Final IO script:

Good afternoon,
Religion has long been a powerful influence on human culture and society, shaping attitudes
and behaviours for millennia. However, this influence has not always been a positive force,
as evidenced by the use of religion as a tool to oppress women. This global issue is a deeply
troubling manifestation of gender inequality, whereby religious beliefs are used to justify and
perpetuate harmful practices, such as the subjugation of women, the denial of basic human
rights, and the suppression of female autonomy. This issue is prevalent in many real-world
cases, such as the Hijab protests in Tehran. Therefore, the global issue that I will be
discussing today is “Religion as a tool to oppress women” through my literary extract, which
is from page 114 of the book Persepolis chapter “Kim Wilde”. On the other hand, my non-
literary text is a political cartoon illustrated by Iranian born cartoonist Mansoure dehghani
titled “Was blocked” to show the existing condition of women in Afghanistan. Persepolis,
written by Marjane Satrapi shows Marjane growing up in a liberal family during the time of
Iranian Revolution, where there was war and violence which all contrasted her modern
perception of the world. Whereas, the political cartoon portrays the religious oppression of
women in Afghanistan through deep symbolism and irony.
To begin with Persepolis- this novel brings out the vulnerability and inevitability of women
and also the toxicity of men in power that take religion as a tool to oppress women and their
own individual choices. We can see this in many instances, and one of them is shown in the
extract. The extract is from the chapter 18 Kim Wilde where Marjane’s parents get her pop
posters and Marjane goes out all alone to buy some western music tapes. As she comes
back, the guardians of the revolution, also the protectors of religious culture stop her for her
outfit and we see them exploiting Marjane for her outfit, as it is not abiding to the dress-
code in Iran, specifically made for women. In the first panel, we see Marjane who is all
happy, who is listening to music and enjoying her time, and simultaneously in the
background we see the women guardians or the protectors of religious culture in the car.
And this background shows how even women are driven by patriarchy and the car that they
are driving acts as a symbol. The car symbolizes the mindset of the women as driven by
patriarchy and they are driving or forcing it onto others in society to perform their roles.
However, in further panels, we can see that these guardians are still aware of punk style and
basketballl and Michael Jackson, which shows the reader that they can be liberated but they
were forced into patriarchy by the regime.

And this difference between being liberated and fundamentalist is shown through the use of
colour by Marjane Satrapi. Throughout the novel, Marjane uses the deep contrasting black
and white colours, the black is used to represent religious fundamentalism whereas the
white is used to represent modernity. Even in this extract, Marjane is seen wearing a veil and
the veil is in black whereas the jacket and the punk shoes are seen in white. Moreover, the
color is also used to express the guardian’s authority over Marjane. In panel 3, one of the
guardian’s faces is half covered in black, and black is a color which shows evilness and
Marjane is in all white which shows innocence and purity. This gives a message to the
reader that Marjane is being threatened and exploited by the guardians for her outfit. The
minimal use of colors in Persepolis gives the reader Marjane’s view about Iran and the
western world, while also makes the reader feel sympathetic for women in Iran.
Furthermore, Marjane Satrapi uses diction to convey the extent of extremism that was faced
by the people in Iran during the revolution. The guardians of revolution in this panel are
using very inappropriate language towards Marji, who was just a teen. This is also seen when
Marji’s mother was abused and vulgarity of language was used on her in the chapter 11 - The
Trip. All these language techniques are used to provoke the reader and to show that the
women in Iran are being marginalized, no matter the age. Moreover, Marjane Satrapi uses
juxtaposition in the first two panels of the extract. In the first panel, we see Marjane nice and
confident; she is listening to a song whose lyrics read “We’re the kids in America” and this
first panel juxtaposes the other panels in the extract as compared to the situation she is in as
she gets caught up in trouble. This juxtaposition makes the scene more dramatic to the
reader, which helps in conveying the message of forcing patriarchy into the society of Iran.
Overall, the extracts and Persepolis in general connects to the global issue of religion as a
tool to oppress women because of the way religion has forced women to behave in a
fundamentalist way, being considered as the absolute, and the only source of truth. This is
because, we see in Persepolis, the women in Iran are being marginalized and are considered
as the carriers of religion which is forcing them to dress and behave in a fundamentalist way
whereas men are sent to fight for the country. Overall, the text forces the readers to think
about how religion has been used as a vital tool to shape the perspectives of the citizens,
where good and bad have been clearly defined, and is being actively used to subjugate
women.
The political cartoon “Was blocked” by Mansoure Dehghani showcases a panel of a woman
in a blue niqab with nothing but her eyes visible. Her eyes have a sort of blue tint with a
screwdriver wedge on them. The reader’s assumption is soon proven true as the image of a
man walking with a gigantic screwdriver can be seen in the foreground. The man is in
traditional afghani clothes and is carrying, a rather large screwdriver. At a first glance this
cartoon looks plain. However, as one carefully delves deeper, the intricacies and the
complexities start to emerge. This cartoon uses symbolism and use of colour to portray the
religious oppression of women. First of all, upon closer inspection, the outlines of the niqab
on the women around her almost seem as if it has been permanently fixed, or applied by
force. This portrays how the niqab has been attached by force, and is not up to the woman to
control. Furthermore, The Niqab itself symbolizes the suppression of women’s rights under
the islam fundamentalist rules as the woman is not allowed to reveal her identity, and
showcase her true beauty, because of a socially constructed gendered role. This cartoon
builds upon the idea of using religion to subjugate women involving the creation and
perpetuation of hierarchical power structures that privilege men over women, and enforce
strict gender roles and norms that limit women's opportunities and freedoms. This is often
achieved through the construction of gendered religious narratives that justify and reinforce
these power dynamics, and the use of religious texts and teachings to legitimize oppressive
practices and beliefs. Furthermore, the use of the eyes as a screw symbolizes the idea of
using religion to alter one’s perspectives of the world around them, and using religious texts
to shape ones views and beliefs of the world, and therefore, suppressing female autonomy
and freedom of thought. To add to that, the size of the screwdriver represents the power
religion has over the mass. Having a common shared belief is difficult to break, especially in
a fundamentalist state. Lastly, the use of bold and striking colours such as the blue is used to
express the gravity of the situation. How such a common problem is in front of us, yet we
turn a blind eye towards the same. At a closer glance, the women’s expressions can be
viewed as “cold” or “unfazed” as she does not know what is going on around her.
The body of work is the cartoon movement ALSO titled Was blocked by Mansoure
dehghani. Showcases a panel of cartoons that focus around the theme of patriarchal
oppression, and womens rights violations. Her work is particularly poignant as it draws from
her personal experience of growing up in a country where gender inequality is pervasive and
religious norms are used to justify oppressive practices.

Dehghani's cartoons often feature women who are subjugated and constrained by the
demands of religious norms and expectations. For example, in one of her cartoons, a woman
is shown wearing a hijab that completely covers her face, with only her eyes visible. The text
accompanying the cartoon reads "I have a face, but it's not mine to show." This cartoon
highlights the ways in which women are often compelled to conform to strict dress codes in
the name of religious piety, even when it means that they are denied basic freedoms such as
the right to express themselves or even to be seen.

Another of Dehghani's cartoons depicts a woman who is shown with a padlock on her
mouth, with the text "Freedom of speech." This cartoon illustrates how women's voices are
often silenced and marginalized in societies where patriarchal and religious norms hold
sway. It highlights the ways in which women are often denied the right to speak out, to
express their opinions, and to engage in public discourse.

Overall, Dehghani's cartoons provide a powerful visual commentary on the ways in which
religion is used as a tool to oppress women. They illustrate how religious norms and
practices can be used to justify the subjugation of women, and how this can result in a range
of harmful outcomes, from limited access to education and economic opportunities to
restrictions on reproductive autonomy and gender-based violence. By highlighting these
issues through her art, Dehghani draws attention to the urgent need to challenge patriarchal
and religious norms that perpetuate gender inequality, and to promote the full and equal
participation of women in all spheres of society.
To conclude, both the texts effectively bring out the global issue “ Religion as a tool to
oppress women” through a multitude of literary devices such as symbolism, visual imagery,
and graphic weight. Overall, the use of religion as a tool to oppress women is a deeply
problematic and troubling practice, and one that requires sustained efforts to challenge and
overcome. This will require a multi-faceted approach that involves challenging patriarchal
norms and power structures, promoting gender equality and women's rights, and re-
examining and re-interpreting religious texts and teachings in ways that empower women
and promote their full and equal participation in society