Tahirih
revolutionary. Emancipated. Pure heart
TAHIRI (born Fatimih Bigum Baraghani) 1814-1852, Iran
Tahirih represents the tension between living in your personal spiritual truths and adhering to larger social/cultural/religious expectations. She was an early follower of the Bahá'í tradition. The central theme of the Bahá'í message is the “establishment of the unity of humankind in a single global society including the elimination of all forms of prejudice, and the attainment of full equality of men and women”. No other world religion has been quite as explicit as the Bahá'í faith in its support of the principle of the equality of men and women, yet, they would not let women in their faith embody these main tenants.
Tahirih held fast to her belief that this new faith was exempt from the ways of its Islamic past. She would often appear in front of others without her veil. For Tahirih, removing the veil was primarily an act of religious innovation.
This was met with indignation and she was eventually her vail was used to strangle her to death. This piece invites viewers to ask how would the practice of Islam unfolded if Tahirih could have embodied and lived her faith? What would be the understanding of women’s roles and rights in Iran?
Through her poetry and actions women in her region became aware of their deprivations as her dying words proclaimed "You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women."
Artwork by Moonjube
