In the book Reading Lolita In Tehran girls being married off at nine or 13 have nothing but fear for the future. Unlike the 13 year old pregnancies in the west, the young girls in Iran are being married off and forced to have sex with men that are generally, at least, twice their age, and who they are fearful of. The book makes it sound like rape. But things may have changed now, the ladies in Iran in the 70s were quite liberal minded (as depicted in the book -- they hate what they see is happening to male thinking and the rise of religion in government), but religious fanaticism in the last twenty years, perhaps, has killed the female spirit there.
In the last 5 years, there has been a general relaxing of the rules in Iranian society....particularly in Teheran. And if I remember correctly, Iran turns out more women MDs of any country in the world.......I believe that's correct. The two Siamese twins who died recently on the operating table were both attorneys.
Iran is a very mixed place for women.......while they are held back in terms of cosmetics and dress, intellectually, they are allowed to pursue their dreams. A major statement for what is basically a third world, religious fundamentalist based country.
I really believe its Iran, and not Iraq, that is the hope of the ME. |
