"I want the world to know that as a woman in this country, I have no freedom"

Jihad Watch

Women in Iran march against the harsh inhumanity of Sharia laws regarding women. Note that while Obama spoke up in Cairo for the right of women to wear the hijab in the West, he said nothing about the right of women not to wear it in places like Iran. He thus forfeited all moral authority to be able to stand with these courageous women. Women in Iran march against discrimination," by Moni Basu for CNN, June 19 (thanks to all who sent this in):

(CNN) -- Like thousands of other Iranian women, Parisa took to Tehran's streets this week, her heart brimming with hope. "Change," said the placards around her....

Thanks, CNN, but no number of Obamoid references is going to paper over the President's passivity and tacit support for the mullahs.

Women, regarded as second-class citizens under Iranian law, have been noticeably front and center of the massive demonstrations that have unfolded since the presidential election a week ago. Iranians are protesting what they consider a fraudulent vote count favoring hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but for many women like Parisa, the demonstrations are just as much about taking Iran one step closer to democracy.

"Women have become primary agents of change in Iran," said Nayereh Tohidi, chairwoman of the Gender and Women's Studies Department at California State University, Northridge.

The remarkable images show women with uncovered heads who are unafraid to speak their minds and crowds that are not segregated -- both the opposite of the norm in Iran, Tohidi said.

She said a long-brewing women's movement may finally be manifesting itself on the streets and empowering women like Parisa.

"This regime is against all humanity, more specifically against all women," said Parisa, whom CNN is not fully identifying for security reasons.

"I see lots of girls and women in these demonstrations," she said. "They are all angry, ready to explode, scream out and let the world hear their voice. I want the world to know that as a woman in this country, I have no freedom."

Though 63 percent of all Iranian college students are women, the law of the land does not see men and women as equal. In cases of divorce, child custody, inheritance and crime, women do not have the same legal rights as men.

In the past four years, Ahmadinejad has made it easier for men to practice polygamy and harder for women to access public sector jobs, according to CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour....

Even the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic republic, voiced frustration at the way women are treated.

"Women are just living things," Zahra Eshraghi told Amanpour. "A woman is there to fill her husband's stomach and raise children."...

Two opposition candidates, Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi, vowed to look into parts of the Iranian constitution that defer women's rights to what is regarded as an outdated version of sharia, or Islamic, law. Moussavi had even promised to appoint women as cabinet ministers for the first time....

Moaveni was almost arrested because her coat sleeves were too short and exposed too much skin. In that setting, she said, it's striking to see women protesting, especially without their hijabs, or head coverings.

"While it's not at the top of women's grievances, the hijab is symbolic. Taking it off is like waving a red flag," Moaveni said. "Women are saying they are a force to be reckoned with."...

"Today, we were wearing black," Parisa said, referring to the day of mourning to remember those who have died in post-election violence.

"We were holding signs. We said, 'We are not sheep. We are human beings,'" she said....