Darrell:
You brought up an interesting question. First of all the reason I am in this country is because of what happened back in 1979 which took the country 1000 years backward. I was 16 when the fanatics and fundamentalists destroyed the country in the name of god and religion. I left then and never went back nor I will even though my family (including my parents) are still there.
In any event to answer to your specific questions.
You ask:
> tell us how you feel about women's rights?
If you do a bit of research and read on Iran's history you will realize that women did enjoy the same rights as men before the so called Arabs invasion of the Persian empire took place over 1400 years ago. Ever since then because of the imposed religion upon Persians, Iranian women's rights have been violated over and over. It was not till Pahlavi dynasty (the dynasty to which the Shah belonged and which was overthrown by the fundamentalists in 1979) took the control of the country. Shah's father (Reza Shah) did his best to eliminate the fundamentalists and brought women (and the entire country) to the 20th century. The Shah (his son Mohamad Reza Pahlavi) continued his father's path. Under the Shah and up to 1979 Women had the same rights as any other human being in a civilized nation (just like the U.S or Europe). The so called Islamic Revoluton, however, destoryed what had been accomplished during the Pahlavi's rulling of Iran.
you ask:
> Compared to the US, women have very little rights in IRAN. Do you
> think this ideology is correct for IRAN.
Your question is similar to asking: Do you think the concept of killing human beings strictly based on their color of skin is correct for any country?! of course NOT. Women in my view should rule the world. I am a man of 37 years old and I still have a lot to learn from life. But one thing I have come to strongly believe in is that if instead of men women were rulling the world, this world would have been a much much better place to live in. Regretfully despite all the advances man has made, even in the most open civilized and democratic contries, it is still a man's world. I ask why, and can not come up with an answer. For whatever reason Men have yet a long way to go to truly become open to accepting women as equally as themselves. And when that happens I can tell you one thing for sure, crime, corruption, lies and all evil attributes of men will be diminished (if not eliminated). Behind every man there is a woman whom he calls his mother. And yet with all the love and affetion he receives from the mother in most cases men are not capable of giving that same love back to the society and to other human beings. This is indeed a very sad fact.
You ask:
> Do you think this philosophy, which is rooted in the Moslem religion, should be imported to the US as well?
I hope I answered your question. Your question is similar to asking me if I think the barbaric behavior of cave men should be imported to the 20th centruy men!
You ask:
> How are women treated in your family?
hmmm... Well let me start with my mom. She is one lady whom my dad does not do anything without her approval. As for me, my wife and I just had a baby girl (actually she just turned 8 months old). I am hoping to bring her up in a manner that gives her the inner strength to compete and to win in anything she wants to do. And I certainly hope she wont be afraid of anything in this world even if men may paint a shallow picture of this world that there are some things that women can not do! Because the fact is women can do everything men can (and more).
Best Regards,
Addi Jamshidi |
