IRAN: Women Hold Meeting on MENA

Date: 
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Source: 
Press TV
Countries: 
Asia
Western Asia
Iran
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Participation

A number of Iranian and Egyptian women experts and officials have held a meeting to discuss developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Press TV reports.

The one-day meeting, entitled Women's Role in Egypt's Revolution, was held in the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday.

During the gathering, the Egyptian women revolutionaries discussed the role that women played in the revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.

They noted that Iran was a model for Egyptian revolutionaries during the early days of their struggle for freedom and democracy.

“The revolution in Egypt and other Arab countries, as well as the popular protests in the West, have all been inspired by Iran's revolution,” Egyptian researcher Awatel Aboshady told Press TV on the sidelines of the meeting.

Naglaa Elkaluby, who also participated in the meeting, said that Iran is the standard-bearer of revolutions throughout the region, adding, “We see Iran's revolution as a model that moved our revolution forward.”

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took power in Egypt following Mubarak's ouster on February 11, when massive protests ended his 30-year rule.

Iran severed ties with Egypt after Cairo signed the 1978 Camp David Accords with Israel and offered asylum to Iran's deposed dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In April 2011, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi called for the normalization of ties with Iran, saying Cairo was committed to improving long-frozen relations with Tehran.