Islamic Feminist Mobilizations

Repression in Iran and the Cultural Imperialism of Human Rights

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of feminist mobilizations in post-2022 Iran, with a specific focus on Muslim women as political subjects and the tensions between internal repression and external impositions. The central theme revolves around the double subordination experienced by these women: on the one hand, the authoritarian repression of the Iranian regime; on the other, the cultural imperialism of the international human rights regime, which projects Western values as universal and delegitimizes local forms of resistance. The main objective of the study is to understand how these two systems, although distinct, operate in an interconnected manner to restrict female autonomy, rendering invisible the struggles for justice that emerge from within Islamic traditions themselves. Methodologically, the research is qualitative in nature, based on a critical review of academic literature and documentary analysis of secondary sources, such as reports from international organizations and NGOs active in the Iranian context. As its main findings, the article demonstrates that both state repression and Western salvationist discourse contribute to limiting the possibilities for Muslim women's agency, reinforcing stereotypes, silencing their voices, and obscuring the complexity of their demands. It concludes that the defense of gender justice in the Islamic context requires recognition of the cultural and religious specificities of these women, avoiding simplistic and universalist solutions that reiterate colonial dynamics.