Clarification

The article ‘Breaking the false glass ceiling’ (September 28, 2022) by Sharmila Faruqi, the writer — a respected member of the Sindh Assembly — has made negative and false claims regarding recent events in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This kind of news-making by twisting the reality and creating a negative perception shows the ignorance of the author of the article about the situation prevailing in Iran. Expressing concern about the hijab law in Iran has no basis, because in every society regulations are established according to the type of government and the culture and religion of the people and the current government of Iran is elected by the majority of people’s votes. It is obvious that in the process of implementing the regulations, including in the issue of the hijab, the law-makers cannot violate the rights of citizens in any way. But during the recent events in Iran, unfortunately, some peaceful gatherings turned to violence and vandalism, and, as a result, some law-enforcement officials and ordinary people lost their lives and got injured, and a large number of public and private properties were damaged.

The article says that the age of marriage for girls in Iran is still between 13 and 15 years and Iranian women suffer from inequality in access to job opportunities, despite their competence. This claim does not match the internal realities of Iran in any way. Women make up half of Iran’s population and they participate side-by-side with men in important decisions. Men and women in Iran have equal access to job and educational opportunities, and according to statistics, Iranian women currently make up 60 per cent of the student population. Iranian women have also always been present in government and management positions, such as the post of ministers, vice-president, deputy ministers, members of parliament, etc. It seems that the contents of this article are completely based on the biased narratives of the Western media, which have always tried to use issues like human rights for political and propaganda pressures against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This embassy is ready to host the writer at the embassy to discuss and present a real picture of the situation prevailing in Iran. It is obvious that the publication of negative content is not in line with good neighbourliness and comprehensive relations between Iran and Pakistan.

Press section

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Islamabad