The fourth international convention for the commemoration of the Palestinian martyrdom-seeking mujahideen

"The Daughters of the Olive" – in memory of the female Palestinian martyrdom seekers

April 21, 2005, at 16:00. The Seventh-of-Tir Square at the beginning of Shahid Mofatteh St., The Master of Shahids Hall.

The Fund for Martyrs and Disabled of the Islamic Revolution

The Society for the Defense of the Palestinian People

The League for Commemoration of the Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement

In Tehran, Zahra Shoja'i, Khatami's advisor on women's affairs, Zahra Mostafavi, Secretary-General of the Women's Society, and some female MPs participated in an international convention called "Commemorating the Palestinian Female Martyrdom-Seekers."

They praised the women and girls who carried out martyrdom operations and sacrificed their lives for the Palestinian People.

The name of the convention was "Daughters of the Olive."

Ashraf Abd Al-Fattah: At the moment we have a Palestinian Authority elected by the Palestinian people who appointed Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, to be president. Mahmoud Abbas is seeking peace and normalization. Before him, the Shahid, President Yasser Arafat also signed the Oslo Accords. Then came the "Clinton Understanding" and talks with Barak. Arafat was seeking peace. Is he a traitor too? I'd like to know what is the treachery in normalization. Cultural normalization… Why are we afraid of Israel? How can it invade us? How will it change our concepts? What are the concepts it wants to change? What will happen if we host Israelis? Sharon visited Sharm Al-Sheikh. Did he take a piece of Sharm Al-Sheikh back with him to Israel?

We don't want to raise slogans that have never helped our causes. Since 1948 we have been raising slogans. We've heard many words. "We will throw Israel and its supporters into the Mediterranean and the Red Sea." Yet, we have not liberated one inch of land. Egypt has regained the entire Sinai Peninsula only through peace, and if Sadat hadn't signed the Camp David Accords in 1978 we would never have regained Sinai.

Interviewer: So you think that a woman is permitted to become a ruler. Do you think a woman can become the Caliph of the Muslims?

Suheila Hammad: She can become a queen or a president. This has already happened. I'm telling you, it's possible...

Interviewer: I'm just asking. Do you think this is permitted?

Suheila Hammad: This isn't what I think. This is Islam.

Interviewer: What percentage of Saudi women make this demand? I suspect that it's just you and a few others.

Suheila Hammad: No, there are a lot, but unfortunately they don't have the courage to make demands and to speak out. But we constantly hear women saying: "Our rights are already guaranteed. We are content and satisfied with what we have."

Interviewer: I suspect that although your voice is loud, it represents only a small group – all these demands of yours.

Suheila Hammad: Unfortunately, these women are not aware of their rights. We were raised to compromise. Our education, Mr. Turki... We were raised to believe that women must always make compromises on top of compromises. Women have learned to be satisfied with anything, as if this is normal. Religious discourse has raised her to make compromises. We always hear clerics say that a woman must be like this or that, but they never say "her rights are this and that," and they don't obligate men to do such things.

This is our religious discourse. They only obligate the women, while men have no obligations. Unfortunately, for the most part obligations apply only to women. Women must do this and that, to the point where there are women who say that polygamy is the original state of affairs. Who said that polygamy is the original state of affairs? If this were so, God would have created more than one Eve for Adam. If this were so, the Prophet Muhammad wouldn't have settled for Hadija alone, when he got married.

Sheik 'Ali Saud Al-Kuleib: The Al-Aqsa Mosque has been lost in our times. It has been taken over by the enemies of Allah, the enemies of the prophets, the enemies of the messengers, the enemies of the Muslims, and even the enemies of humanity. You cannot find a single nation, a single country or people in the whole wide world who likes the Jews. Hatred of them is in the hearts of all people. If you say to someone - whatever his religion or faith may be – "you Jew," he will not like it one little bit. He will consider this a curse, an offense and dishonor, regardless of his religion. No one likes them. Allah instilled hatred towards them in the hearts of His servants. They took control over the Muslims.