Keeping the Basiji employed

In the summer between the last Iranian election and the next, the social conservatives remind everyone who is in charge. The Washington Post reports:

Iranian authorities step up arrests of women for 'immodest' dress

Iranian authorities have begun police patrols in the capital to arrest women wearing clothes deemed improper. The campaign against loose-fitting veils and other signs of modernism comes as government opponents are calling for rallies to mark the anniversary of the disputed presidential election, and critics of the crackdown say it is stoking feelings of discontent.

But hard-liners say that improper veiling is a "security issue" and that "loose morality" threatens the core of the Islamic republic.

Iran's interior minister has promised a "chastity plan" to promote the proper covering "from kindergarten to families," though the details are unclear. Tehran police have been arresting women for wearing short coats or improper veils and even for being too suntanned. Witnesses report fines up to $800 for dress considered immodest…

When seminary student Fatemeh Delvari, 24, moved to Tehran from a provincial town eight months ago, she was shocked to see how some women dressed.

"My own veil oppresses my feminine side, so I can be free and active," she said of her black chador, a garment that covers the entire body except the face and hands. "But some women seem to be only interested in looking beautiful."

"They are trampling on social boundaries," Delvari said. "Violence is not good, but they should be punished."…
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Thanks to Armeeta (Class of 2010) for sending this piece on Banned Barbies in Iran. Basically it talks about the Iranian government's attempts to deter American and Western values in Iran and the effects of this on the younger generation:

"In an attempt to deter the influence of Western culture in their country, Iranian government officials have banned the import of Barbie dolls and several other American-branded toys. Adeline Masquelier, professor of anthropology at Tulane, understands the government’s reasoning behind the ban, but says it may result in unintended consequences.
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Masquelier says the “over-sexed image resulting from Barbie’s exposed hair, bright lipstick and non-traditional career roles played a significant role in the government’s decision.” Barbie’s rack of clothing, which includes mini skirts and midriff-baring tops, also is an affront to officials who enforce the wearing of traditional garments such as the hijab or chador by Muslim women.

“In places like Iran where these dress codes are enforced, people are living two lives — the life the government wants them to live and a life that includes other things like watching banned shows via satellite,” Masquelier says. “There are actually more bloggers per capita in Iran because it’s a way to escape reading only what the government releases in its news.”