1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile . The revolution also ended the ceremonial role of first lady that the last queen , Farah , enjoyed . At this rally , Rahnavard -- a writer and art professor -- spoke for her husband , who was campaigning elsewhere . Wearing a floral headscarf and a traditional black chador -- a full-length loose robe that women in Iran wear like a cloak -- Rahnavard called for freedoms she says were lost during President Mahmoud Ahmadijenad 's term . `` I hope freedom of speech , freedom of the pen and freedom of thought will not be forgotten , '' she said . The crowd , which was clad in Mousavi 's trademark color green , cheered wildly . It waved placards with his picture and swayed from side to side , chanting and beating drums . The women sat on one side ; the men on the other . The overwhelming majority were young voters , many of whom said they attended because of Mousavi 's wife , a mother of three . Iran 's population -- estimated at more than 66
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dancing in public is not allowed in Iran , but thousands could hardly contain themselves at a recent presidential campaign rally in the capital city , Tehran . Supporters hope Zahra Rahnavard will become Iran 's future first lady . On this day , the deafening cheers were not for presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi , but rather for his wife -- a woman some are calling Iran 's Michelle Obama . The comparisons to the first lady of the United States stem from the role Zahra Rahnavard is playing in her husband 's quest for the presidency . Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a candidate put his wife in the forefront of his campaign . Wherever Mousavi -- a centrist candidate -- goes , Rahnavard is usually nearby . Watch more about Zahra Rahnavard '' `` We look at her and we say , ` we want to be like her in the future , ' '' said Shakiba Shakerhosseie , one of 12,000 people who packed into Tehran 's indoor Azadi -LRB- Freedom -RRB- sports stadium to hear Rahnavard speak . Iran became an Islamic republic in