ProMosaik LAPH published the first two parts of the collection “A New Analysis of Women’s Rights from the Perspective of the Holy Quran” entitled “Echoes of Justice”, including seven articles about social equality of men and women in Islam based on the principles of the Holy Quran. The author is the Irani engineer Jila Movahed Shariat Panahi, born in Iran in 1951 and now living in California. She earned her degree in Physics from Sharif University of Technology in 1973.
After graduation, she joined the “Center for Research and Application of Radioactive Materials” at Sharif University of Technology, which later became part of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. She completed three specialized courses in “Radiation Protection” at Harvard University in the United States, the Karlsruhe Atomic Center in Germany, and the International Atomic Energy Agency Calibration Center in Austria.
In 1976, she published the first Persian translation of the Radiation Protection Standards while working at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In 1985, she resigned from the organization for two primary reasons:
Her expert report, which argued that solar energy was safer, healthier, cheaper, and more suitable for electricity generation in Iran than nuclear energy, was dismissed.
She opposed the mandatory enforcement of wearing the headscarf (maghna’eh) for female employees, deeming it contradictory to Quranic teachings. Citing verse 256 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“There is no compulsion in religion”), she argued that religion itself is not compulsory, let alone personal choices such as clothing. This marked her first Islamic-feminist stand.
Following her resignation, she began extensive research on the legal, civil, and social equality of women and men in Islam, with a focus on Quranic verses.
Her efforts led to the publication of numerous articles in domestic journals. In 1991, she won first place in a writing competition at Shahid Beheshti University with her article, Legal Gaps in Women’s Rights. The uncensored version was later published in the Salam newspaper on May 17, 1992 and May 31, 1992.
After nearly two decades of research, in 1999, she published her first book, A New Analysis of Women’s Rights from the Perspective of the Holy Quran, in Tehran.
Her second book, Influential Women in the First Two Centuries of Islam, was published in 2013 after years of awaiting publication approval. This book complemented her first by showcasing the Prophet Muhammad’s respectful treatment of women and the positive impact of Quranic teachings on their personal and societal growth.
Shariat Panahi became an active member of the “One Million Signatures Campaign to Eliminate Legal Discrimination Against Women in Iran” and the “National Peace Council.”
She has participated in numerous academic conferences and non-governmental initiatives. For example, she presented her paper, How to Enhance the Role of Women in Achieving Global Sustainable Peace (on behalf of the Islamic Association of Engineers), at the Beijing International Conference. She has also delivered lectures at universities and women’s rights organizations and published various articles on the topic of gender equality in newspapers, journals, and online platforms.
Shariat Panahi has run for public office multiple times, including candidacies for the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2013, and for the presidency in 2009. However, her eligibility was rejected by the Guardian Council on all occasions.
Milena Rampoldi interviews the author about her two books of articles available in English and German translation.
Why did you choose the title “Echoes of justice” for your books?
It is because I think that “the contents of my book are the reflections of the women’s and men’s voices who search for a just and egalitarian interpretation of the Holy Quran as the only reliable source among all of the different Islamic sects”.
These women and men believe in verse 18 of the Surah Al-Hijr, which states:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ ﴿۹﴾
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption”.
What does it mean to you today to be a feminist in Islam?
For me as a Muslim woman, being a feminist means that in Islam, there is complete legal-civil equality between men and women, with emphasis on the following:
The equality between men and women should be only in the positive (not negative) behavior and manner for both genders. A good example is the following:
As polygamy for Muslim women is not permitted in Islam, in the 21st century polygamy for Muslim men should also be considered obsolete.
My reason is the “updating of the meaning of the Quranic word “ma’ruf” in the Holy Quran in the 21st century.
Another example may be the following:
If caring for a baby in a family is one of the duties and desirable qualities for a Muslim Mother, in the 21st century caring for a baby in a family should be considered one of the duties and desirable qualities for a Muslim Father as well.
How is the struggle for human rights connected to Islamic feminism and why?
According to the verses 1 of Surah An-Nisa and 189 of Surah Al-A’raf, men and women are identical in essence, so any discrimination between men and women is considered discrimination between humans, and therefore the struggle for legal and civil equality between men and women will be equal to the struggle for human rights.
What can we do today in Muslim communities to oppose to violence against women?
For step-by-step reduce violence against women three types of solutions must be pursued simultaneously and in a balanced manner:
A – Short-Term Solution:
All intellectuals in society — especially Muslim thinkers — should concentrate their efforts on two key actions:
First: Transforming unequal laws into equal laws, and
Enacting anti-violence legislation to protect women and girls within both the family and broader society.
B – Medium-Term Solution:
All independent cultural platforms — including radio and television stations, news and educational websites, intellectual and responsible media channels, as well as films, theater, and other forms of art — should be oriented toward promoting peace and tolerance. Special emphasis should be placed on fostering harmony and mutual respect between the two sexes, male and female, rather than encouraging competition.
C – Long-Term Solution:
Family education should emphasize teaching children — especially boys — that greater physical strength, a God-given gift, must never be used to intimidate or dominate others. Instead, it should be harnessed to serve others, contribute positively to the environment through hard work and dedication, and to protect and support the members of their family and their society
Which are the main subjects of your book?
The first volume of this book focuses on a significant shift in the perspectives of Muslim men and women regarding the topic of “Women’s Rights and Duties in the Holy Quran.”
Specifically, it highlights a transformation from a traditional view — one that sees women primarily as instruments for fulfilling instinctual desires of men— to a more enlightened understanding that recognizes women as fully equal to men, despite their biological differences.
Therefore, the book begins by exploring “The Peacemaking Role of Women” and emphasizes the importance of “Equally Educating Children to Nurture a Positive Blend of Feminine and Masculine Traits.”
It further argues for the legitimacy of monogamy, supports a woman’s right to initiate divorce without her husband’s consent (provided she returns the dowry), and affirms women’s financial rights — including the right to housing after both revocable and consensual divorces.
What will come next? Which matters would you like to treat in your next book?
In subsequent volumes of this book, the focus will be on demonstrating women’s equal rights in various areas, including:
– Retaliation, atonement and blood money
– The mother’s priority in the care and custody of children until the age of eighteen,
– The right to education up to the highest academic levels, and
– The right to employment and leadership across all religious, political, and social spheres — including roles such as: leadership, judgeship, presidency, parliamentary representation, and beyond.
Efforts will also be made to develop mechanisms for equalizing both duties and rights in matters of martyrdom and inheritance.
Once this discussion on “equalizing inequalities” is completed, God willing, future volumes will gradually explore the Holy Quran’s perspective on other social or family issues.
