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Iranian Grand Ayatollah Grants Women More Marital Rights (RFERL, September 10, 2010)

An Iranian grand ayatollah has ruled that it is not always necessary for a young woman to get a father or grandfather's permission to be married, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. [...]

This new take on a traditional Shari'a law regarding marriage by Shirazi -- who is one of Iran's few grand ayatollahs and sources of emulation -- indicates an easing of views by Iranian ayatollahs on some Shari'a laws.

Shirazi's opinion on this issue during a lecture gives it the force of a fatwa.

London-based Iranian Islamic philosophy lecturer Abbas Mohajerani told Radio Farda on September 9 that the issue has been discussed by other sources of emulation as well.

"This is not a brand new fatwa, it has been mentioned in other resalehs" -- a reference to a guide on daily Islamic rituals -- "but what is new in this order is the increased rights given to the woman," he said. [...]

Mohajerani added that grand ayatollahs have taken more "modern" stances on "many issues" recently. He cited the marriage of a Muslim man to a Christian woman, something that was banned before but under new fatwas is now allowed.