According to the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Dr. Mehdi Davoudabadi, scientific secretary of the session, stated at the beginning of this scientific gathering, referring to the research institute’s approach in examining emerging social issues from the perspective of Contemporary Jurisprudence: “The Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence, on the occasion of emerging social, cultural, and political developments and phenomena, has held a series of scientific sessions to analyze these issues from the angle of Contemporary Jurisprudence.”
Jurisprudential Dimensions and Social Implications of Women’s Presence in Assemblies
Referring to the topic of the session, he added: “Women’s nocturnal assemblies were initially a spontaneous and emotional reaction to recent developments; however, gradually this social enthusiasm has transformed into a kind of civic awareness, social resistance, and increased public resilience.”
The Secretary of the Research Center for Jurisprudence of Society, Culture, and Health at the research institute, also pointing to the extent of women’s presence in nocturnal assemblies, stated: “According to certain official statistics, women constitute seventy percent of participants in nocturnal assemblies, making this phenomenon a noteworthy topic from both jurisprudential and social perspectives.”
Continuing the session, Dr. Somayyeh Haji-Esma’ili, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Studies at the Women and Family Research Institute, analyzed this phenomenon from a sociological approach, emphasizing that the objective of examining this topic is not positive or negative valuation, but rather understanding the social and cultural implications of this type of collective action.
Describing current conditions under the framework of “hybrid warfare,” she stated: “Today the battlefield is not limited merely to the military arena; rather, media, culture, public opinion, cyberspace, and social relations also constitute part of the battleground.”
Dr. Somayyeh Haji-Esma’ili, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Studies at the Women and Family Research Institute
According to her, under such circumstances, the home is no longer merely a private space, but transforms into a social stronghold in which maintaining the psychological tranquility of the family, social hope, and conveying effective narratives of events assume special importance.
Emphasizing the status of women in the Iranian-Islamic family structure, this researcher in social studies added: “Woman is not merely one member of the family; rather, she is the emotional axis of the family and part of society’s social capital. Therefore, women’s presence in nocturnal assemblies cannot be regarded merely as leaving the house; rather, this presence is a form of extending the family role into the public sphere.”
Stating that this presence possesses defensive and social functions, Dr. Haji-Esma’ili considered it an example of “non-military defensive action,” noting: “Women’s presence in the public sphere can convert social anxiety into collective action and play a role in strengthening social solidarity.”
In another part of her speech, she addressed the symbolic implications of women’s presence in nocturnal public spaces, stating: “The street under crisis conditions is not merely a physical thoroughfare, but becomes a stage for demonstrating social cohesion. Likewise, night, which is usually defined by insecurity and anxiety, can in light of women’s presence transform into a symbol of social steadfastness, solidarity, and resilience.”
The Assistant Professor at the Women and Family Research Institute also emphasized that the widespread presence of women in these assemblies creates a meaning distinct from the mere presence of male forces in public space, causing this space—rather than taking on a security and military atmosphere—to possess cultural, social, and family-centered implications.
Pointing to the importance of the “war of narratives” in hybrid warfare conditions, she further stated: “A significant part of this battle takes place in the realm of minds and public perception. Women, due to possessing emotional capital and extensive communication networks, can play an important role in conveying narratives and strengthening social trust.”
In the concluding part of her speech, Dr. Haji-Esma’ili raised a series of emerging jurisprudential questions, stating: “If this presence is evaluated toward strengthening the internal front and preserving the entity of Islamic society, can it be analyzed under titles such as public interests (masalih ‘ammah), assistance in defense (i’anah ‘ala al-difa’), or certain social duties? Furthermore, in case of conflict (tazahum) between such presence and certain individual rights, including the husband’s permission, what ruling will jurisprudential rules such as the more important over the important (aham wa muhimm) yield?”
She warned that the lack of a clear jurisprudential formulation regarding such social actions could lead to a gap between jurisprudential beliefs and the social realities of the new generation, and on the other hand, lay the groundwork for ambiguity and conflict within the family system.
Concluding her remarks, this researcher in women and family studies emphasized: “Contemporary Jurisprudence must clarify its relationship with this type of social action and, by providing valid frameworks, enable managing and resolving emerging conflicts between familial responsibilities and social responsibilities.”
Continuing the session, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mehdi Sajjadi-Amin, faculty member in the Department of Jurisprudence and Law at the Women and Family Research Institute, emphasizing the necessity of a deep understanding of religion when facing emerging social issues, presented his views, considering the examination of the jurisprudential dimensions of presence in assemblies to require simultaneous attention to individual jurisprudence (fiqh fardi) and governance jurisprudence (fiqh hukumati).
Stating that the principle of resistance against oppression and arrogance is accepted from the perspectives of reason and Sharia, he specified: “Indifference toward oppression is incompatible with religious teachings and rational foundations, and societies require responding to tyranny and aggression to maintain their social existence.”
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Sajjadi-Amin considered presence in social assemblies, from a jurisprudential perspective, analyzable under titles such as defending the Islamic system, deterrence against the enemy, strengthening social cohesion, cooperation in good (ta’awun ‘ala al-khayr), enjoining good and forbidding wrong (amr bi-l-ma’ruf wa nahy ‘an al-munkar), and confronting psychological warfare, stating that under certain conditions, this presence can possess significant jurisprudential importance and effects.
This researcher also enumerated dispelling suspicion of distance between the people and governance, boosting the morale of military forces, confronting the enemy’s media influence, honoring the martyrs’ ideals, and providing a platform for explanation and enlightenment as other functions of these assemblies.
Emphasizing that many of these titles are not exclusive to women and encompass all citizens, the faculty member at the Women and Family Research Institute added: “Nevertheless, women’s presence, due to their role within the family and influence on other family members, enjoys a special social capacity.”
He further pointed to certain jurisprudential considerations related to the presence of married women in social assemblies, stating: “Islamic jurisprudence, alongside emphasizing family stability and observing mutual spousal rights, also maintains its specific rulings in cases such as performing obligatory duties or under necessary and exceptional conditions.”
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Sajjadi-Amin, emphasizing the necessity of resolving these issues through dialogue and family understanding, specified: “Family relations must not be analyzed merely within the framework of legal and jurisprudential minimums; rather, the principle rests upon mutual understanding, companionship, and joint decision-making between spouses.”
Concluding his remarks, he noted: “In cases where a social action is tied to important public interests, assessing the relationship between these interests and other individual obligations requires evaluating the more important over the important (aham wa muhimm) and paying attention to concrete conditions and subject matters.”
Continuing the session, Ms. Borqei, member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Jurisprudence of Women and Family Affairs at the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence, critiqued certain foundations presented in the jurisprudential analysis of women’s presence in social assemblies. Emphasizing the social nature of this issue, she stated: “Presence in social arenas cannot be analyzed merely based on individual judgment; rather, this topic requires macro-evaluations based on social and specialized assessments.”
Ms. Maryam Borqei, Member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Jurisprudence of Women and Family Affairs at the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence
She also emphasized the necessity of revising the jurisprudential formulation of this topic, stating: “Certain raised titles possess overlap and parts of them can be analyzed under broader titles such as preserving the system (hifz al-nizam); hence, a more precise categorization and prioritization of these discussions appears necessary.”
In another part of her speech, the member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Jurisprudence of Women and Family Affairs addressed the question of women’s special position in this social phenomenon, adding: “It must be clarified whether women’s presence is analyzable merely regarding their shared social responsibilities with men, or if this presence, as a feminine action, possesses independent effects and implications.” She also considered analyzing this presence merely under the framework of a collective obligation (wajib kifa’i) subject to reflection, emphasizing the necessity of further examining its relationship with other types of social duties.
Continuing the session, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Bostan, referring to certain social and cultural implications of recent developments, emphasized the importance of rereading the relationship between national identity and religious identity in Iranian society.
Stating that one of the notable phenomena in recent developments has been the active and spontaneous role of the people in the public sphere, he stated: “In certain moments, the social presence of the people did not form merely in response to official calls; rather, a form of spontaneous social action arising from a sense of public responsibility among various strata of society was observed, which is noteworthy from a sociological perspective.”
The member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Jurisprudence of Women and Family Affairs at the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence considered one of the most important social effects of these developments to be redefining the relationship between national identity and religious identity, stating: “In Iran’s contemporary history, especially since the Pahlavi era, a form of duality and conflict was induced between national identity and religious identity, such that at times these two identities were pitted against each other.”
He added: “Following the Islamic Revolution, numerous efforts were made to create a link between these two identities; however, in recent developments, stronger signs of coexistence and synergy between national identity and religious identity were observed, such that national and religious symbols appeared side by side in the public sphere.”
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Bostan, pointing to social manifestations of this matter, noted: “In the formed social atmosphere, concepts such as love for Iran and belonging to the Islamic Ummah were understood and redefined not in opposition to one another, but as extensions of each other, and this very matter led to the formation of a kind of identity convergence among segments of society.”
He continued: “Within this framework, Iran is not defined merely as a geographical area, but is viewed as one of the influential focal points in the Islamic world and a platform for realizing the ideals of the Islamic Ummah.”
This researcher also pointed to the reflection of this transformation in the cultural and social sphere, specifying: “The welcoming of certain national symbols, anthems, and themes alongside religious concepts demonstrates the formation of a new reading of the relationship between Iranian identity and Islamic identity, which requires further study and analysis in social and cultural sciences.”
Concluding his remarks, he emphasized that examining the social dimensions of these developments can assist in better understanding the identity trends of Iranian society and how national and religious components interact under crisis conditions and social transformations.
In this scientific session, the topic of women’s presence in social assemblies was analyzed from both sociological and jurisprudential perspectives. The speakers, emphasizing transformations resulting from hybrid warfare and changing patterns of social action, considered women’s presence in the public sphere a multifaceted phenomenon that, alongside social and cultural effects, has placed fresh questions before Contemporary Jurisprudence.
In the jurisprudential discussions section, while examining various titles such as social defense, preserving public interests, social solidarity, collective responsibility, and the relationship of these actions with family rulings, the necessity of rereading jurisprudential capacities to confront emerging social issues was emphasized. Furthermore, in the critique and dialogue section, topics such as the relationship between individual jurisprudence and governance jurisprudence, criteria for identifying social duties, the status of women’s presence as an independent action, and the possibility of analyzing this presence under individual obligation (wajib ‘ayni) or collective obligation (wajib kifa’i) were discussed.
Continuing, certain attendees, pointing to the cultural and identity consequences of recent developments, considered these events a basis for redefining the relationship between religious identity and national identity in Iranian society, emphasizing the role of popular presence in forming new patterns of social solidarity.
The session “Jurisprudential Dimensions and Social Implications of Women’s Presence in Assemblies” can be evaluated as an effort toward understanding the various dimensions of an emerging social phenomenon and a step along the path of dialogue between jurisprudence, social studies, and the concrete issues of today’s society.