This is a caption.[/caption]

این یک عنوان است.

This is a caption.
“Qahraman Qanbari” translates to “Hero Qanbari”.

To define sexual assault, one can approach the issue from the perspective of what constitutes consensual sexual relations. Without considering the moral, religious, and cultural values of different nations, sexual relations can be defined as a relationship that must be mutually agreed upon and free from any psychological or physical pressure from either party, between two consenting adults who are fully aware. This means that sexual relations with a person who is underage, even if they consent, is considered a form of assault due to their lack of mental maturity. For example, the sexual relations of Saeed Toosi, a famous cleric, with his underage students, even if they were to consent (which is unlikely), would still be considered sexual assault. Similarly, a person who has inherited mental problems or is under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other substances and does not have the necessary mental capacity to make a decision about engaging in sexual relations, their consent is not considered valid ethically or legally, and sexual relations with such a person

If we want to return to Iran, the misuse of power and position and the imposition of sexual relations – which is itself a form of sexual assault – among the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran is common. For example, currently the head of the Social Commission of the Parliament, Dr. Salman Khodadadi, who is supposed to be someone who provides solutions to social issues, has repeatedly used his position to lure and sexually assault girls and women looking for employment or those who have administrative problems, promising them employment and solving their administrative issues in exchange for sexual favors. This has led to several complaints against him for sexual assault. Unfortunately, due to his previous security position and his close relationship with the former president, no action has been taken against him and, sadly, these allegations have not even prevented him from being promoted within the ranks of the Islamic Republic’s administration. (3) The bitter irony and even more tragic is that he has been appointed as the head of a commission whose duty is

The important point in this case, or in all cases of sexual assault, is that generally the complaint against the perpetrator includes a small percentage. In addition, if the perpetrator is a prominent figure such as the head of the social commission of the parliament or a beloved Quran reciter, this likelihood decreases even more. Especially in a traditional society like Iran, and specifically in the representative district of the mentioned parliament member, due to the psychological pressure imposed on the victim by society and family, most victims suppress their pain and anger and give up on pursuing these types of complaints. (5)

According to current laws in Iran, the punishment for sexual assault is execution. Although this punishment itself is one of the problems of this phenomenon, an important point is that even this punishment is not carried out when the perpetrator is a member, relative, or close associate of those in power in the Islamic Republic system. This creates discrimination among sexual offenders based on their proximity to the power circle. Another example of this claim is the famous case of “Kahrizak Guidance House” (officially known as “Islamic Guidance House”) under the management of Hojatoleslam Hadi Montazeri Moghadam, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Karaj. The Islamic Guidance House is also one of the subsidiaries of the “Noor Foundation” company, owned by former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and former head of the Foundation for War Veterans and the Oppressed, “Sardar Mohsen Rafiqdoust”. In the Karaj Islamic Guidance House, close to a thousand

Although we are faced with numerous examples in the case of sexual corruption involving government officials or individuals associated with them, the latest example in this writing will briefly look at the famous case of sexual assault on girls in Iranshahr. In the middle of this year, a short video of Molavi Mohammad Tayeb Malazehi, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Iranshahr, was broadcasted, which reported a tragedy of band sexual assault on 41 women and girls in Iranshahr in a short period of time. In his remarks, he also briefly mentioned the influence and closeness of one of the perpetrators to powerful institutions. (8) Considering the traditional structure of the city, only a few girls who were victims of sexual assault officially filed complaints. But the most tragic part of the story was that the provincial officials initially denied the incident. Even the general prosecutor and the revolutionary prosecutor of Zahedan said that the sexual assaults were consensual; meaning that one person has

But why does the Islamic Republic system discriminate against sexual assault suspects and why do those loyal to the Islamic Republic feel free to commit any crime – including sexual assault – without concern for consequences?

In response to this question, it must be pointed out that the most important issue in the current system is the preservation of the system itself. This means that dealing with any work or case is subject to the principle that the interests of the system are more important than justice. To the extent that in a “religious system” even the principles of religion can be sacrificed in order to preserve the “Islamic Republic” and continue its existence. If we want to define it solely in terms of sexual harassment and the cases that have come to light, the issue can be expanded to include figures like Salman Khodadadi who are considered assets of the system and are seen as a copy of the system’s principles in their own field. Here, accusing the mentioned person is, in a way, an accusation against the government itself, and because the government generally promotes propaganda and considers itself to have divine qualities, it does not want to bring any harm to its own propaganda and indirectly take a step against it as anti

The second issue in discrimination, or fundamentally looking at the issue of sexual assault, is hidden in the cultural and educational perspective of the current system. To put it more clearly, it is common to blame the victim of assault all over the world, but this issue is particularly prevalent in our region and culture, especially in the current system. When faced with the issue of sexual assault, we are mostly confronted with the idea that the victim of assault was somehow willing to engage in sexual relations and that the claim of assault is not true. As mentioned before, this is the claim made by the national prosecutor in the case of the assault of girls in Iran Shahr. Or the head of the social commission of the parliament claims that the fact that one of the victims was a widow is evidence that the claim of being a victim is not accepted by the court or society. This claim, instead of addressing the perpetrator of the crime or investigating the root causes of sexual assault by the perpetrator, focuses more on the

At the end, it is necessary to mention that one of the primary duties of any government is to protect the property, life, and dignity of its citizens, and no excuse can deprive anyone of these fundamental rights. In general, even in the Stone Age, primitive humans probably observed these principles without the need for a government to select and waive some of their rights in order to form a government that would guarantee the protection of their lives, property, and dignity. Now, a government that does not value the lives, property, and dignity of its citizens, and even its officials and authorities are committing sexual assault, looting, and murdering its citizens, does it have moral legitimacy or not? This is a question that the readers and citizens of Iran themselves can answer with more depth and research.

Notes:

1. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Feminist Perspective on Violence.

2. Butler, Josh, and Bernabe Joyce resign after weeks of scandal, Huffington Post, February 23, 2018.

3. The representative of the parliament was accused of sexual assault for the umpteenth time, Herana, 22 Khordad 1397.

4. Threat and intimidation of sexual harassment victims by the head of the Social Commission of Parliament (audio file), Herana, July 16, 2018.

5. Remaining, Emad al-Din, Taxonomy of Children’s Rights Violations in Iran, Scientific and Research Quarterly of Social Welfare, No. 16, Spring 1384.

6. Taheri, Alireza, the exoneration of the “Kahriz Islamic Guidance House” defendants from charges, Radio Farda, 26 Tir month 1397.

7. Explanation by Mohsen Rafiqdost about Karaj Guidance and Support Foundation, ISNA, 16 Bahman 1380

   Mohsen Rafiqdost’s explanation about the Karaj Guidance and Support Foundation, ISNA, February 5th, 2002.

8. Molavi Mohammad Tayeb Molla Zahi’s statements about sexual abuse against girls in Iranshahr, Radio Zamaneh, 27 Khordad 1397.

9. The statements of the public prosecutor and the Zahedan Revolution regarding the case of sexual assault on girls in Iranshahr, Fararu, on July 3, 2018.

10. Bringing the Sunni Imam, detaining and broadcasting the confessions of civil activists protesting against the incidents of violations, Herana, July 10, 2018.