The Second Lady Seeking the Leading Role
The Second Lady Seeking the Leading Role: According to Iran Gate, following the World Influential Women Congress hosted by Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we intend to explore its dimensions. None of the foreign guests of this congress were significant individuals, and all the prize winners were unknown. Additionally, according to Fatemeh Haghiressadat, the scientific secretary of the congress, seven guests won a prize of 20,000 euros, equivalent to one billion. On Sunday, January 22, Mrs. Haghiressadat, in response to journalists’ questions about the identity of the judges of this competition, refused to announce their names, deeming it confidential for at least two years.
According to observations by journalists present at the conference, the cost of the prizes, along with the cost of holding a meeting of this magnitude, is very substantial. If the organizers’ claim about the presence of 300 foreign guests at this meeting is true, the cost of airfare, five-day accommodation at the Parsian Evin Hotel, and their tours in Iran would be staggering.
Following the suppression of public protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, which faced widespread international criticism, the Islamic Republic held the World Influential Women Congress on January 20.
In the initial list of guests for this congress, titles such as First Ladies, ministers, parliament members, scientists, and entrepreneurs from 58 countries were seen. However, in the end, only Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, along with the wives of the Prime Ministers of Burkina Faso, the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Serbia, and a few African ministers attended.
In the mentioned congress, not only was there no recognized influential woman from Iran’s friendly countries like Russia, China, and Syria, or neighboring or Muslim countries present, but all seven prize winners were also unknown individuals.
A noteworthy point is that the wife of the Armenian Prime Minister participated in this congress while Iran is engaged in a cold war with Azerbaijan, and therefore, the First Lady of Armenia’s trip to Iran is more of a message to Azerbaijan and its regional ally, Turkey, than for the sake of the Islamic Republic itself.
Reactions to this event
In this context, Hossein Entezami, former Deputy Minister of Culture, also published a critical tweet demanding the publication of the guests’ names by country and field of excellence so that, as he said, one could understand their significance by Googling them. He also called for transparency of the event’s costs, broken down by each guest.
Hossein Dehbashi, a critical media activist, also tweeted, questioning how hosting by the Shah’s wife was good, but when it came to the current President’s wife, it was bad. Although in the Khadiba dinner, 20 kings, 5 queens, 21 princes, 16 presidents, 3 prime ministers, 4 vice presidents, and 69 foreign ministers attended, and at Raisi’s invitation, only the wives of the presidents of Serbia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Burkina Faso graced the event.
Meanwhile, the Mardom Salari newspaper also pointed out the absence of renowned foreign women at this congress and stated that among those who were honored, there was no prominent figure.
The report also mentions a photo without a hijab shared on social media by Maya Sabbagh, a Lebanese media activist and one of the congress guests, at the Parsian Evin Hotel, claiming that in Iran, ‘we have no restrictions.’
This Lebanese woman had previously been sent to Qatar with other media activists affiliated with the Islamic Republic to watch the World Cup games.
Unknown Winners Who Became Influential
Iran Gate, with a detailed examination of this congress, has reached the names of the winners of the Influential Women Congress prize, one of whom is Wanajan Sangiran Lee, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Malaya, who was mistakenly introduced as a Thai university professor by the state news agency IRNA.
The second prize went to Soudabeh Ghaffourifard, the daughter of Hassan Ghaffourifard, former parliament member, former central council member of the Islamic Coalition Party, and head of the inspection and supervision board of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
Kazansova Elena from Russia received the third prize, and Mrs. Haghiressadat claimed she is a musician, social activist, sculptor, and holds a PhD in biology, while this Russian lady introduced herself as a journalist on social media and has had collaborations with Mashhad University. Thus, it seems a nameless Russian journalist was invited to Tehran by the Ebrahim Raisi government and received the Influential Woman prize, while many influential Iranian women journalists are in prison.
Maria Beatriz Younes from Argentina also received a prize, but this report says neither in the congress speech was her influence mentioned, nor is there information about her available on the internet.
Fatemeh Haghiressadat said about this lady that she is a graduate of Al-Mustafa International University, a religious-propaganda institution of the Islamic Republic that strives to spread Shiism in foreign countries.
Pan Abe Shiami was also one of the individuals who received the congress prize as an influential woman from China. No explanation was given about her influence, but from her speech after receiving the prize, it could be understood that she is a Chinese businesswoman who was very surprised by receiving the prize, according to herself.