Feminism and Women's Rights in Sur-i Israfil Newspaper

New communication systems such as the press were established in Iran in the 19th century following direct and indirect contacts with Western modernism. The focal point of the current research is to find out the role of the press in the social and political developments of Iran, especially in the field of feminism and women's rights in this period. Historically, the beginning of this process can be referred to the period before the establishment of the press in Iran. This historical background shows the meaning that the said modernization process went through different periods of transformation in such a way that each of them had a specific effect on the country. The importance of these influences, which occurred in the 19th century, can be witnessed in the modern history of Iran. It was in this century that the foundations of Western power and the beginning of the classical age of imperialism were laid in the world. The influence of the West on Iran goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, that is, the period when the military pressure of Russia and then Britain led to the forced and humiliating acceptance of some treaties on the part of Iran. The publication of the first Iranian newspaper in 1215 AH (1837 AD) by Mirza Saleh Shirazi created an important change in the country. The launch of other publications, including Sur-i Israfil, was the result of the first action in this field. The present research is actually an exploratory/analytical, quantitative/qualitative and content/discourse and historical study of Sur-i Israfil newspaper, especially in the field of women's rights.