Hardliners In Iran Promote Polygamy, Obedience Of Wives
An IRGC-affiliated newspaper in Iran has promoted the practice of polygamy and the obedience of wives in marriage amid growing pushback in the country to increasingly oppressive reforms.
An IRGC-affiliated newspaper in Iran has promoted the practice of polygamy and the obedience of wives in marriage amid growing pushback in the country to increasingly oppressive reforms.
Typical of regime propaganda, the newspaper, Javan, shared the notion that principles of polygamy and obedience of women are rooted in the fundamental framework of Islamic sexual theory. Among Iran's young population, especially in urban areas, polygamy is seen as a thing of the past, much like its rejection of the mandatory hijab as was seen in the Women, Life, Freedom movement uprising since last year.
The article even argued that if Islamic principles are correctly implemented in society, it could alleviate the current challenges faced by Iranian society in matters related to sexual issues, referring to Iran's declining marriage and birth rates, a challenge the regime has long been trying to overcome as young women delay marriage in favour of education and careers.
Women in Iran have long confronted legal, political, economic, and social challenges. Marriage laws are particularly discriminatory, allowing men to have up to four wives simultaneously, while women can only marry one husband. Women also require male guardian consent for marriage, and there are restrictions on interfaith marriages.
Additionally, the legal age of marriage has decreased over the years. Marriage contracts often include clauses mandating a woman's obedience to receive financial support for housing, clothing, food, and furniture.
In addition, women face discrimination in divorce proceedings, as they can only obtain a divorce through a court, whereas men can unilaterally declare divorce without their spouse's presence.
Travel restrictions for women also exist, as they typically require their husband's permission to obtain a passport or travel abroad. Unmarried women aged 18 and above are allowed to apply for a passport without requiring prior permission, yet they still need permission by their male guardians -- father or husband -- to travel abroad.
Speaking exclusively to Iran International, he said: “I don’t believe that Hamas has the sophistication and coordination to carry out an attack at this scale without major logistical planning and intelligence backing from a government.”
Poilievre called the Iranian regime “the number one state sponsor of terror” and “the most likely culprit” in Hamas’ onslaught on Israel which saw 1,400 mostly civilians murdered and 240 more taken hostage to Gaza.
He also slammed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) for its coordination of Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups, among Iran's network of regional proxies, stressing the need to “criminalize” the IRGC in Canada.
Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected allegations about Tehran’s role in helping Hamas organize its invasion which saw thousands of Hamas fighters invade by air, land and sea in the single most deadly day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.
In an interview with CNN, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed that Tehran neither has a proxy group nor runs a proxy war in the region.
Poilievre took Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to task for choosing not to list IRGC fully as a terror group and stated that he does not understand the rationale behind the government’s decision. The US designated the IRGC as a whole in 2019 under the Trump administration.
The Conservative party “will not relent until the IRGC is criminalized as a terrorist group in Canada,” Poilievre vowed.
In August, Canada decided to impose sanctions on 170 Iranians and 192 Iranian entities, including IRGC officials.
Then, in November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has designated Iran's IRGC leadership, adding that Canada will “restrict financial transactions with the Islamic Republic of Iran associated with the IRGC and the proxies that support them".
He added: “These actions are some of the strongest measures anywhere against Iran.”
However, Poilievre said that the implementation of these sanctions depends on “how serious the government is.”
It was not the first time the IRGC had been subject to sanctions. In October 2022, in the wake of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, Canada announced sanctions against IRGC, permanently banning over 10,000 of its officers from entering Canada.
“We will restrict financial transactions with the Islamic Republic of Iran associated with the IRGC and the proxies that support them. These actions are some of the strongest measures anywhere against Iran,” Trudeau said at the time.
However, the opposition leader believes that Trudeau’s government lacks the “law enforcement rigor” to fully implement IRGC sanctions.
Poilievre confirmed the possibility of Tehran’s using Canada as a platform to operate its proxy wars, adding that there are reports about “well-placed regime thugs” in Canada who spend the money that “they stole from the Iranian people.” Western governments including the US and UK are increasingly concerned about regime activity with the UK branding Iran among its top threats and the FBI just revealing that Iran has tried to kill American officials on US soil.
He also called for tightening immigration regulations to ensure that anyone “willingly associated” with the Iranian regime should not be eligible for entry to Canada.
Reiterating his support for the “Woman Life Freedom” movement, he called on Iranians to remain adamant in their pursuit of freedom despite the regime’s mounting crackdown.
“We need a regime change in Tehran. And it will only happen if the people keep fighting. It's a long journey, but don't give up,” he said.