TEHRAN Ms. Sho'leh Mirfattah, an Iranian lady residing in Italy has criticized comments made by Mr. Ja'far Panahi, award wining Iranian director, during the Venice International Film Festival.
Panahi took part in the aforesaid festival with his latest movie "Dayereh" (Circle) which has focused on the lives of some unfortunate Iranian women.
The film was awarded with the Golden Lion prize which drew a lot of attention from the Italian media. Subsequently, a wave of negative propaganda has started in Italian media, portraying a gleamy image of status of women in Iran.
In her letter Mirfattah writes: Mr. Panahi has discussed the status of Iranian women, during the reign of Mohammadreza Shah, the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini and today. But his deductions are not true.'' In the first few years after the revolution, the conditions were hard, but nevertheless, women enjoyed a good amount of power both within the family and in the society.
This Iranian woman added, I immigrated from Iran in 1986 with my six-year-old daughter. Not my dad or my husband permitted themselves to prevent me from this action.'' Mirfattah continues, I have experienced more hardship in Italy than in Iran, both before and after the revolution. I've had to file a lawsuit three times only for my job. While working in the municipality, my position was reduced from a computer specialist to a mere servant. Now after 20 years experience with computing, I have to clean floors.
Now I ask myself, have my rights been violated in Iran or in Italy. In Iran the only issue is the Islamic dress code and nothing else.'' In an interview with IRNA's Rome office, Mirfattah said, The comments made by Panahi have deeply humiliated Iranian women in the eyes of Italians while in Iran, women have great influence and it is women who manage their families.'' She further added that in the West, it is only the sexual aspect of women which is valued in the society.