ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Position of Women from the Viewpoint of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) Women and the Sacred Defence, Jihad Defence of Islam and the Islamic country, incumbent on women Defence of Islam and the Islamic country, incumbent on women Question: What is the duty of Muslim women in the battle of truth against falsehood? Reply: Jihad is not incumbent on women, but defence is incumbent on everyone in line with their ability and means. Istifta’at Vol. 1, p.

503 Dear sisters and brothers, in whatever country you may live, defend your Islamic and national honour! Defend fearlessly and unhesitatingly the peoples and countries of Islam against their enemies: America, international Zionism, and all the superpowers of East and West. Loudly proclaim the crimes of the enemies of Islam. (343) 29 September 1979 (7 Mehr 1358 AHS) If, God forbid, an attack is made on an Islamic country, then all the people, women as well as men, must take action.

Defence is not a duty confined to men or something that pertains exclusively to one group, everyone must defend their country. (344) 27 December 1979 (6 Dey 1358 AHS) I ask the brothers and sisters of Kurdistan to stand together in a fraternal manner with the rest of their Muslim brothers and defend their country.

(345) 1 April 1980 (12 Farvardin 1359 AHS) Now that we are confronting the world’s major powers and are on the defensive, defending the things that our movement, our uprising has brought for us, defending Islamic objectives, our Islamic country and everything to do with Islam and the country, the mobilisation must be a general one. Jihad is one matter and defence another.

Jihad has particular conditions attached to it, only certain people or groups can take part, whereas defence is for everyone, men, women, young and old alike. Just as reason dictates that if someone forces their way into another person’s home, the people of that house will defend themselves, or if a city is attacked the inhabitants of that city will defend themselves in order to protect their lives and property, so too there are no conditions attached to the defence of one’s country.

If our country, our Islamic country, is attacked and invaded, then it is the duty of everyone living there, women and men, young and old, to help defend it.