Why can women not be appointed as judges in the Islamic Republic of Iran?
By: Nina Mohadjer, Fall 2006 Introduction Women cannot become verdict speaking judges in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Why? Is this rule based on the Islamic treatment of women and their role in society or is it furthermore an adaptation of traditional rules? I. Iran vs. Islam Women’s rights in Islam seem to be interpreted and misinterpreted, perhaps more than in any other religion. This might be because of the lack of knowledge of insiders and outsiders of the religion, as well as the political representation through the Middle Eastern countries, with the starting point of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. The question whether women could be appointed as judges has become one of the main controversial issues, since numerous clerics believe that this would be against the true meaning of the Quran. In Iran, while women are allowed to listen to civil cases as judges, they are prohibited from becoming the verdict-speaking judge in civil courts and absolutely prevented from participa
