Page:The Moslem World Vol XI.djvu/146

122 very lax Mohammedans. Islam teaches that women should not work for the upkeep of the house, but these women do much of the work of the tribe, and so earn a good position. They all ride, and some are excellent shots. They are said to be moral; in some tribes immoral women are shot. Polygamy is the custom. The chiefs of some of the more important tribes have come in contact with Europeans, and are asking for doctors and teachers for whom they are able and willing to pay.

The progressive element, as elsewhere, is in the towns, and it is among the townswomen, those who suffer most, that there is real movement. In cities which have contact with the West, such as Teheran and Isfahan, this is most evident. Men and boys come to Europe for business or education; Europeans, and among them a number of American and English women, live and work in these and other cities. The literate throughout the country number three per cent of the men, and three per cent of the women, chiefly town dwellers.

For some years educated women in Teheran have realized the backwardness of their country, and seen how much the place of its women was answerable for this condition. Considering their lack of knowledge and experience they have made real progress.

During the revolution of 1910-11 they exerted a powerful moral influence on the movement. Three hundred women came to the Majlis (Parliament), some of whom were admitted. They tore aside their veils and said they would kill their husbands, their sons, and themselves if the liberty and dignity of the Persian nation were not upheld. Behind the curtains in the mosques they read exhortations to their sisters to stand firm to the dream of Persian independence. The men asked for and read these documents, and it was said in the Majlis, "The women teach us how to love our country." They gave money and jewels, saying, "We are women and cannot fight, but we can give to our country."