chador [15] fell entirely to the ground, and the headscarf under it also slipped over her shoulder. Of course, this did not please the Karamazov brothers! [16] and the argument with the woman escalated.
From this side of the broad street, I could only hear a few words of the argument occasionally. It seemed that neither side had any intention of giving up. Suddenly, the conflict went beyond rhetoric and took on a hateful form. Two of the armed men tried to push the woman into the patrol car, and when they met resistance from the woman, whose hand was now separated from that of the crying little girl, the third man intervened and pushed the poor woman upside down into the car.
The result of this inhumane act was that the woman's skirt slipped down, and her underwear became fully visible to the onlookers.
Now the question arises:
"If we look at this bitter comedy according to your standards and criteria, which scene is more heinous? A few strands of hair sticking out of the headscarf or the violent exposure of the poor woman's female parts?"
And all this without taking into account the atrocities inflicted on this woman and this child, which will be remembered forever.
Friendly advice:
"My dear brothers and sisters, before it is too late, one night before you go to bed, think about what kind of God you believe in, a harsh and narrow-minded God who is worse than the devil or a true and merciful God? A God who respects the rights of all people and doesn't care what color, creed, religion, or lifestyle people have".
Time for Comprehensive Law Reform
In my opinion, this is the last chance for Islamic jurists who are independent of the government, with a bit of courage and in an assembly of progressive ayatollahs, to correct the falsified hadiths [17], of which there are many. The revision of Shiite jurisprudence must begin with identifying the thousands of forged hadiths added to other forgeries in the last four decades alone.
A famous Shiite jurist, the late Majlisi [18], examined almost all the hadiths that existed in his time and extracted and recorded thousands of them as forged hadiths.
It should be noted that the current policy of the Islamic government in Iran will lead to an intensification of the anti-religious process unless rational and democratic measures are taken against it in time.
Therefore, we would like to encourage you to work on a fundamental revision of your religion. It should be noted that there is a possibility that your religion may cease to exist in the near future, and even respect for it may be lost.
In this regard, we would like to remind you, the Shiite Ayatollahs, of your great responsibility. It is high time to feel the wind of change.
Thank you for your attention
Faramarz Tabesh
Germany- 18.08.2024
German Version (AOG)
Persian Version (AOG)
Notes:
[1] Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, a Russian writer, was born in Moscow on November 11, 1821, and died in St. Petersburg on February 9, 1881.
[2] The novel "The Brothers Karamazov" is in four parts with an epilogue and is the last work of the Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, published in 1879/80, one year before the author's death.
[3] This refers to the women who work for the Islamic government in Iran as part of the so-called hijab ban. Their job is to control the practice of hijab among Iranian women. Documentaries published in the media show that this control is often accompanied by physical violence.
These women describe themselves as value-oriented and followers of Islamic jurisprudence fundamentalism and radical values. However, most Iranians use the term "Sisters of Terror" to refer to these women. In this article, these women will be called “sisters.”
[4] For the AOG, the term "spirit" is not valid, so we will use the terms "psyche" or "soul" as appropriate. Both terms have been interpreted extensively in the AOG.
[5] The term "dogma" generally refers to a statement or point of view accepted by a group of people and is non-negotiable or uncontroversial. In simple terms, it can be said to be an irrefutable, fundamental belief. (F. Tabesh-AOG)
[6] See note [3].
[7] Khmer Rouge was the name given to the Communist Party of Kampuchea, which came to power in Cambodia in 1975 under Pol Pot and ruled the country as a totalitarian state party until 1979. According to existing documents, this regime murdered millions of people.
[8] The Sisters of Terror.
[9] Haram in Islam refers to that which, according to the Sharīʿa, is inviolable, untouchable, unholy, or cursed and therefore forbidden. In fact, it is a set of dogmas.
[10] Human rights organizations have produced documents showing that these radical Islamic women, working as hijab ban (ban: protectors) for the Islamic State in Iran, have repeatedly killed Iranian girls who resisted the hijab compulsion. Mahsa Amini, Nika Shah Karmi, and, most recently, Arzoo Badri are just three of the most prominent victims.
The Mahsa Act is a bill introduced by Jim Banks, a Republican U.S. House of Representatives member, supporting the 1401 protests in Iran. On September 12, 2023, the eve of the anniversary of Mehsa Amini's death, the House of Representatives voted 410 to three in favor of the bill. (https://banks.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2268 )
BBC World announced in an in-depth report on Monday that it had obtained documents showing that Nika Shakrami, a 16-year-old Iranian protester, was sexually assaulted and killed by government agents (Pasdaran Guards) during the nationwide protests in Iran in the fall of 1401. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68840881 )
The most recent case reported in the Persian media involves a young woman named Arzoo Badri, who was shot by police for not wearing an Islamic hijab. The young woman is dying in hospital. (Kayhan London Report, August 14, 2024)
[11] IRAJ MIRZĀ, JALĀL-AL-MAMĀLEK, a crucial Persian poet and satirist of the early 20th century and one of the most famous poets of the late Kajar period (b. Tabriz, Ramaẓān 1291/Oct. 1874; d. Tehran, 27 Ša-ʿbān 1344/12 March 1926).
[12] According to some Islamic hadiths, there are the worst snakes and scorpions in hell, which sting the guilty endlessly!
[13] Since the beginning of the revolution in Iran in 1979, the Islamic government has provided the revolutionary forces with Toyota patrols. These are called Revolutionary Guards; they patrol the cities and hunt down opposition members.
[14] The Persian name for these forces is "Pasdar".
[15] A chador is a full-body-length semicircle of fabric that is open down the front.
[16] This refers to the revolutionary guards, the Pasdaran. They are compared here to the Karamazov brothers.
[17] The term "hadith" refers to the tradition of sayings and actions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as sayings and actions of third parties that he is said to have tacitly approved.
[18] Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (1037-1110 AD), known as Allameh Majlisi and Majlisi Sani, was a Shia Akhbari jurist from the time of the rulers Shah Suleiman and Shah Sultan Hossein Safavi and the author of Bihar al-Anwar. He was the first scholar to write predominantly in Persian, filling a gap between the language of the jurists and the masses. His influence on Iranian society was, therefore, considerable. Majlisi is believed to have significantly contributed to uncovering the truth by identifying thousands of forged hadiths.
Faramarz Tabesh
Code of the article in the research institute:
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