by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Marcel Proust once said: “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” During the past two decades, I visited Iran on numerous occasions staying 10-14 days at a time. This time around, I stayed for 2 months and heeding Proust, I carried with me a fresh pair of eyes. I discarded both my Western lenses as well as my Iranian lenses and observed with objective eyes. It was a formidable journey that left me breathless.
Part I – Women of the Islamic Republic of Iran
It is hard to know where to start a travel log and how to describe a newfound world in a few pages. However, given the West’s obsession (and the “Westernized” Iranians living abroad) to rescue Iranian women from their perceived “oppression” (while simultaneously imposing illegal and immoral sanctions on them!) perhaps it is appropriate to start with the women in Iran as I perceived them.
Western media with help from feminists and Iranians living outside of Iran portray Iranian women as being “oppressed” — foremost because women in Iran have to abide by an Islamic dress code – hijab. Yes, hijab is mandatory and women choose to either wear either a chador or to wear a scarf. But what is crucial to understand is the role chador played in pre 1979 versus the post Revolution era.
Prior to the 1979 Revolution, the chador was indicative of a thinly veiled caste system. While a few distinguished women of high socio-economical background chose to wear the chador, the rest, the majority of Iranian women, were simply born into the habit. In short, the socio-economically disadvantaged wore the pre 1979 chador. In those days, the chador was a hindrance to a woman’s progress; she was looked down at and frowned upon. She could not move forward or up. She was oppressed. But Western feminists were blind to this oppression. After all, the Shah was modern and America’s friendly dictator.
The Revolution changed the status quo and chipped away at the caste system. A revolution, by definition, is a complete change in the way people live and work. And so it is with the Iranian Revolution. The post 1979 chador is no longer an impediment to a woman’s future. Today’s Iranian woman, the same (formerly) less privileged class, has found freedom in their chador. They have been unshackled and they march on alongside their (formerly) more privileged colleagues. This emancipation is what the Western/Westernized feminists see as oppression.
I myself come from yesterday’s tiny minority of “privileged” women, far too comfortable in my “Western” skin to want to promote hijab, but I will not allow my personal preferences to diminish the value of the progress made because of hijab. The bleeding hearts from without should simply change their tainted lenses instead of trying to change the lives of others for Iranian women do not need to be rescued, they do not follow – they lead.
On two separate occasions I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a group of PhD students at Tehran University’s Global Studies Department. Frankly, these young women charmed me. Their inquisitive and sharp minds, their keen intellect, their vast knowledge, their fluent English, and their utter confidence dazzled me. Western feminists would consider them “oppressed”. Seems to me that feminism needs rescuing, not Iranian women.
The inordinate success of women goes vastly beyond education; they participate in every aspect of society — motherhood, arts and sciences, high tech, film and cinema, research, business, administration, politics, sports, armed forces, etc. Women’s prominent role in society is undeniable. What I found tantalizing was their role as cultural gatekeepers.
Women – The Cultural Warriors
Cultural imperialism is part and parcel of neocolonialism. The eradication of an indigenous culture and replacing it with a hegemonic one enables the hegemon to exert influence on the subject nation – to own it. And women are the nuclei. They hold the family together and pass on traditions. To this end, in every colonial adventure, regardless of geography, women have been the primary target (i.e. victims of rescue). Iran has been no different. While some have indeed abandoned their culture in order to embrace that of another, the vast majority have resisted and fought back with authentic Iranian tradition.
One group of these cultural warriors left a deep impact on me. I attended a dance ensemble at the famous Roudaki Hall (Talar Roudaki). Girls aged 6 to 18 sent the packed hall into a thunderous applause when they danced to various traditional songs from around the country. Their dance was not MTV stuff. It reflected the beauty and the purity of an ancient culture. Their movements and gestures were not intended to be seductive, they were graceful and poetic ushering in the ancient past and bonding it with the present, strengthening it. These were the women of Iran who would guard Iran’s precious culture and traditions against modern, Western culture deemed central to ‘civilization’ and ‘freedom’ by Western feminists.
It is not my intention to give the false impression that every woman in Iran is happy, successful, and valued. Like any other society, Iran has its share of unhappy, depressed girls and women. It has its share of women who have been abused and betrayed. It has its share of girls and women who turn to drugs, prostitution, or both. I came across these as well. I also confirm that laws in Iran do not favor women, be it divorce, child custody, or inheritance. But if and when the Iranian society decides to change its current laws (or maintain the status quo), it will do so without outside interference and on its own terms. I have no doubt that any outside interference will receive a negative and opposite reaction.
Part II – Esprit de Corps Washington Just Doesn’t Get It
Numerous visitors have travelled to Iran and brought back reports describing the landscape, the food, the friendliness of the people, the impact of the sanctions, and so forth. For the most part, these reports have been accurate — albeit incomplete. I do not want to tire the reader by repeating my observations on these same topics; rather, I invite the reader to share my journey into the soul of the country – the spirit of the Iranian nation.
Washington’s missteps are, in part, due to the simple fact that Washington receives flawed intelligence on Iran and Iranians. This has been a long-standing pattern with Washington. Prior to the 1979 Revolution, a plethora of US personnel lived in Iran. Thousands of CIA agents were stationed there. Their task went beyond teaching torture techniques to the Shah’s secret police; they were, after all, spies. In addition to the military personnel that came in tow with the military equipment sold to the Shah by the U.S., there were official US personnel who worked at the American Embassy in Tehran. None got it.
They all failed miserably in their assessment of Iranians. These personnel were simply too busy enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Iran. As the aforementioned travellers have all repeated, Iran is beautiful, the food scrumptious, the people hospitable. These personnel attended lavish parties thrown by those close to the Shah (or other affluent Iranians) and lived the kind of life they could not have dreamt of elsewhere. American ambassadors doled out visas to the lazy kids of these same families who would not have otherwise been able to make it to the US under normal student visa requirements. These same Iranian people, the privileged elite, provided Americans in Iran with intelligence – inaccurate, flawed information which was passed onto Washington. To this end, Washington believed Iran would remain a client state for the unforeseen future. The success of the revolution was a slap in the face.
For the past several decades, Washington has continued to act on flawed intelligence. Today, Washington relies on the “expertise” of some in the Iranian Diaspora who have not visited Iran once since the revolution. In addition to the “Iran experts”, Washington has found itself other sources of ‘intelligence’, foremost; the Mojahedeen Khalg (MEK) terrorist cult who feed Washington information provided them by Israel. Previous to this assignment, the cult was busy fighting alongside Saddam Hossein. Is it any surprise that Washington is clueless on Iran. What Washington can’t fathom is the source of Iran’s strength, its formidable resilience.
Thanks to its ‘experts’, and the personal experience of some visitors, Washington continues to believe that the Iranian people love America and they are waiting to be ‘rescued’ from their rulers. True – Iranians are generous, hospitable, and charming. They welcome visitors as guest regardless of their country or origin. This is part and parcel of their culture. They also believe a guest is a ‘blessing from God’ — mehmoon barekate khodast. Karime khodast. But they are not waiting for. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. Washington to rid them of their rulers – quiet the contrary.
While the Iranian people love people of all nationalities, including Americans, they see Washington for what it is. Washington and its policies have adversely affected virtually every single family in Iran for the past several decades. These include those whose dreams and hopes were shattered by the CIA orchestrated coup against their nascent democracy and its popular leader, Mossadegh, later, parents whose children were arrested, brutally tortured, killed or simply disappeared at the hands of the Shah’s CIA/Mossad trained secret police. And then there are the millions of war widows or orphans, the maimed soldiers, and the victims of chemical weapons supplied to Saddam Hossein by America to use against Iranians while the UN closed its eyes. Additionally, there are also the victims of American sponsored terrorism, including kosher terrorism – sanctions. Millions of Iranians have first hand experience of all that has been plagued upon them by Washington.
It is these victims, their families and acquaintances that fight for Iran’s sovereignty, that are the guardians of this proud nation. They are the source of Iran’s strength. They are not simply citizens of Iran, they have a stake in it. Victor Hugo once said: “No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come.” There simply is no army on earth which can occupy, by proxy or otherwise, the land the people have come to believe belongs to them not by virtue of birth, but because they have fought for it, died for it, kept it from harm.
I met many such families; one in particular was more memorable. During the Shah’s regime, this family worked on my father’s farm. The father and his sons worked the farm and the mother helped around the house. In those days, this family and future generations would have simply continued to work on the farm, remain uneducated with no future prospects. But the revolution rescued them.
The boys in the family all went to war. One uncle lost his life to chemical warfare. The rest survived – and thrived. They got themselves free education provided by the government America wants to dislodge. One of these boys, the man I met after some 35 years, Kazem, once condemned to be a ‘peasant’, had become a successful businessman. I spent hours talking to the family and to Kazem in particular. What impressed me was not just his affluence and his success in business, but the wisdom that only comes with age, and yet he had acquired in youth. He had intellect and dignity. A gentleman, I found his knowledge of internal and global affairs to be far superior to the average “Westernized” person living in Tehran (or outside Iran). He had experienced war, seen death. Iran belonged to him. He would fight for it over and over and die for it.
This is the Iran the Diaspora has left behind, the Iran that is unknown to them. This is a far superior country than the one I left behind as a child and visited throughout the years. Iran’s guardians, its keepers, are all Kazems. It has been said that the strength of an army is the support of the people behind it. The whole country is that army. This is what Washington is not able to grasp. As Khalil Gibran rightly observed: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” With every wrong policy, America adds to the scars, strengthens the character and spirit of this unbreakable nation. This is what Washington is not able to grasp.
Iran Trip: September – October 2014
Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, it seems that the UK-trained Libyan terrorists… er…freedom fighters that it used to overthrow Muammar Quadaffi have came back to bite Britain in the ass–almost literally.
British-trained Libyan mercenaries have apparently been “misbehaving” in the local Cambridge area including fights/conflicts with British military instructors, drunkenness, theft, sexual assault, and even RAPING A MAN in a Cambridge park!
Given the sordid history of British military crimes, perhaps the British have been teaching their Libyan proteges all too well.
The student only emulates his teacher.
WHEN nATO’s LIBYAN LIBERATION CAME HOME TO ROOST
http://sonsofmalcolm.blogspot.com/2014/11/when-natos-libyan-liberation-came-home.html
Dear The Saker,
Thanks for posting this.I found it very interesting.
I think there are many similarites with the Russians. Especially in regard to the last paragraph, about how what these countries have been through means their people stand strongly behind their leaders and beliefs and have the scars to bear. They have all learned from the past and carry that forward.
I would really like to visit both Iran and Russia. Both fascinating countries.
Rgds,
Veritas
Wonderful article. Thank you!
By the way Veritas…me too!
I’d love to visit Russia and Iran.
Regards,
Carmel by the Sea
“The post 1979 chador is no longer an impediment to a woman’s future. Today’s Iranian woman, the same (formerly) less privileged class, has found freedom in their chador. They have been unshackled and they march on alongside their (formerly) more privileged colleagues. This emancipation is what the Western/Westernized feminists see as oppression. “
How is being forced to wear chador a liberating experience?
What does it say about the attitude of men in your country if they can’t restrain themselves in the presence of a woman who chooses NOT to wear one?
Freedom is about choice – not having something imposed on you. Repeal the law and remove the threat of violence it implies by imprisoning men who molest women, then see how many women wear chador.
Be proud of your chains if you like, but don’t presume to speak for other women who would prefer to lose them, if only they had a way.
You’re chained to your underwear, so you’re not so free yourself.
It’s pretty mandatory to wear underwear; even in the “free” west (private areas don’t count since they don’t count in Iran either; e.g. you don’t have to wear a head scarf at home).
To Anonymous with respect to the “chador”.
I believe you are missing the point of what the author is trying make. Pre-1979 women who wore the chador whether for religious reasons or other reasons, were frowned down upon. In fact they were discriminated against by the system. They were not able to participate as active members of the society – simply because they wore the chador. There was no possibility for them to more upward or forward. At least now that discrimination is over. This is obvious from the percentage of women who attend universities; who hold positions of power, women in villages who know feel comfortable to allow their daughters to go to universities etc… All are treated on an equal basis. She is not advocating hijab she is simply making a point that what you wear should not be defined by Westerners and feminists as oppression. Obviously Westerners and feminists didn’t notice this oppression and discrimination during the reign of the Shah. Every picture that we see of Iranian women in our TV are women in black chadors – why? This has become such a cliché as if nothing else matters but what you wear.
That is a joy to read. I hope every word you said is true.
I’ve seen videos and pictures of it and it looks beautiful.
Thank you for sharing
@Anonymous 06 November, 2014 17:33
You have to be a piece of filth to fight on behalf of a country that destroyed your nation and people. So rape and what not is not a surprise. They rely and want Libyan thugs to fight for them as no decent human being would.
Basically people that can be bought.
@Anonymous 06 November, 2014 20:20
Is that all you took?
It isn’t but neither is telling other nations what they can and can’t do. Let them figure it out on their own.
Considering Western history in the ME and Africa, I would guess over 90 plus percent has been negative detrimental.
Well Iran is not the most oppressed society around those parts. Actually most of the other ME countries are far worse. Dubai is a heaven for whores and booze but go outside the foreign visitor areas and they put you in jail for very minor things. Since they are a big destination for tourists you would think women on beaches are common but not if they dont dress in the Islamic styles. You can only wear skimpy cloths inside those 5 star hotels. Its always a double standard where if you are white you can get away with a lot, darker and you are grounded.. At least you dont get whipped for kissing in public like in Saudi Arabia.
Another thing that amazed me is, teens in iran are a lot more rowdy than teens even in the west. They just do stuff because it is supposed to be taboo. You can find a lot of videos they took mocking the regime and partying is a past time since they hardly have any cheerleaders or video games and you can imagine what happens in those parties.
One of the things I hate is where excuses are not allowed in a crime. While some things in the west like killing someone who invaded your home and wants to rape, pillage and steal from you is considered in the sentencing, Islam dont have such things and you are considered guilty because you killed someone.
But the laws in the US are pretty strict in other areas where ignorance is not a defense. Like you can get fined for watering your lawn.. And you can get fined for not watering your lawn.. So you better not have a lawn or you are in big trouble.
I would say the laws in the west are abused far more than in places like Iran or Saudi Arabia since the profit motive in the west only considers who makes a buck on whos back. At least in Islam that profit motive is way way back in the scheme of things. I mean, who wants to take care of someone else’s wife’s and 15 children if you mame someone with your reckless behaviour?
the anglos controlled west do not shed tears for saudi men’s controlled poor women.!
One of the first thing that british pm and american president accused soviets of in afganistan way back in 1979 was “look these soviets are trying to give education to the girls which is against conservative Islamic value of afgans. they are also trying to abolish Purdah-veil which is against their culture” this is how the anglos were doing propaganda against russian in afgan war.
Readers of this article might like to read:
‘Daughter of Persia’
“A woman’s journey from her father’s haven through the Islamic Revolution”
by
Sattareh Farman Famaian (with Donna Munker)
Sattareh was born into a noble family in Iran around 1916
She grew up in her fathers harem (as you know, it means ‘sanctuary’ with non of the stereotype connotations we put on the word, in the west)
He was a powerful man from a noble family
She talks about growing up in Persia , talks about the political upheavals, talks with profound regret about the overthrow of Mossadegh (who she knew personally) with the help of America, she goes to America at the end of WWII and returns to Iran in the 1960’s to set up social work, she talks about having the Shah and his wife’s patronage to set up social work, she talks about how the Shah’s father and then the shah was imposed on Iran by America, she talks about the brewing revolution, she tells how she was branded by the revolutions as a friend of America and almost lost her life …. she talks with immense pride about Iran. She talks about the history of Iran/Persia, and gives great insight into the culture of Iran and the thinking of the people of Iran.
It is a book I highly recommend.
Regards
Graeme
Corgi Books
0 552 13928 9
First published in 1992 by Bantam Press
The Burkha shouldn’t be accepted. Women should see the meaning of Burkha than carried away by identity or western criticism. I am all for traditional persian dresses, but not the face cover in black. (1) A Burkha precludes effective speaking by women. Would people listen to somebody who is in black cover – Unless they have a gun displayed? Such loss of power increases harassment – Unless she has got a powerful father, good husband etc. A Burkha should be strictly voluntary,ceremonial, fashion. (2) The lack of women participation in universities may be because acceptance of Burkha symbol – to keep women away from public. Attitude of people are changing, hence more women in universities (3) Burkha is not associated with women’s education. The rational to cover of face is not a pleasant one, it is to avoid pollution from our(male) eye. The rational is offensive and suffocating. (4) I, a non-muslim found it scary when found next to honorable women with Burkha. It felt that male members who have insisted to cover the the face of women can be different and may be violent . Fight to cover the face in black is a futile fight. It kills human expression.
“I also confirm that laws in Iran do not favor women, be it divorce, child custody, or inheritance. But if and when the Iranian society decides to change its current laws (or maintain the status quo), it will do so without outside interference and on its own terms.”
By the same logic, no one from outside has the right to interfere with the Ukraine when they discriminate against ethnic Russians as a matter of national policy. As for the counter argument that Ukraine has no legitimate government, well, neither does Iran. Both nation’s governments were usurped by nefarious forces, in Iran’s case, twice. First by the Shah, later by Khomeini.
This woman’s argument is pure sophistry. It’s the same sort of rationalization that characterized life in the USSR, and frankly, I’m amazed that it appears on this site, let alone that no one sees the contradiction.
“I have no doubt that any outside interference will receive a negative and opposite reaction. “
Exactly.
The Islamic Revolution was imposed on Iran by Western Imperialists with the aim of preventing Iran’s emergence as a regional power. Iran was the prototype for all successive Islamic revolutions, all of which serve the same purpose – to retard social and economic development thus preventing the emergence of national and regional unity while simultaneously creating a pretext for military conquest.
In short, Muslims around the world have been played by the Imperialists. Instead of reforming their societies and moving towards secular representative government, they’ve been backed into a sharia corner from which there’s no escape.
I finally was able to take the time to read this beautiful essay. What a quiet delight to read an intelligent woman’s witness of her country and especially her sisters, a look into a nation that is 7,000 years old. Thanks to this author, and also to DialecticBlue for the book recommendation, which I will gladly follow.
What a pleasure to read that the food of Persia is scrumptious and that its modern women have minds alight with freedom, knowledge and confidence. Feminism indeed may be in need of rescue, rather than Iranian women. Probably much of the western lens is in need of rescue.
Evidently it has been a good Revolution. I’m glad to hear it. Too bad there’s not a travel-ticket machine attached to this article. Thanks for republishing this, Saker.
I loved reading this. I’ve always been in the US and I think a lot about the way feminism is distorted to serve Imperialism and how bad that is for women and for the very idea of feminism in the world. I believe so much of what we in the West think of as backwards or as fundamentalism or a resort to an earlier time is not really a return to ancient, primitive ways so much as a modern response to Western violence. This was very well written and thoughtful. Thank you.
Soraya,
Your article was an excellent example of well thought out analysis, objectivity and consistent logic, the combination of which asymptotically approaches the truth as best an any human can achieve.
Despite the fact that I am neither Muslim nor do I have any connection to Iran, I still find myself having to deal with the two issues when interacting with apparently well-meaning albeit ignorant people in my social circle: Individuals that castigate the hijabh and the alleged ‘oppression’ of those women who choose to wear it. My response usually boils down to: “Who the h-ll are you to presume to know what’s best for them and their choices? Have you met them? Have talked to them? Do you know anything about their culture? What do you know about their personal values?” Invariably the answers to those questions I pose is: “uhh I didn’t think of that. No. No. No. and Nothing”.
It is the typical self-righteous closet totalitarian attitude of the Western Liberal who sees no hypocrisy in his or her society engaging in cultural-jihad and forced conversion against other cultures (be it against the Eastern Orthodox World, the Buddhists of Thailand, the Hindus of India, the Daoists and Buddhists of China and Korea; and even against the practicing Christians of the West).
I sincerely hope you will post more at this blog and also a question: Do you have a blog/publication/website of your own?
@Observer: Agree 100%. And those who know how other peoples should live never bother to learn a foreign Language. They find everything must be like at Home. The only thing they know.
I’d like to endorse everything that Seraya has said here – while I’ve only visited Iran twice, with my wife in hijab.. this was quite sufficient to discover far more of the reality of Iranians than is provided by the prognostications of ‘hurray patriots’ in America or the UK, and their supportive HR organisations like Amnesty. This latter of course is currently focussed on demonising Iran over one single woman, who may or may not be a criminal or a victim, while it leaves the barn door open to the real abuse of women in ‘allies’ countries and at home.
Both before and after visiting Iran people at home would ask us if we felt safe, and how could she put up with wearing the hijab.. The reality is so different, the hijab such a small issue.
One point I would make though, that I spent some time arguing with Iranians about how bad the US was, and against their over rosy view of it! Perhaps this was amongst people who associated with foreigners and were more inclined to accept the West. But certainly as far as ‘women’s rights’ are concerned Iran is on a par with many Western countries.
And of course it is a fascinating and beautiful place, along with its delightful people…
Those who whine about the ‘muslim’ headscarfs (whatever they are called) should check out the scarfs/haircover European women used to wear (they were also obligatory in places) until modern times. Some older women still wear them outside of americanized western Europe and they are part of traditional folk clothing in some parts of Europe. They used to be worn to show social class, cover your hair, as protection etc.
An informative article as well as considered opinion(Thanks for sharing the opinion) .
On Burqa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa
The correct view as indicated by the evidence is that the woman’s face is ‘awrah which must be covered. It is the most tempting part of her body, because what people look at most is the face, so the face is the greatest ‘awrah of a woman
(1) Burkha is not a personal choice. Making it a personal choice solves a lot of the issues. In some locations, the husband could make a choice whether wife wears a burkha – this is better than the state making the choice to hide people. The issue could be acknowledged without demeaning other aspects or beating people as inferior because of state laws.
(2) Burkha is not about women only. It assumes all men have a particular problem when they see women’s face. Okay so men have a problem, then let them take some burden for their own deficiency, salute the women when they see one to acknowledge their temptation.
(3) Burkha equality is not a sign of progress, just as Burkha discrimination in Iran wan’t. There are a lot of changes around the globe in last 3 decades with impact everywhere. The article assures thoughtful progress is made through the internal effort. This is because of Iranian culture and people which probably has so many other aspects.
(4) It is possible the most intelligent, gracious , powerful woman of the world is because of the protection veil , still there is enough reason to get rid of national laws ( even if implicit) on Burkha, instead making it family or individual choices.
I hope I am not hijacking the thread on a tangential topic, my last post. Thanks.
Many thanks all for reading my travel log and my take on the society. I am delighted that so many of the readers understood what I was trying to convey – they got it (wish US intelligence would!). And I respect the opinion of those who disagree with me.
Many thanks all for reading my travel log and my take on the society. I am delighted that so many of the readers understood what I was trying to convey – they got it (wish US intelligence would!). And I respect the opinion of those who disagree with me.
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