Annotated Bibliography:
Keith, Leslie. "The Islamic Government in Iran Restricts Women's Rights." The
Iranian Revolution, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012, pp.
50-54. Perspectives on Modern World History. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX4186800015/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=G
VRL&xid=7ec7472f. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
This book details information on the new women's dress code imposed by Khomeini a year after the Iranian Revolution. It specifically goes into detail about forcing women to wear the hijab or a chador, and the imprisonment of women who protested this new rule. It also details how female workers in the Iranian government could be fired from their position if they decided not to wear a hijab or a chador. Many accounts from middle class women are included in this book and these women discuss how they feel wearing the hijab is a sign of oppression. This source is useful because it helps to provide more details to support the argument that women in Iran have been through significantly more mistreatment and inequality after the Iranian revolution. This source is credible because it cites a long list of other books and articles that it got its information from.
"The Iranian Revolution." The Britannica Guide to Political Science and Social Movements That Changed the Modern World, edited by Heather M. Campbell, Britannica Educational Publishing with Rosen Educational Services, 2010, pp. 318-320. Turning Points in History. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX4034700155/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=de0e95c6. Accessed 2 Jan. 2018.
This book provides background information on the removal of the Shah by Khomeini and his supporters. This book describes the protests that took place against the Shah’s regime in what the Shah believed was a international conspiracy against him. It describes the Shah’s removal to the United States and how he tried to remain in control by telling people it was just a vacation. It then discusses how after the Shah fled Iran, Khomeini rose to power and set up the Islamic Republic, temporarily satisfying the needs of the people. This source is useful because it helps to explain why the Iranian revolution happened in the first place, and why this new world of change for women arose under Khomeini. This source is credible because it comes from an educational company, which has many researchers finding correct information on this topic.
Bobic, Michael P. "The Iranian Revolution: Islamic Fundamentalism Confronts
Modern Secularism." History Behind the Headlines: The Origins of Conflicts
Worldwide, edited by Sonia G. Benson, et al., vol. 2, Gale, 2001, pp. 132-140.
Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3410600063/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=8d8a9db4. Accessed 17 Dec. 2017.
This book provides historical background on Iran, such as its involvement in World War II and The 1953 coup, before the Iranian Revolution. It chronicles the Iranian people’s discontent with the current Shah (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) and mentions various leaders who came forward and created several anti-Shah factions. It also discusses how Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was the first person able to unite all the factions, signaling the start of the Revolution. Information is provided on the Khomeini regime and how it was based on primarily religious support and helped to change Islam from a monarchy to a theocracy. It also focused on gaining rights for the poor people of Iran, helping it grow in popularity. It documents Khomeini’s attacks on the government of Iran, his exile to France, and how his return to take control of Iran ensured that the Shah would never return. This source is useful because it helps to describe in more detail the change that occured from pre to post revolutionary Iran. This source is credible because it cites many other articles and books it used for fact checking purposes.
Farmaian, Sattareh Farman, and Dona Munker. "An Iranian Professor Describes
Her Ordeal during the Revolution." The Iranian Revolution, edited by Noah
Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012, pp. 145-156. Perspectives on Modern World
History. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX4186800027/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=d68faafc. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
This book is a first hand account of an Iranian school teacher named Khanom. Her story takes place merely days after Khomeini rose to power. A group of Khanom’s own students claimed that she was an imperialist and was trying to go against Khomeini’s regime. These students took her and three other coworkers to Khomeini to be executed, simply because she failed a boy named Ashari for unsatisfactory work, and he did not like her. What happened to Khanom helps to show the sheer distrust for women or people of any kind throughout Khomeini’s reign, and just how merciless and brutal of a leader he was for the Iranian people. This is useful because it helps to show the distrust and inferiority to men women faced after the Iranian Revolution. This source is credible because it comes from someone who lived at the same time the revolution took place, and this story was also backed up by many other witnesses.
Girgis, Monique. “Iranian Society: Women in Pre-Revolutionary, Revolutionary and
Post-Revolutionary Iran.” Iran Chamber Society, 2 Dec. 2010,
www.iranchamber.com/society/articles/women_prepost_revolutionary_iran1.php.
Accessed 16 Dec. 2017.
This article discusses the different changes that took place in pre-revolutionary Iran. It discusses how the Shah made efforts to modernize, or westernize Iran by doing things such as allow the unveiling of woman, create new rights for family matters (marriage, divorce, ect.), legalizing abortion, and increase the rate of education in women. Although these policies seemed good on the surface, the article explains that the extreme ways in which these policies were enforced, how quickly they were implemented, and the ulterior motives behind these new laws, caused most women in Iran not to support the Shah. The article credits these shortcomings as ultimately allowing for the Revolution, led by Khomeini, to take place. This is useful because it helps to support the drastic comparison between how good pre-revolutionary Iran was for woman, compared to the horrors women faced when Khomeini came into power. This source is credible because it was written during the time most of these abuses were taking place, and was checked and written by many other researchers.
"Human Rights Abuses in Shahist Iran." Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources, edited by Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner, et al., Gale, 2006, pp. 160-164. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2560000065/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=b216f4b3. Accessed 2 Jan. 2018.
This source is a book about some of the mistreatment that people endured during the Shah’s regime. It discusses the poor prison conditions which included tiny cells with in many cases, only straw to sleep on. In these prisons the worst form of punishment was solitary confinement, as torture was unlawful according to the Iranian Penal Code, enforced by the Shah (Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi). It then discusses how occasionally torture methods were used to obtain confessions, however these methods were far less severe than under Khomeini (when most prisoners faced death) as these methods included burning and whipping. This source is useful because it helps show the stark contrast between the few mistreatments that occurred under Pahlavi’s regime, versus the horrible things that happened on a much larger scale during the reign of Khomeini. This source is credible because it lists more than 30 other books that it got its information from.
Esfandiari, Haleh. “The Women's Movement.” The Iran Primer, The United States Institute of Peace, 6 Oct. 2010, iranprimer.usip.org/resource/womens-movement.
Accessed 27 Dec. 2017.
This article discusses the struggle of women to regain basic rights in post-revolutionary Iranian society. It first mentions the rights women were beginning to gain a few years before the revolution such as, the right to file for divorce, gain custody of children, vote, run for office (in parliament) and the minimum age for marriage was raised to eighteen. It then discusses how most progress made by women was reversed during the reign of Khomeini. Specifically it mentions how women were barred from certain professions and forced to take on “female jobs” such as nursing or teaching, however most daycares were forcibly closed and since it was the women’s responsibility to look after children, most could not have a job and take care of their families so they were forced to quit. It also discusses the repealment of the family protection law which meant a woman could no longer ask for a divorce or have custody of her own children, and man could divorce their wife whenever they wanted. It also talks about the new passing of the Islamic law of Retribution which introduced flogging and stoning as punishment for women who did not wear the hijab or had pieces of hair or skin visible from their hijab. This source is useful because it helps to describe the mistreatment of women under Khomeini’s reign. This source is credible because it comes from the United States Institute of Peace’s Iran department, which is solely dedicated to accurately reporting on the events that occur in Iran.
Graham, Laura. “Human Rights under the Khomeini Regime in Iran.” Cultural Survival, 1 Mar. 2013, www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/human-rights-under-khomeini-regime-iran. Accessed 28 Dec. 2017.
This article discusses some of the human rights violations occurring in Iran about five years after the revolution first took place. It first mentions the domestic crises occurring such as the unemployment rate rising to 30% in Iran, the devaluation of currency by almost ¼, and the price inflation of more than 100%. It then goes on to discuss the methods police used as punishment for people such as beating, whipping, burning, and starvation. It then goes on to discuss two first hand accounts of women in Iran, one about a woman who wore lipstick and was immediately pulled from the street to receive one-hundred lashes, and another woman whose daughter was sentenced to death, but was forced into a marriage by the government and then raped before she was killed because Khomeini claims that it is illegal to execute a virgin. This article then discusses how most people's discontent would cause Khomeini’s reign to be overthrown however, the people of Iran are so scared of him that they may never do anything about him or these violations. This source is useful because it helps to describe some of the unequal treatment that women faced after the Iranian revolution took place. This source is credible because it contains first hand accounts of things that occured told from many point of views that do not contradict each other, and this source also comes from a publication company with a whole team of researchers who specifically research this issue.
Barr, Heather. “Women's Rights in Iran.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2015, 12:25 PM, www.hrw.org/news/2015/10/28/womens-rights-iran. Accessed 28
Dec. 2017.
This article discusses some of the restrictions women are under in Iran due to the Iranian Revolution. It mentions how since the Iranian government feels the population of Iran needs to grow, women are being denied medical procedures such as abortions, and fallopian tubal ligation. It also mentions how people who criticize the government or speak out for women's rights are being thrown in jail, and could face possible execution. It also mentions how women can’t travel or leave the country without their husbands permission. It also talks about even things such as a hair out of place, sticking out of your hijab could ultimately result in you being jailed or killed, even if you were only in elementary school. This source is useful because it helps to describe all the awful things women in Iran have to face because of the Iranian Revolution. This source is credible because it comes from Human Rights Watch, an organization that specifically reports on human rights issues throughout the world, with accurate information that is constantly updated when something, such as a law, changes.
"Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 8, Gale, 2004, pp. 535-537. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3404703533/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=7a506098. Accessed 2 Jan. 2018.
This book describes Khomeini and what occurred after he rose to power in February, 1979. It discusses how to first set up the Islamic republic, he appointed his disciples (or government officials). It then discusses how Khomeini tried to improve Iran’s economy by improving its relations with many countries such as Japan, Turkey and China. However, this article also mentions the many laws Khomeini created, and even though at the start of the Islamic Republic he did great things for Iran, soon after these new laws were established most people in particular women felt suppressed and unhappy. This source is useful because it helps to further explain what Khomeini did to establish the Islamic Republic. This source is credible because the company that it came from has many researchers who make sure the facts are correct in each book published.
Azmin, Hezril. “Consequences of the 1979 Iranian Revolution: A Theocratic Oligarchy or a Democratic Republic?” Progress ME, Progress ME Magazine,
15 Mar. 2016, progressmemag.com/2016/03/15/consequences-of-the-1979-iranian-revolution-a-theocratic-oligarchy-or-a-democratic-republic/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2017.
This article discusses the Iranian revolution and how the people of Iran, who were promised the Islamic Republic, did not actually get a true republic, but instead got a government that was strictly run, with many new laws that did not benefit the lives of the people of Iran. This article also explains how Khomeini had skewed the government to be in his favor, and how its representatives were elected so that he could have full control over his people and eventually declare himself supreme leader of Iran. It then goes on to mention how because of this unfairness in government Khomeini was able to institute many laws that did nothing to help the people of Iran (women in particular), but instead help himself instill fear in his people so he could maintain power. This source is useful because it helps to explain how Khomeini tricked the people of Iran, and rose to power in the first place. This source is credible because it was written by New York University’s professors and researchers in their Human Rights Division, and specifies on their website that they do take submissions of first hand witnesses but they must go through a long credibility screening process first.
Noshiravani, Reyhaneh. “Pre-Revolution.” Foundation for Iranian Studies, The Foundation for Iranian Studies, 25 Aug. 2009, fis-iran.org/en/women/milestones/pre-revolution. Accessed 30 Dec. 2017.
This source is a list of achievements by women in Iran before the 1979 Iranian Revolution took place. Some of these achievements include the publication of the first journal by a woman in Iran, the passing of the family protection law, and the elections of women into various government positions. All these achievements are then followed by what they did
and why they were progressive for Iran in taking a step to make women in Iran feel more equal and respected. This source is useful because it helps to show all the progress that women made before the Islamic Republic had began. This source is credible because it is a non-biased source that takes information strictly from official government published documents and broadcasts from Iran.
Secor, Laura. “An Iranian Woman's Battle to End Stoning.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2016, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/04/war-of-words-annals-of-activism-laura-secor. Accessed 31 Dec. 2017.
This article is a first hand account of a woman named Asieh Amini, who grew up during the Iranian Revolution. She describes how when the revolution first imposed the rule that women had to wear the hijab, her and her sisters hated it and the first few times they went out in the hijab they cried because they were scared of what might happen to them if it came loose. Eventually Amini became a journalist, however almost all of her coworkers hated her because she was a female, and they felt that she was incapable of doing anything correctly. Eventually Amini found out she was pregnant, but knew she could not take care of the baby. Since abortions were now illegal in Iran, she was forced to inject herself with substances to kill the baby however, those did not work so she had to get an illegal abortion. She then talks about her friend Sahaaleh who was raped by one of her cousins and then executed by the police at the age of 16, because she had “relations” outside of marriage, even though they were forced relations. She then finishes the article by discussing how these injustices in Iran are the reasons the people aren’t happy with the revolution. This source is useful because it helps to prove just how awful the treatment of women was after the Iranian Revolution. This source is credible because it is a primary source, and the events mentioned are backed up by various other townspeople and newspapers from Iran.
Ebadi, Shirin. “Women's Rights under Iran's Revolution.” BBC News, BBC, 12 Feb. 2009, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7879797.stm. Accessed 31 Dec. 2017.
This article is about a woman who was a judge in Iran before the Iranian Revolution took place. She describes how once the revolution occured, her and many of her other female colleagues were demoted from their judge position to clerkes, because according to the regimes new rule, it was illegal for a woman to judge under Islamic Law. She also describes how with these new rules in place she constantly felt like a second class citizen, and like men did not truly respect her. She then closes her interview by saying that she hopes the younger women of Iran can get the respect they deserve, and finally receive the rights that all people in Iran should have. This source is useful because it helps to describe some of the inequality women felt under the reign of Khomeini. This source is credible because it is a first hand account of a woman in Iran, whose story is backed up by many other women that had similar experiences.
Bender, Jeremy and Robinson, Melia. “Iran before the 1979 Revolution, Revealed in Photographs.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 4 Apr. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/iran-before-the-revolution-in-photos-2015-4/#from-1941-to-1979-iran-was-ruled-by-king-mohammad-reza-pahlavi-the-shah-1. Accessed 31 Dec. 2017.
This source is a collection of photos and information on what Iran was like before the Iranian revolution occured. There are many pictures of women succeeding in various tasks such as their jobs and women walking outside freely without their hijabs, followed by a collection of information. In this information it discusses how the Shah tried to help Iran by modernizing the country. It also discusses how the Shah tried to expand women’s rights throughout Iran, and how women under the Shah’s reign were encouraged to get a formal education, causing the number of educated people in Iran and number of specialized job opportunities to rise. It then talks about how the Shah’s idea of making Iran into a more westernized state was ultimately his downfall, helping Khomeini and his traditionalist followers rise to power. This source is useful because it helps to describe how the lives of women were changing for the better under Reza Shah Pahlavi’s regime. This source is credible because it contains primary sources, photos of women in Iran before the Iranian Revolution, and lists many researchers they used to write the article.
Hughes, Donna M. "The Islamic Revolution Betrayed Women." The Iranian Revolution, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012, pp. 110-121. Perspectives on Modern World History. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX4186800022/GVRL?u=nysl_se_jjhs&sid=GVRL&xid=83467b05. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
This book discusses many of the things in post-revolutionary Iran that prohibit women from getting fully involved socially, politically, and economically with their country. It specifically goes into detail about the gender apartheid, which confirmed that women were inferior to men in all aspects, and only could tend to children, and take care of their husband. This also introduced the concept that women were the property of the man who took care of them, and because of poor morality, they had to be covered from head to toe to prevent “immodest acts’. Then it was also mentioned that because of their poor intellectual abilities, their husband or father was to make all their decisions such as where they were allowed to go, and what their children would do throughout the day. This article goes into many more details of things women are not allowed to do without a man’s consent such as, getting a passport or getting a job. It also briefly talks about the rates of woman who experience domestic violence in Iran. This source is useful because it helps to describe the inequalities that women faced in Iran once the Iranian Revolution occured. This source is credible because it comes from a book that lists many other sources that were used to obtain their information.