The Discourse of Women in Shiite and Salafism and the Reasons for Its Evolution in Shiite Discourse

This study aims to investigate the evolution and non-evolution of the status of women in both Salafi and Shiite discourses. In this study, using the method of analysis of Laclau and Mouffe discourses, we will show that although in the past and in Shiite discourse, like other traditional Islamic discourses, women had a lower status than men, but Shiite discourse using the institution of ijtihad was able to change the status of women and could eliminate many inequalities between men and women. This Shiite discourse was able to gather and attract many aspects of modern discourse such as freedom, equality, right of participation, etc. to focus on the signs of Ifaf (chastity) and to redefine these signs. Accordingly, women in the evolved Shiite discourse benefitted from many rights such as the right to freedom, participation, equality, etc., like men and the meanings of these signs also changed. For example, freedom means the freedom that does not conflict with chastity. It would make a huge difference in the field of women, but the Salafi discourse could not achieve this because of its implications.