The Silent Revolution: Searching for a Voice

Michael W. LoiaconoPR History and the Modern WorldProfessor Rick Batyko, APR, Fellow PRSAFebruary 2014

ABSTRACT

The Silent Revolution: Searching for a Voice

Throughout Iranian history women have been at the forefront of every revolution as a

driving force for change. Iranian women used this collective force to push for equality

with limited success up to 1979. The women’s rights movement in the Islamic Republic

of Iran experienced significant setbacks since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In order to

fuel this discrimination against women the clerics have used male-dominated translations

of the Quran as a basis for its hard-liner stance against women. The successes and

failures of the Iranian women’s rights movement of the last decade is a key contributing

factor to the future progress of this movement. With the advent of new technology

activists can reach audiences that were unattainable a decade ago. I believe that if the

women’s rights movement can learn from its history it will be able to develop a

comprehensive plan to achieve equality.

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INTRODUCTION

Oppression can take on many forms. Throughout history, many groups have experienced

oppression and discrimination at the hands of the dominant class of society. Iranian

women have fought this oppression and discrimination for decades. Iranian women are

accustomed to being ignored by the male-dominated society of Iran. Since the early

1900s they have participated in secret societies where they could discuss issues affecting

them openly. Two of the most influential secret societies for Iranian women were

Anjoman-e Azaadi-ye Zanann (the Women’s Freedom Society) and Anjoman-e Zanann-e

Neqaabpusb (the Society of Masked Women). These societies were instrumental in

fighting for the right of women in Iran to vote. Activism is about the strategic use of

tools of change: “person-to-person organizing, employment of mass media, economic

pressuring, public actions, skilled oratory, legal weaponry, quiet persuasion, education,

steady vigilance and even prayer.”1

Throughout the twentieth century they made small advancements, slowly and

silently. Iranian women used effective public relations campaigns and marketing to

silently push their agenda forward. The women realized that in order to harness this

silent power they must gain the support of key members of society.2 Under the Pahlavi

era women were allowed to attend university and take courses predominantly reserved for

men, they could vote and run for office, they could unveil and not wear the hijab, the age

of consent for a woman was raised from 13 to 18, and women were allowed to contest a

husband’s right to divorce. The Iranian government, under the Pahlavi leadership,

1 Tricia L Hansen-Horn. and Bonita Dostal Neff. Public Relations: From Theory to Practice. MA: Allyn and Bacon, 3.

2 Ibid, 6.

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established the High Council of Iranian Women’s Association, which was used as a

collective organization for women’s groups to meet. Although women were not treated

as equals to Iranian men they were making great strides at reaching this goal.

However, the Iranian women’s rights movement experienced significant setbacks

after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The new theocracy systematically rolled back five

decades of progress in women’s rights.3 Almost overnight women lost all the

advancements they made under the Pahlavi era.

It is important to understand what was lost, the struggle to achieve it, and the

importance of history so the Iranian women’s rights movement can push forward and

achieve their goals. For the third time in the history of the Iranian women’s movement,

Iranian women participated and contributed to the process of political change. 4

Unfortunately this time they were not united and made hasty decisions that cost them

many freedoms. The Islamic clerics that rule Iran use the power of public relations to

maintain order and to justify systematic abuse against women by translating verses from

the Quran as the foundation for Sharia law. Every time the law tends to fold in on itself

and become legalistic, or when it is concerned more with formal legality or legitimization

and rectitude than with justice, deconstruction is needed.5

Islamic law in Iran is a flawed system supported by secular theory that is derived

from male dominated translations of sacred texts and the Quran. It is not the Quran that

3 Haleh Esfandiari, “The Women’s Movement in Iran.” Wilson Center Middle East Program. Last modified August 24, 2012, http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-womens-movement-iran

4 Ali Akbar Mahdi, “Iranian Women Movement A Century Long Struggle.” The Muslim World 94, Oct (2004), 435.

5 Thomas J. Mickey, Deconstructing Public Relations: Public Relations Criticism Mahwah, New Jersey London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003, 2.

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teaches us that as long as a maiden lives in the house of her father she has to be ruled by

one who has authority on her body.6 The Quran teaches that women and men are equal,

created from the same origin.

THE SILENT STRANGULATION

Throughout the last decade the Iranian women’s rights movement has operated in

two distinctive groups, secular and non-secular. Prior to early 2001 these two groups

operated in great solidarity to each other. Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Peace Prize Laureate, calls

this time an era of great silence. Ebadi believes, “Silence is strangulation to peace. This

silence is like that heard throughout a graveyard.”7 No leader has stepped forward to help

the Iranian Women’s rights movement consolidate into a powerful force. The lack of

leadership has kept the message of the activists from reaching their target audience.

Public relations practitioners believe that shifts in perceptions of relationships bring about

simultaneous shifts in worldview and needs, just as shifts in perceptions of needs bring

about corresponding shifts in relationships and worldview.8 The message must remain

relevant to be heard.

Mahbubeh Ummi, editor of Farzaneh, said, “Although secular women do not

share our convictions, we can collaborate because we all work to promote women’s

status. We have realized that our sectarian views of the first post-revolutionary years led

to isolation of many competent seculars, which was to the detriment of all women.”9 The

6 A. Nooruddin, (translator). The Holy Qur’an. Delaware: Noor Foundation International Inc, 2003. 41-A.

7 Shirin Ebadi, “Iran Awakening: Human Rights Women and Islam.” Presentation at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, September 7, 2006.

8 Tricia L Hansen-Horn. and Bonita Dostal Neff. Public Relations: From Theory to Practice. MA: Allyn and Bacon, 233.9 Milad Pournick, “Civil Society Organizations and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Iran.” Institute for Global and International Studies May (2013): 1-50

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combined voices of secular and non-secular women were clearly evident in the last

presidential election where women united to vote in a more moderate candidate. Through

this process of unification women were able to see the power they harnessed as a group.

The women’s rights movement in Iran continues to be disjointed, and without the

mesmerizing protests we are accustomed to seeing on social media. Theorists call this

the power of presence. Iran’s women activism is defined by “the collective presence not

collective protest.”10 To be successful the women of Iran must be proactive to

accomplish their goals of equality. Historically we can trace effective change back to the

early 1900s when they formed secret societies to utilize the mass media of the time, print

magazines and newspapers.

FINDING A VOICE

The theocracy of Iran believes that the intellectual interpretation and innovation

known as ijtihad can only be practiced by male clerics to debate the meaning and

teachings of the Quran. Ijtihad allows a cleric to debate the meaning of passages in the

Quran and apply those to modern times. This does not mean that Islam and equal rights

for women are incompatible: it means that invoking Islam in a theocracy refracts the

religion through a kaleidoscope, with interpretations perpetually shifting and mingling

and the vantage of the most powerful prevailing.11 Shirin Ebadi is a strong advocate for

Iranian women, but she is not in Iran and she cannot act as a leader for this group. It is

because of absent leaders forced away from the public forum that the The Iranian

Women’s Rights movement is grappling to find support and direction.

10 Ibid, 11.

11 Shirin Ebadi. Iran awakening. New York: The Random House Publication Group, 2007. 83.

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It is a social movement that is lacking the basic structure of social movements to

be effective. It requires clearly defined goals, direction, leadership, organization and a

collaborative effort of all women. Essentially, the women of Iran must unite their

activities and resources to push forward one message.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

The Kurdish men in the region are hearing Iranian women’s cries for support and

help. In April of 2013 the campaign called Kurd Men for Equality proudly featured men

swathed in the colorful garb traditional among Kurdish women.12 The campaign has

received over 20,000 likes and garnered international attention. The two men who

organized the campaign say it is a political move against the oppressive Iranian Regime.13

This is an ingenious

way to ensure your

message reaches your

target audience.

These men are not only

supporting the women’s

rights movement, they

are becoming a part of

it. They are making

their voices heard as they push for equal rights for all women.

12 Daisy Carrington. “Kurdish men in drag promote feminism in the region.” CNN.com. Last modified September 13, 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/11/world/meast/kurd-drag-campaign/

13 Ibid.

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Shirin Ebadi lends her voice to the One Million Signatures Campaign.

(http://www.we-change.org/english/) Rather than throw democracy on a nation through

cluster bombs we must support women in taking stronger initiatives to protect their

rights.14 Shirin Ebadi speaks vehemently that the improvement of human rights and

democracy in Iran rests on the shoulders of Iranians,

and not United States or NATO powers. As a Nobel

Peace Prize Laureate she is able to use the world stage

to bring the plight of Iranian women to more people.

She recognizes there is still a great deal of work to be done.

KEEPING THE VOICE ALIVE

History plays a critical role in the evolution and success of the Iranian Women’s

Rights movement. For decades women were successful in prompting change when they

united with one voice. They were heard by the ruling regime and changes were made. In

order to keep their message prevalent the women must unite under one leader, or a central

organization that can coordinate the efforts to push their message out.

An effective leader is needed. Someone who can get the knowledge they need

and forge an action plan that inspires others to act and accomplish the unified goal of the

organization.15 Iranian women must utilize all the tools available to carry their message

of equality. Effective tools would be YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, InstaGram and other

available social media. Images and messages are surfacing on social media that is

drawing attention to this cause. Social media allows you to take your message around the

world to multiple audiences.

14 Shirin Ebadi, “Iran Awakening: Human Rights Women and Islam.” Presentation at Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, September 7, 2006.15Peter F. Drucker “What makes an effective executive.” Harvard Business Review June (2004) 59-63

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Images are powerful; they can move people to act, inspire people to have hope,

and push for great change. Public relations practitioners

have an opportunity to become involved in international

public relations. In the United States we have enjoyed

the freedom of speech for many years. I believe that

public relations practitioners could help the Iranian

Women’s Rights movement unify itself and learn the

importance that its history will have on its future.

The rule of political Islam has contradicted the

realities of modern Iran by oppressing half of its society.

It has forced Islamic and secular women to join their

voices to redefine gender inequality, revitalize

modernity, and challenge the sanctity of theocracy that

governs them.

If the silent revolution can stay unified and practice

the fundamentals of public relations, they have a good chance

to define their future. Iranian women must speak with one

voice that conveys one message. The importance of history

provides the Iranian women with an opportunity to learn

from past achievements and failures.

Bibliography

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Carrington, Daisy. “Kurdish men in drag promote feminism in the region.” CNN.com. Last modified September 13, 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/11/world/meast/kurd-drag-campaign/

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Ebadi, Shirin. Iran awakening. New York: The Random House Publication Group, 2007.

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