IRAN: Lawmakers shelve proposed legal amendments said to restrict women's rights

A rare victory was won by Iranian moderates Monday. The legislature opted to shelve a controversial set of proposals that activists said would have further restricted women's rights. 

According to a report by the Iranian Labor News Agency, Iran's parliament has decided to send three articles of the family law bill back into committee for additional study. 

"According to the notification of the lawmakers and in consultation with the judiciary branch, seemingly the articles 22, 23 and 24 contain some Islamic shortcomings," said parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, according to the news agency. "Therefore, they will be returned to legal and judiciary commission to be corrected."

Parliament pulled a similar move to effectively kill the proposed changes to restrict women's rights in child birth, marriage and inheritance last year. Reformists, battered by hardliners who have the upper hand in the political establishment, relished the rare, if modest, victory.

"Now it is proven that the lobbying of former female lawmakers in parliament was successful and that the reformist [members of parliament] are still influential, even if they are no longer in parliament," Mozhgan Faraji, an Iranian journalist covering the debates on the floor of parliament, told Babylon & Beyond.

-- Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran

Comments

[sam]

burkha/burqa/burka.
loose body cover removed at home the face was kept covered,so that eye contact could not lead to other things,due to the fact that the face is most viewed,ARAB/PERSIAN(BEFORE ISLAM) and by todays standards is viewed as a restriction on women, i understand that some women do enjoy wearing them as they can move around un-hampered,but again by todays standards of course women wish to have a choice,but i doubt radical islam or the old brigade will be happy at their women geing able to choose,and of course what would happen if women were to stop wearing this garment,what would the men wear when planting their bombs.
STEVE.if you were a woman its doubtful you would be able to leave,also take care what you wish for as you may end up with hundreds on your door step,then you will find out another reason a lot of women wear them until they are married,or you could rearly be out of luck and end up with a bunch of men,full metal jacket and ready for action.
MISS MARPLE. it sounds like you have a foot thing?
thank you.

[MissMarple]

These Iranian men who run the country are such cowards. They enslave women, because they can. They are bullies. They are not worthy of kissing the feet of any woman.

[steve turner]

Cant anyone see that these men only want to control every aspect of their womens lives. This is slavery plain and simple. Are they so afraid their wives will cheat on them when they're not around. WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSERS. Hiding their women behind veils and burqas is funny. How utterly insecure. What person came up with this. If I was a woman I would leave. In fact I urge All Islamic women to come to the US and we will appreciate your beauty no matter who you are.