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[Caro!]

So things were really bad fo women after the revolution. Dark clothes were mandatory, but how are things now??? Are women doing better under the ayatollah laws??

Caro!

[whereshegoes]

Stoning of Women in Iran

and

The PO-lice attack

These articles are not very positive.

Check here for some interesting info

Womens Forum against Fundamentalism

[kris]

my brother is currently listening to radio 4 and so i'm listening to the afternoon play, it's about a women called roxanna in iran who has to pass an annual interview at work to keep her job.. maybe there is some interesting info on that link..

[Caro!]

Thank you, I will check it out!


Caro!

[lucinate]

Just from travelling through Iran and not delving into too much off the relatively well beaten path, the women in most towns we went to wore mostly dark colours. It's a part of Islam, I believe, that tells them to wear demure colours and not be too ostentatious, not only in their dress but in their behaviour as well.

In Tehran the women dress much more fashionably. Their long coats are much, much shorter, tighter and colourful. Their scarves that they must wear by law are just lightly placed over the top of their heads with the front and rear of their hair showing. They show their ankles and wrists, wear makeup and smoke. Some even wore tight jeans! It is the capital though.

Not all women wear the chador but alot do. I did find them confident people though and they were not afraid to speak to us at all. Of course it was mostly men and younger people that we spoke to but all the same the younger generations are quite clear in what they want. They're all proud to be muslim but they want to make their own choices and have a little more freedom.

In smaller towns we did hear that women are mis-treated and still stoned so it's defintely still there but we didn't experience it. The legal age for marriage is 9 years old for girls. Yep, that's definitely a girl at that age. Personally I can't see how any man would want to have a relationship with a 9 year old.

Some women are happy to wear the hijab and darker colours and others aren't. At least it's not law that they wear the chador. Apparently two years ago even tourist women had to wear chadors! For some women it's like a security blanket too. When we walked past they'd pull it closer around them as if to shield themselves from any nasties they might catch from us.

People stared at me not only because I'm white and have blonde hair and freckles but because I was wearing a turquoise blue coat with matching headscarf!

Unemployment is incredibly high and there isn't a social welfare system. Although alot of people are university educated there are not jobs for them to apply their knowledge. We spoke to a 21 year old girl who said that women her age are thinking of their careers first and then happy to marry later. I'm sure that's not the case for everyone but at least it's there.

[Caro!]

Lucy, thank you so much for your comment, that is the kind of info I was looking for.


As for you my favorite uncle, you need to stop being so full of yourself. I KNOW you have travel a lot and I'm sure you know more than me, so that is the reason I open this forum.

About the American way, dude I'm COLOMBIAN, and just because I live in the US it doens't mean I think as many Americans do. I do appreciate you answering my comment.

My question wasn't meant to be political, I just wanted to know how women live in Iran because I'm reading a book about it and I wanted to know a different perspective of the situation.

Caro!

[Caro!]

And that is the reason you are my FAVORITE AUNTIE, because you can tell stories to your niece about places she has never visit!!!

And your niece loves it!!!!

Caro!

[wakingdream]

Caro, not sure which book you are reading at the moment, but I am reading a very interesting book called The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclomation for Women and Islam, written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a Dutch member of parliament originally born into Islam in Somalia and a very admired and respected activist for women in Islam. I am very interested in the topic after spending quite a bit of time with SE Asian Muslim women.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Allen, I think you should get online and google women in Turkey. From what I have been reading, women do not enjoy the same freedoms that men do. According to the US organization, Amnesty International:

"Though Turkey has taken recent steps to bring its laws into line with international standards on human rights, severe problems remain, particularly for Turkish women. The government has passed new legislation prescribing tougher penalties for battering or abusing women, although this legislation is not widely enforced. Familial violence, including rape, murder, beatings, and enforced suicide is still prevalent".
The meaning of "prevalent" is as follows: prevalent : preferred method superior, dominant widespread. This sounds pretty oppressive to me, however, I do not claim to be any kind of expert.

This does not sound like "freedom" to me, unless "freedom" has some other meaning I am not aware about. Having a woman prime minister does not guarantee that women enjoy the same freedoms as men either. That is a naive assumption. Turkish women are GRADUALLY starting to break the from male domination, they are a far cry away from having freedoms such as many western women enjoy.

You have to realise that often things are not always as they appear on the surface, and what you see, is not really what you get in many cases. Do you get the opportunity to dig deeper into a culture on your "tours"? I doubt you have spoken to many Turkish woman about how they are treated by the men in their families. I may be wrong, but, it seems your idea of a political discussion is "I am right, and you are wrong. End of story". We all have experiences and education to share with each other. And Allen? Going to loads of countries does not automatically make you an expert on anything. It just proves that you have many stamps in your passport.

[Caro!]

I was reading "Reading Lolita in Teheran" it is a true story about women that get together to read books that are prohibited under their goverment. The book also takes you to their personal issues of being a women in Iran.

Uncle_ D about women in Pakistan not being able to drive, I just asked my friend Safia,who is pakistani, about the driving situation; she says that women in Pakistand have been drivng for over 10 years! And the only country she knows still lacks this right is South Arabia. So what it is, do they drive or they don't?

Caro!

[itsem]

hey Caro - my friend (tp-id: traceygigg) finished this book (Lolita in Tehran) and couldnt stop talking about it (she couldnt believe that Switzerland had been used as an example of western decadence) so I have just started reading it too!

[wakingdream]

Hi Nine. I can understand what you are saying. I think sometimes it is difficult for some people to accept a certain way of life that is very different from their own, no matter how much one travels and/or experiences. I think we definitely project our confusion and misunderstanding onto other cultures sometimes. At times it can be very difficult to understand another's culture, but I believe that many people want to try. It is not right to say what is right or wrong for anyone, it is only right to say what is right or wrong for yourself. Respect can get us everywhere, even when we disagree with one another.

[wakingdream]

You're welcome nine. I think your culture is very interesting and I am learning more about it all the time. Were you born and raised in SA?

[wakingdream]

Nine, I'm Canadian and grew up in a 100% traditional Hungarian family which has been quite an interesting experience in itself!
I would love to visit the ME. Now I know who to talk to! Thanks.

[Paul]

Yeah, generally I have found that Muslims in South East Asia want to show you their religion, help explain it and some mosques are quite open to a visit, but not at prayer times.

I haven't experienced the middle east yet, except for the airport in Dubai. I would like to though.

Paul