Exclusive: Iranian President’s Wife Says West’s Feminist ‘Violence’ Won’t Work in Iran

NEWSWEEK-Sept 20th2023

In her first-ever interview with a U.S. media outlet, Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, sat down with Newsweek Senior Foreign Policy Writer and Deputy Editor of National Security and Foreign Policy Tom O’Connor to discuss issues of importance to her and to her country.

Prior to her husband taking office in August 2021, Alamolhoda obtained her doctorate in the philosophy of education from Tarbiat Modares University. She went on to serve in a number of academic positions before founding the Institute of Fundamental Studies of Science and Technology at Shahid Beheshti University in 2013. In 2020, she was appointed secretary of the Council for the Transformation and Renovation of the Educational System by the powerful Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

As the wife of the Iranian president, which was described to Newsweek as her preferred title, Alamolhoda has adopted a more visible presence than her predecessors, even accompanying her husband on a trip to Latin America in June.

Newsweek: In addition to being the wife of the Iranian president, you are also an accomplished scholar and an active figure in various fields within the Islamic Republic of Iran. For some of my readers who are perhaps not quite as familiar with some of those initiatives, could you explain some of the things you’ve been most active on back home?

Alamolhoda: In the name of God, the most compassionate and merciful…I’m actually not a political person. I have not had that much political activity prior to the election of President Raisi. Due to new circumstances, I am undertaking new activities in the political spheres.

Prior to the president’s election, I was engaged in academic activities, specifically in the science of upbringing for children. After the election, I took on the responsibility of more political activities. After what happened subsequent to the presidential election, and lots of meetings being held with the president, I gathered that there are lots of misunderstandings and room for clarification, so I engaged with the endeavor of undertaking responsibilities and to clarify and enlighten on things that pertain to women, their activities and the role they play in society.

Prior to that, I managed to compose two articles on women, but after that, we started engaging with the introduction of Iranian women and the role they play. So, we held the Conference of Women of Influence, during which at least 400 women of influence participated, and we also held an exhibition to elaborate on the abilities of women and what they have for society.

Because of your recent marriage [Alamolhoda is referring here to the Newsweek reporter’s wedding on September 16, 2023], I have to tell you that women in Iran are supported by the family, by the father, by all the members of the family, and they play a crucial role in the society owing to the support they received from the family. And that is absolutely due to the fact that the core of the family plays a significant role. Women in Iran, or anywhere in the world, play a crucial role in maintaining the very core of the family, so they play a very crucial role in society.

Men in Iran prefer not to ask their spouses to work or bring money home. Women are regarded as persons sharing love with men in the position of mother, spouse or daughter.

You might find it very exciting and interesting that women in Iran have not fought for their rights because they already enjoy their rights. And that is due to the preservation of their dignity in society by men. The values to which women are entitled in the country, concerning the moral aspects, they have indeed morphed into rules and regulations. We can share with you these rules and regulations, the supported ones, which are dedicated to supporting women in society, so that you can share it with other parts of the world to see how we deal with it.

The feminist movement from other parts of the world has also not found its way in Iran, and that is primarily due to the fact that it is inclined toward violence. As opposed to that, women in Iran prefer tranquility rather than being exposed to violence through the feminist approach. That is the striking difference between the two elements