Zainab Nadaali, journalist
This time the Hussainiyah belongs entirely to us women. Even the portraits of martyrs on the walls feature women. It’s not my first time in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, but it is undoubtedly the sweetest. It feels as if the host has used all his care and taste for these dear guests. Everything today carries a scent of tenderness; the pillars are decorated with fresh flowers, and on a large banner, in bold script, a saying of the Prophet (pbuh) reminds us of the value of women: “The best of you is the one who behaves best toward his wife.”
Soon the hall fills with women from various cities and countries. To me, the blue carpets of the Hussainiyah are not just simple flooring; they resemble a small map of the world that brings together people of different religions, languages, and ethnicities.
So I’m not surprised when I hear that invitations for this ceremony even reached the tents of nomadic tribes along the border. Golamek smiles as she recounts her long journey: “We are nomads from Golestan. We were in our winter pasture when they told us we are special guests of the Leader.”
The more I walk among the crowd, the clearer the Leader’s paternal planning becomes, like a father who knows exactly how to gather all his daughters under one roof.
When love for Islamic Republic found a place in a critic’s heart
The anxious voice of Fatemeh catches my attention: “Do you think the Leader will come?!” She is a nurse who has come from Semnan with her seven-month-old son. Her appearance stands out, red nails and strands of hair visible from beneath her scarf become a natural opening for conversation.
“For years I was estranged from the system and a harsh critic. But now I’ve come all the way from Semnan just to see the Leader. The True Promise 1 Operation changed my perspective. I realized our country stands powerfully against oppression and that we have good officials.”
Her tone grows more serious: “People like me were never hostile, we were just estranged. Enemy media spent years teaching us lies and hatred toward the Islamic Republic. That’s what caused the estrangement. But once I pursued the truth, love for the Islamic Republic settled in my heart. Now, in the health sector, I’m involved in jihad of clarification to spread awareness.”
She calms baby Ali on her shoulder and asks again, “Do you think he will come?” The woman beside her replies, “Don’t worry, he definitely will. The Leader always shows special respect to his guests, especially women.”
From England to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah
Guests glance anxiously at the clock, and I, too, share this sweet tension. A wave of movement places me next to Zainab, an English girl studying in Iran who, following the Leader’s advice, works to preserve the memories of martyrs. Together with her husband she translates and publishes these memoirs in English and now has readers across the world.
In her sweet Persian she says she is not alone today:
“When my family and friends in England heard I was going to meet the Leader, they were filled with longing, how they wished they could be here. After the twelve-day war, many Christian youth in my country became devoted supporters of Imam Khamenei to the point that they keep his photo and follow his speeches.
My presence here made my friends feel even more affection toward him. They were impressed to see how highly women are regarded by the Leader and how nationality has no impact on the respect he shows.”
A thousand women and one answer to Tel Aviv
My conversation shifts from Zainab to the seats nearby. This time Latifa, an Indonesian student living in Iran, adds another piece to this global affection:
“It amazed our people. While the Middle East is tense and the world worries about another Israeli attack on Iran, Iranian women gather here in complete security, and the Leader, despite countless responsibilities, sets aside special time and respect for women.”
We all laugh. My laughter, Latifa’s, Zainab’s, and that of the women around us are an unspoken answer to the enemy’s exaggerations. What about these people or this atmosphere resembles a country under threat of war? Brick by brick, this Hussainiyah smells of security, a fragrance that, by the Leader’s presence and prudence, is felt not just here, but throughout Iran.
Special newborns and the generation to come
The ceremony begins with Qur’an recitation and speeches by prominent women, but my mind remains on the stories of the guests. Each has answered the call in her own way: Zainab brings the martyrs’ stories to the West, Fatemeh, with her unconventional appearance, practices the jihad of clarification, and Niloufar, with her five children, is waging the jihad of childbirth.
Niloufar’s children play among the guests and no one stops them. The warm atmosphere feels like a father’s home. In her soft southern accent she says:
“When the Leader emphasized having children, I understood it as a direct instruction. Despite economic and cultural pressures, I felt obligated to follow it.”
After the birth of her fourth child, Niloufar formed a small group with mothers in her family and neighborhood to offer support, sharing experience, recommending midwives, giving financial help, and removing economic obstacles. Now almost every month, a new baby is born in their circle, special babies, as she calls them.
Seeing my surprise, she explains:
“These children are born in response to their Leader’s call. And how could children born with such a sacred purpose not one day become soldiers of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance)?!”
The Leader and the command to say “I love you”
When the Leader speaks about women’s rights, he gives a beautiful and precise description of the woman’s position, one that outshines many global feminist slogans:
“Justice in society and justice at home, this is a woman’s first right and must be ensured.”
“The dignity of women must be preserved. Malicious capitalism tramples women’s dignity.”
“A woman’s rights must be protected and there must be no discrimination—yet today, women in Western countries still earn less than men…”
His subtle and penetrating perspective delights me and many of the women present. No right of women is absent from his words—not even the right to affection and to hearing the phrase “I love you”:
“In the home, the most important right of a woman—the lady of the house—is affection. We have narrations instructing men to tell their wives: ‘I love you.’ A woman in the home is a flower. She is not a servant, but a rayḥāna, a delicate blossom.”
He calls women flowers, but does not see them as weak; rather, he describes them as the true managers of the household:
“The management of the home lies with women. The man may have a fixed income while prices rise, yet the household still runs; meals are prepared—who makes this happen? What artistry keeps this management in motion?”
A pink-tinted gathering in gray days
The sweetness of the Leader’s words sinks so deeply into me that I do not notice when the ceremony ends. For several minutes we simply watch him leave and bid him farewell with chants. I already miss the moments that passed. I wish I had once sat in the front rows to feel these moments with my whole being. But every daughter has a mission. I, too, am the Leader’s soldier in the battlefield of narratives. I had to come and record this day so that it would remain on the pages of time:
In the midst of the dark days of the region, the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, as always, was a sea of light. And under the Leader’s calming presence, we breathed a peace that history will not easily forget.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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