(This Re-Run post from 2010)
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."…
_______________
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.
...
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.”
Chris Wolak
