Hijab provides security for women
Islam has obligated women to observe modest dressing (hijab). Hijab is a means of providing security: by observing hijab, Muslim women provide security both for themselves and for Muslim men. Wherever hijab is taken away from women, wherever they push women towards bareness and nudity, security is taken away primarily from women and secondarily from men and the youth. To preserve a healthy and secure environment wherein women can pursue their tasks and men can carry out their responsibilities, Islam has set hijab as an obligation: hijab is an outstanding obligation by Islam and its advantages are as I described. [ March 10, 1997]
Hijab does not mean isolating women
Hijab does not intend to marginalize women. If someone has such an understanding of Hijab, it's completely wrong and offset. Hijab means preventing unrestrained mingling between men and women in the society. Unrestrained mingling is harmful to the society and the individuals, especially women. Hijab is not an obstacle in the way of political, social, or scientific activities. You represent a clear evidence. Some might have been surprised and are still surprised today that a woman at the highest scientific or academic level in any field follows Islamic teachings including Hijab. This was not acceptable for some and they could not imagine it. [Jan 16, 1990]
The West, the Zionists and their media have attacked hijab with their propaganda
The entire western world and their media, and those moneygrubbing authors who are agents of the major global capitalists and Zionists, have united to ridicule the Islamic Republic. They launched a propaganda war on the question of Hijab to try to make us retreat. Despite their propaganda, the Islamic Iran and the Muslim women stayed committed to Hijab; they stayed true to the Islamic dignity of Muslim women and Islamic teachings about women, with strength, resolution, and a spirit of confidence and self-esteem. Today, it is the Western world that is gradually showing a tendency towards Islamic Hijab. You see that women and Muslims in different countries—in Muslim countries where Hijab was not practiced and they had been overwhelmed with Western teachings, but also in Western countries—are showing a tendency towards Hijab. Of course Muslims showed this tendency first, and we saw after the victory of the revolution that countries far from here—that were under the influence of and fascinated by Western culture—began to show a tendency towards Hijab and trying it as it is practiced by you Iranian women. [Jan 16, 1990]
Why is the West against hijab?
If we insist on hijab, it is because practicing hijab helps the woman reach the high spiritual position she deserves, and avoid the very slithery slips on her path toward exaltation. The binary opposite of this view is the Byzantine culture that reigns over Europe today. They tolerate everything except for a couple of matters; one of which, and maybe the most important, being setting a protective space between the two genders; that is self-control as opposed to sexual freedom. They strongly oppose this; whereas they are tolerant of all other matters. They believe those who emphasize on separating men and women are reactionary. They assume if the women are separated from men in a country by placing some sorts of restrictions, this is against civilization! They are right: their own civilization which was built on the ruins of the Byzantine civilization is not different. However, this belief is against values: the opposite [of the belief in the mingling of the sexes] is appropriate. [Dec 25, 1991]
Hijab does not prevent cooperation between men and women
In the Islamic school of thought, there is a sheltering and veiling space between men and women. This does not mean that women live in a separate world from that of men; no, men and women live together in the society, in their working environments—they interact with one another everywhere, they cooperate to resolve social problems, they work together to manage affairs in the battlefields and they work together to manage family affairs and raise children. However, outside the home and outside the family environment, this protective distance and this shielding space is certainly preserved. This is the main point in the Islamic model. If this is not observed, the society will be afflicted with the same depravity that the West is plagued with today. If this point is not observed, women will be left behind in heading towards the values—the case of which [women pioneering in moving towards values] has been witnessed in the Islamic Iran. [Nov 13, 1991]
Islam cares about the family
Islam values family. Today all the West’s squabbles and propaganda fusses against Muslims is over the issue of family. Look how frantic they get over the issue of hijab! If hijab is observed inside the Islamic Republic, they try to demonize it. If it is observed at universities in Arab countries—where young female students have chosen out of their own will, awareness and desire to wear hijab—they react hysterically. If it is observed among political parties, again they react hysterically. If hijab is practiced at their own schools, even primary schools, in their own country—even though the schools run under their authority—they get frantic about it. Hence, this is the point of conflict. [Oct 12, 1994]
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