Haghighatjoo specializes in Islam, gender 
Fatemeh Haghighatjoo's last name may look like a jumble of consonants to Western readers, but, as she told a crowd Thursday evening, it means "seeker of truth."
Haghighatjoo addressed a group of about 80 students, professors and community leaders in the Gambrell Hall Auditorium for a lecture on "Islam, Politics and Gender Equality Movements."
Her desire to seek truth, often controversially, has landed her many places besides lecture halls.
Before moving to the U.S. in 2005, she lived in Iran, her birthplace, where she was a vocal activist for gender equality, especially in politics.
At one point in Iran, her mother woke her to say some "friends" had come to see her. Haghighatjoo quickly realized these late-night visitors were not friends but policemen, there to arrest her for comments she had made criticizing a political leader.
She was jailed but released the next day because she was scheduled to speak at a human rights conference.
"And how would it look if I didn't show up because I was in jail?" she said, with a laugh.
In her lecture and professional work, she addresses gender gaps in politics, health, education and the economy.
Economic equality has improved in recent decades, she said, but Haghighatjoo cautioned that it can be used to mask other forms of inequality.
Take, for example, polygamy, which she said is supported, at least arguably, under Islamic law. Some in Iran argue that if a man can financially support several wives, polygamy is acceptable, even desirable.
But Haghighatjoo disagrees.
"What about love?" she asked. "You can't reduce a relationship between a couple to a financial issue."
Her goal, she said, isn't to defend any religion — she's a practicing Muslim, but she believes secularism can be socially productive.
Instead, she said, she wants to teach others about equality and inspire people to have the confidence to call for fairness from politicians.
One barrier in Iran's relationship with the U.S., she said, is the Islamic extremism depicted in American media. To combat it, she encouraged raising the visibility of moderate Muslims.
Her comparisons of gender equality in the U.S. and Iran showed how deep misunderstandings can run.
Though Americans often think Middle Eastern governments are especially oppressive toward women, Haghighatjoo dispelled this misconception.
Approximately 25 percent of parliamentary seats in the Middle East are held by women, compared to only 17 percent of U.S. seats.
And the U.S. is one of only a handful of countries that hasn't ratified the United Nation's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
But these facts aren't reason to feel hopeless, she said.
"All of us are agents of change if we wish to be that," she said, adding that college represents an especially important time to act. "When I went to university, I was transformed."
That was a point she contrasted with other aspects of collegiate life, including USC's Thursday night football game against Vanderbilt.
"There are issues in the world more important than Gamecock football," she said.
Haghighatjoo and three other scholars will take part in a panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in Gambrell Hall Auditorium. They will address topics related to the Iranian nuclear problem, including the likely consequences of a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.