Zahra Eshraghi | |
Native Name: | Persian: زهرا اشراقی |
Birth Place: | Tehran, Imperial State of Iran |
Spouse: | Mohammad Reza Khatami |
Children: | Alireza, Fatemeh[1] |
Parents: | Shahab od-Din Eshraghi Sedigheh Khomeini |
Zahra Eshraghi Khomeini (fa|زهرا اشراقی|translit=''Zahrâ Eshrâqi'') (born 1964) is an Iranian activist and former government official.
Eshraghi was born in 1964. She is the granddaughter of Ayatollah Khomeini.[2] She is a philosophy graduate.[3]
Zahra Eshraghi wants the wearing of headscarves to no longer be compulsory. She believes that: "Our (Iran's) constitution still says that the man is the boss and the woman is a loyal wife who sacrifices herself for her family. But society here has changed, especially in the last 10 years. If my grandfather were here now, I am sure he would have had very different ideas."
She also stated "The constitution my grandfather approved says that only a man can be president... We would like to change the wording from 'man' to 'anyone'. But discrimination here is not just in the constitution. As a woman, if I want to get a passport to leave the country, have surgery, even breathe almost, I must have permission from my husband."[4]
In 1983, Eshraghi married Mohammad-Reza Khatami, former head of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the main reformist party in Iran and younger brother of former president Mohammad Khatami.[5] They have two children, a daughter, Fatemeh, and a son, Ali.
In 2004, Eshraghi was blocked from running for parliament by the Guardian council, which vets the parliamentary candidates.[6] [7]