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Bekijk Volledige Versie : Feminism rising in Iran



lennart
14-02-03, 23:45
Ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as de facto head of a modern theocracy, the image of the Iranian woman to the outside world appears to be that of one who lives in isolation, obedient to her husband and to those who come up with the rules on what they can wear and where they can go.

However, in recent years, Iranian women have struggled to challenge and moderate Iran's hard-line policies and somewhat ease the strict social guidelines put in place by the Islamic Revolution.

Since President Khatami's rise to power, women have taken advantage of the loosening climate in society to extend their influence and activism in a variety of sectors, ranging from politics to - - sports. The progress is quite relative and often cosmetic, but it seems women are eager for change.

The field of sports is certainly dominated by males in the Islamic Republic. However, it looks as though women in Iran are determined to make a major change in that area as well. Since 1979, Iranian women have been banned from taking part in men's sporting events, but recently, it seems, a change has been made in that policy.

Just last month, an Iranian football club has permitted women fans to watch a men's match for the first time in years. A small group of women were admitted to the Iran Khodro stadium in Tehran to see a first division match involving the hosts Paykan.

Mahdi Dadras, the club’s manager, noted that the decision had been made due to the fact that Paykan fans did not use foul language, and the women's presence also improved the morale of the players. According to media reports, in September 2002, the cabinet's Cultural Committee gave provisional approval for women to attend matches, provided the sporting authorities were able to create the "necessary conditions".



As it turns out, many of Iran’s women are indeed football fans and in recent years there have been increasing calls to let women attend male games. However, the authorities in Iran have kept them out of stadiums on the basis that male supporters use foul language against opposing teams.

Moreover, in what can be described as an anxious attempt to watch sporting matches, several female fans in the past are said to have even dressed up like men in order to be able to view the games...

One of the first female fans to be allowed into the stadium, Sahar Alvandi, 17, said her dream had finally come true. "I still can't believe I'm in a soccer stadium in the Islamic Republic, where it has so far been the realm of only men," she told AP. The young student, however, also described the reactions she had received, "The men look at you as if you are a different creature from another planet... To them, a women showing up in soccer stadium is like something from the world of aliens."

"You can't deny half of the population the right of watching soccer in a stadium because some male fans say bad words. Why should women be punished for the irresponsible behavior of some men?" she asked.

Not only in the field of sports, but also in the work force, Iranian women have lately become more active. Some 400 newly qualified policewomen will soon be joining their male counterparts, and working on the streets of the Iranian capital, marking the first time since the 1979 Revolution that women will graduate from the police university and become fully trained officers.

In the past two decades, women have mostly been restricted to working in administration-related jobs, but currently the scope of their tasks will be expanded.

For the new Iranian policewomen, much thought has been put into trying to decide what they will wear. Greatly inspired by Muslim, European and African countries, an Iranian styled-solution has been finally reached.

The new women recruits will not be required to wear the black chador (which means - tent), but instead, their uniform will include trousers and a long coat, and maybe even a ski suit, depending on the type of mission they are to carry out.

If the black chador has already been mentioned, it appears Iranian women are enthusiastic to replace that dark look as well. In a country where women are required to wear loose-fitting, ankle-length clothes and cover their hair and necks with scarves, fashion is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about the Islamic Republic.



Apparently, though, fashion is very much on the minds of Iranian women, as the first women’s fashion magazine to be published in Iran ever since 1979 has just hit the newsstands in the country.

With amazingly bright colors and imaginative and artistic designs influenced by traditional Persian costumes, the quarterly journal named Lotous marks a new kind of revolution in itself.

"Black is the color for mourning and grieving. I believe Iranian women feel depressed simply because of the dark colors they wear," said Mahla Zamani, the Iranian fashion designer who publishes the new magazine and created the featured outfits.

"Women generally like dressing elegantly and Iranian women are no exception. I have used lots of beautiful colors in my designs to give a fresh psychological and spiritual boost to women," Zamani, a former bank manager in her fifties who studied fashion design in Britain, added.

Back in 1936, the Iranian monarch Reza Shah Pahlavi ordered that all women should remove their traditional veils and dress in Western style. That angered many traditionalists so it was of very little surprise that the new clerical rulers imposed a strict women’s dress code - know as hejab - after the monarchy’s fall.

Since then, the Iranian religious establishment has frowned upon any small indication of fashion in public. For many clerics, wearing a head-to-toe black chador was necessary to protect the modesty of a woman.

It appears that change in such codes is currently on the rise, as rules regarding required clothing have been a bit relaxed. Now, when young Iranian women are in public, they regularly wear long trousers and a coat, usually to just below the knee, and allow as much hair as possible to pour out from under colorful silk scarves. In private, the coats and scarves come off, often exposing the latest dresses from top European designers.

A wealthy Iranian woman has told Al Bawaba that whenever she and her friends leave Iran, they immediately run to the stores; pick up the latest fashionable mini-skirts, blouses and high-heeled shoes and continue with their shopping spree until the end of their vacation. In addition, she said that in Iran, it is forbidden to apply daring nail-polish colors or heavy makeup, so such “pleasures” are saved for their stays abroad.

Sandals have even made a fresh comeback in Iran, although anyone pushing the limits of acceptable dress too far in public still risks being picked up by the moral police forces and fined or even flogged.

Zamani added, however, that those who are concerned a new fashion consciousness would lead to a breakdown in moral standards in Iran have nothing to worry about. "My creations are completely covered and loose. Women can wear them with a scarf for outside and without a scarf for private family gatherings”.

The front cover of Lotous’ first edition features a young woman wearing a dark green polo neck beneath a red vest. A traditional silver crown on top of a red scarf enriches her look. Men seemed to agree that the new styles were refreshing. "In a city that lacks any sign of character or vibrancy it would make things brighter and more beautiful if our women were to implement a little of their traditional taste to clothing," Alireza Salehizadeh, a businessman in his forties, was quoted as saying.

However, some disagreed with that notion. "The idea of better presenting traditional Iranian clothes is great, but for every day they are not practical," Anousheh, 29, a fashion merchandising graduate, explained.

"We should get rid of Western designs which are not appropriate for Iran. If we provide fashion for our women, they will never have to resort to Western fashion," Zamani concluded.

Whether the Islamic Republic of Iran is witnessing a new kind of “revolution” greatly depends on how one exactly describes the term. However, what is fairly evident is the determination and willingness of Iranian women – especially among the younger generation – to open up and enjoy freedoms, which up until now were predominately enjoyed only by men.

The Iranian woman apparently seeks to expand her horizons, shed off her black clothing and coverings and set out in the 21st century in the form and look of a “new” Iranian woman. (Albawaba.com)

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