A huge misconception brought on by America and the Western world is that women’s rights are strictly progressive in the Western world. All of the images on television and in National Geographic magazine of starving, poor, or veiled women in developing countries lead individuals to assume that the entire population is in need of ‘help’ and ‘saving.’

Pick up a copy of The New York Times, a nationally-recognized newspaper and a ‘progressive’ one at that, and flip through the pages that deal with world and national news. You’d think that every single Middle Eastern woman is not only oppressed by the ways of her country, but that it is a part of her culture to agree with and practice the oppression.

A very important component to feminism is the understanding that the desire of equality between genders exists everywhere, including the needy countries. The women of Iran, for example, are not completely helpless and in need of saving by the ‘Big, Bad West.’ There have always been revolutions and counterculture occurrences for women’s rights, and still continue today.

One bad seed always spoils it for the bunch, and just because the Iranian government manipulates its citizens into believing their religion is responsible for the ‘veiling’ (in more ways than one) of their women does not mean that all Iranian women fall victim to this. There are numerous men and women who fight the power every day in their own ways.

Marjane Satrapi is a clear example of this. Satrapi is the author of the famous, autobiographical graphic novel series, ‘Persepolis.’ It is the story of a young female growing up in Iran during the 1979 Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq war. The main character, Marji, takes us through her daily life with illustrations that are often more powerful than the actual words on the page.

Satrapi came and spoke as part of a panel at the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in as a part of The Cultural Diplomacy Symposium, specifically on the United Nations’ International Day of Peace yesterday. Satrapi has visited SU before, and was such an asset the University asked her back.

SU explained Monday’s event and a short biography of Satrapi on their Web site: ‘The premise of her work is that the more we can see each other for our humanity, the less likely we are to commit acts of hatred and violence.’ Speaking as an individual who has been personally moved and affected by her work, Satrapi explores ideas of peace and understanding by depicting the most harmful and truthful of events.

Among many other important lessons readers should take from her work, there is a huge presence of self-awareness and loyalty in the graphic novel, ‘Persepolis.’ Marji’s grandmother dispenses very important advice at the end of the first volume when her granddaughter is preparing to leave Iran for good: ‘In life you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance…always keep your dignity and be true to your self.’

This reinforces the fact that whether it’s the Iranian, French, or American women’s movement, one is always guaranteed to find the concept: being true to your self.

Krystie Yandoli is a sophomore women’s studies major. Her columns appear weekly. She can be reached at klyandol@syr.edu.