Former Dem lawmaker actually argues America doesn’t have leg to stand on when condemning Iran’s treatment of women

Former Democratic state Sen. Nina Turner of Ohio claimed on Sunday that the United States does not hold moral authority over Iran when it comes to women’s rights.

Iranian women have faced threats of fines, imprisonment and even flogging for breaching the nation’s hijab regulations that have been in place since 1979. While Turner said on a special edition of “2WAY TONIGHT” that she disapproves of the Iranian government’s treatment of women, she turned her criticism toward America and even defended the practice of wearing hijabs.

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“I’m not happy that the Iranian government would treat women differently or disrespectfully. I’m also not happy about the disrespectful nature of how American women are treated here,” Turner said. “It was a time in this country’s history — and that’s why I mean that we don’t have moral high ground— but if we go to countries and say, ‘Let’s learn from our experience’ … I hear stories from older women who tell me there was a period of time in this country where women could not own credit cards.”

“They had to get their husband’s permission,” she continued. “That there was, in practice — you know, there’s a difference between de jure and de facto — so, in fact, that women were very limited in this country on how they could move, how they could comport themselves, what they can own, and what they could not own.”

Turner particularly noted her opposition to abortion restrictions enacted by male lawmakers.

“So from that vantage point, I’m very disturbed that you have mainly male legislators who have decided that women cannot control their own bodies. Now, this is not a matter of whether you’re pro-abortion or not, right? I’m pro-choice, I’m not pro-abortion,” she said. “But that male legislators have decided in the United States of America that they’re going to legislate on women’s bodies — I’m very disturbed about that. I’m very disturbed when women lose their healthcare or don’t have enough healthcare or are not making enough money to be able to help their families.”

“In that regard, I’m a humanitarian. So I don’t want to see women put upon in any country. But what I do understand is that Iran is a sovereign nation,” she added. “I do understand that there are women in the Muslim tradition who cover up and they want to wear their covering. Not all of these women are being put upon … I have friends in that community. I have family members in that community. So don’t say that it is not true. It is not our job to put upon another culture our wishes. We cannot do that.”

Turner concluded by condemning oppression everywhere, but advocating for focusing on America first.

“So yeah, I am disturbed that anybody is oppressed — period — whether it is in another country or here,” she said. “But my argument is this: we need to take care of inequity and inequality for women in the United States of America before we start going over there looking in somebody else’s backyard.”

Marital rape is not a crime in Iran, while any sex that takes place outside of  a marriage is a criminal act that women can face extreme penalties for, including stoning, according to Impact Iran.

“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg also suggested on Wednesday that black and gay Americans have endured similar abuses to those in Iran.

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