I was fortunate to be a participant from India at the World Conference on Women and Islamic Awakening
in Teheran, recently. While the goal of the Conference was to exchange social, cultural and scientific
experiences, it was positively heartening to witness an amazing number of courageous revolutionary women
speaking about the struggles in their countries for reviving their own identities.
The World Conference on Women and Islamic Awakening was organised in Teheran, Iran, at Milad Towers, one of the four highest towers in the world from 8th to 12th July 2012 in which 1200 eminent Muslim women from 84 countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Canada, USA, Argentina, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India, and 250 local Iranian women participated. The goals of the conference were to unite Muslims across the world, and to exchange cultural, social and scientific experiences. In the opening ceremony, Ahmedi Nejad, President of Iran, addressed the gathering. He said that the current world order and the global governing system are in dire need of basic changes because the international community cannot cope up with the paralysis in administration of the global affairs. “So Islamic Awakening is the most original ground for basic changes in the world order. Women play a significant and a more enduring role than men in social development. Iranian society is a living example of this phenomenon,” he said. Contrary to what some people imagine, he opined, that people in the United States and Europe are living under the most dangerous form of dictatorship, as a bunch of corrupt Zionist capitalists are ruling America and other nations. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei too, addressed gathering. He said that Iran not only stands by the Palestinian nation, but also supports all the awakened and revolutionary nations of the world. “Today, Iran is 100 times more powerful than 30 years ago, despite western nations imposing sanctions on it, since the victory of the Islamic Revolution,” he said. In his view, the sweeping tide of Islamic Awakening is a unique and amazing movement and it is going to change the current course of history . He praised the revolutions in North Africa and Arab states. He urged Muslim women from all over the world to revive their independent identities. He criticized West’s centurylong attempts to move Muslim women away from their Islamic identity and reiterated that the efforts by leading women of the Muslim world to revive this identity is the greatest service to the Muslim world. There were six sessions in which presentations were made by women from across the world. Islamic Perspective, Islamic awakening, Potential of Women and Revolutionary Acts, Women and the Islamic Awakening “ Opportunities, Risks and Methods, Women and Islamic Awakening “ Experiences, Achievement and Demands, Women and Islamic Awakening – Interactions and International communications, Women and Islamic Awakening “ Family and Exploring the Potential of a evolutionary Person and Women and Islamic Awakening “ Outlook and Future developments were some of the topics. A striking feature of the conference was that the women involved in the struggle of Islamic Awakening in North Africa, Arab World and other nations, prominently participated in this conference. Khansa, who lost her husband and five sons-inlaw in the liberation struggle in Palestine, Dr. Nazla and MonaAhmed, revolutionary women from Egypt, Huria Mohammed, political and religious activist from emen, Dr. Azeezi, a Libyan revolutionary woman, mother of Ali Shafi, the revolutionary, martyred in Bahrain, all of them spoke about the struggles in their countries. Ali Shafi’s mother said that in Bahrain, men, women and children, all were struggling for democracy. “The brutal rulers of Bahrain, by using internationally forbidden weapons, are trying to suppress the movement,” she stated. Mrs. Azheri, wife of jailed leader of Islam Party in Azerbaijan ( a former Soviet Republic) revealed to the delegates that there are many Mujahids in Azerbaijan. Ms. Maria, wife of a Mujahid diplomat kidnapped by the Zionist regime, spoke that the media is against Muslims and how some Muslim governments do not respect basic human rights in their countries. In the closing ceremony, Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati, Secretary General of the World Assembly for Islamic Awakening, Chief Organizer of the Conference (and previous Foreign Minister) spoke about net-working of Muslim women all over the world to fulfill the ultimate goal of achieving dignity for every one, irrespective of color and creed through Islamic Awakening. On the sidelights of the conference, a scientific and cultural exhibition at Milad Towers showcased the progress of Iran over the last 30 years.
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