Sayyid ''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...

a Zahra Mostafavi Khomeini ( fa, زهرا مصطفوی خمینی; born 13 November 1940) is an Iranian politician and educator. The daughter of Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

and subsequent

Supreme Leader of Iran The Supreme Leader of Iran ( fa, رهبر ایران, rahbar-e irān) is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Supreme Leader directs the executive system and judicial system of the Islamic theocratic government and is the co ...

, Mostafavi was awarded a PhD in philosophy from the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

, where she subsequently taught.Mankind’s Need for Religion and Spirituality, Zahra Mostafavi
Retrieved 23 August 2009
3 Jun3 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2009 Mostafavi has been called the "most prominent" of Khomeini's three daughters, and has become a prominent supporter of women's rights in Iran in addition to Palestinian causes.
, 20 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009

Political positions

Women's rights

Mostafavi has spoken out in favour of women wearing the hijab, stating it "immunises them from abuse and protects families... if men know there is no question of anything outside the family, they will be more loyal to their wives". She also supports women having the equal right alongside men to enter the fields of politics, academics, and education.‘We believe we are on the right track and victory will be ours,’ Seema Chishti
June 12, 2009. accessed August 23, 2009 Mostafavi serves as Secretary General of the

Association of the Women of the Islamic Republic The Association of the Women of the Islamic Republic ( fa, جمعیت زنان جمهوری اسلامی, ''Jam’iat-e Zanan-e Jomhouri-e Islami'') is an Iranian Iranian Reformists, reformist political party. It was the first officially registered ...

, an organisation advocating for women's participation in Iranian politics.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Mostafavi has publicly praised her father and in particular his stance on women's rights, stating his wish for women to play a "full part" in Iranian society and never demanded that her

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

do chores on his behalf.Lipstick revolution: Iran's women are taking on the mullahs. Katherine Butler. 26 February 2009
. Retrieved 23 August 2009

Iran-United States relations

Mostafavi has demonstrated a hardline approach on Iran–United States relations, relations between Iran and the United States, saying in 2009 she was "not interested in negotiations with the US".

2009 presidential election

In the contested 2009 Iranian presidential election, Mostafavi was reported to have endorsed Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The election was ultimately won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Israel-Palestine conflict

Mostafavi is a proponent of

Palestinian statehood The history of the State of Palestine describes the creation and evolution of the State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. During the Mandatory period, numerous plans of partition of Palestine were proposed but without the agreem ...

and has warned against Iran normalising relations with Israel. She is also proactive in Palestinian causes, serving as the leader of the Iran-based Society for Defending the Palestinian Nation.

2013 presidential election

Following the exclusion of former president

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( fa, اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی, Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī, born Akbar Hashemi Bahramani, 25 August 1934 – 8 January 2017) was an Iranian politician, writer, and one of the founding fathers of the Islami ...

from standing in the

2013 Iranian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Iran on 14 June 2013. Hassan Rouhani won with a landslide victory, elected in the first round of voting with 50.71% of the vote.

by the Guardian Council, Mostafavi wrote a public letter to her father's successor as Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, urging for Rafsanjani's reinstatement as a candidate to prevent the formation of a dictatorship. The decision was upheld, and the election was ultimately won by Hassan Rouhani.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khomeini, Zahra Mostafavi 20th-century Iranian women politicians 20th-century Iranian politicians 21st-century Iranian women politicians 21st-century Iranian politicians 1940 births Living people Al-Moussawi family Ruhollah Khomeini Children of national leaders Association of the Women of the Islamic Republic politicians Secretaries-General of political parties in Iran Politicians from Tehran