WET

TO ALI

Ba doroud be hameye dostan.

Thousand years of religious thoughts ruling IRAN has BRAINWASHed the people in such a way that they can LIE about things that they might not know, in such an apparent way to defend their own ideas. Lying has become a normal way to win an argument. Who says no one talks about sex in public in so called WEST?looooooool
Hiding everything enjoyable and valuable in "PASTOOYE KHANE" is the way these people are grown up with, and no one had shown them the way to be fair with their inner feelings.

"pseudo-intellectuals" is the word used by foundamentalists to degrade the values of intellectuals and people who look forward for the future not at the past. Who says if no one had talked about sex openly before, we shouldn't do that too? Are you the prophet of god?loll or maybe a philanthropist?

What is that paradox in your head about real and unreal world for?doesn't it originate from the advertisements against internet and free media in IRAN?The thought that wants to convince people that internet is the source of cruel evil?

Remember: If everyone wanted to look at the past, if the intellectuals didn't exist, we would have still been living in caves,if that makes you happy;-)

Mohammad Purqurian:

جالب بود.

جالب بود. متشکرم.

رويای خيس

در حاليکه داستان از بی آلايشی پاکی برخوردار است مورد پسند دنيای دوگانه ما نيست چرا که هم نثر زيباست، هم متن گوياست وهم بيان تا حدودی شيوا ولی نميتواند روشنفکر بيهويت را که از فرهنگ غرب بت بی عيبی ساخته بود راضی کند، منظورم آنهائی هستند که هر چيزی را در ذهنيات خود در اوج ايدآليستيک پروراندند وبه فرهنگ و تمدن غرب نسبت دادند ودر حماقت محض، چهارنعل بر ويرانه های فرهنگی غنی تاختند و ميتازند.  اجازه بدهيد مثالی بزنم:خانمی دم در طوری نشسته بود که ناديدنيها هويدا بود. عابری از آنجا گذشت وبا عصبانيت و درعين حال از حجب پرسيد: خانم اين چيه ديگه؟ زن هم در جواب اسمش را گفت!  عابرکه بيشر عصبانی شده بود پرخاش کرد خجالت هم نميکشی. زن جواب داد چرا خجالت بکشم، تو پرسيدی منهم جواب دادم.  اينکه خيابان نيست که هرروز اسمش را عوض کنند!بحثی که اينجا مطرح است اين نيست که نويسنده ای احساسات جنسی خود را به رشته تحرير کشيده و خواسته است آنرا با همگان مطرح کند همانطور که نويسنده ديگری بخواهد حالت يبوست و يا اسهال و دفع مدفوع خود را با تفصيل شرح بدهد و ناشری هم آنرا منتشر کند.  مهمتراينکه بيان اين مطالب در تمامی ادوار و فرهنگهای متفاوت وجود داشته وچيز جديدی نيست مثلآ در فقه اسلامی هر موضوع قابل تصوری حتی رابطه جنسی با حيوانات را توضيح داده اند البته درمفهوم دينی آن که مورد تمسخر تازه بدوران رسيده های فرهنگ غرب است. با اين تفاوت که بشر با تجربه به اين نتيجه رسيده بود که هر سخن جائی و هرنکته مقامی دارد: جهان چون خط وخال وچشم وابروستکه هر چيزی بجای خويش نيکوست يادم می آيد که در انتقاد از همين روش جهانشاه مثالی آوردم که مثلآ شما در وسط مهمانخانه تان يک توالت بلورين بگذاريد تا مهمانها براحتی بتوانند دفع مدفوع کنند!  و اگر فکر ميکنيد مثال مضحکی است واقعيت غير از اين نيست فقط خيلی ها سوراخ دعا را گم کرده اند.  وکافی است به عقب بر گرديد وببينيد آيا بيان احساسات جنسی که امروز آزادانه در وسائل ارتباط جمعی مطرح است آيا در دوران کودکی ما مستهجن نبود؟  چرا بود و همه جا هم با شوخی وجدی مطرح ميشد ولی راهی به رسانه های گروهی نداشت.  پس اين دوگانگی ابلهانه سرسپردگان فرهنگ غرب است که ازيکطرف فکر ميکنند هر کسی حق دارد خصوصی ترين نيازهای خودرا با بتهای روانکاوی ويا سايتهای اينترنتی در معرض چشم و گوش مردم قرار دهد، ولی چند نسل ماقبل خود را مسخره ميکند که همين ويژگيهای خصوصی را با بتهای زمان خود که همان دکانداران دين بودند درميان ميگذاشت.  اين است که اگر خوب فکر کنيد خر همان خر است، فقط پالان عوض شده است وچارپايانی که بر آنها کتابی چند.  وبازهم با اين تفاوت که جای خر طويله بود و جای آدمی زير کرسی گرم خانوادگی وحالا جای آدم و خر هردو در طويله است!  واقعآ که جای بسی افتخار از اين برابری!

About the painting,

It’s by an Austrian artist named Johann Baptist Reiter, born on July 4, 1813 and died in 1890. The name of the painting is Sleeping Woman (1849). Regardless what one feels about the article, this is a great painting.

Now that I gave it more thoughts

I now have a somewhat different view of what I read in the article and saw in the picture; well I'm now convinced that this is a painting rather than a picture.

I now believe this article to be a SOFT porno, in comparison to an all blown out HARD porno. This article is not a masterpiece in literature, and I don't believe the author or anyone else has made such a claim. I still have my reservation about the identity of the writer. A quick Google Search about the author did not reveal anything. So this person could be anyone, man or woman, but we have to take her words for it that she is a woman, and in my opinion she has written a soft porn. Nothing to do with great emancipation of women or anything like that.

About the painting, it is very interesting in the way of shades of light and darkness. Her face and genital area is obscured with darker colors, yet her breasts and left leg quite visible. This gives the painting a feel of mystery. And both of her hand hidden but yet obvious where they are. One touching her genital where the physical pleasure is, and the other hand behind her head where the mental pleasure is. And those relaxing feel, as serene as her face. I now have come to believe this a lovely piece of art.

Jahanshah

You said: "Porn is a gross, twisted, exaggeration of reality. Sex itself is good, beautiful and the most pleasurable of human activities and those who have a gift for writing and art will continue to reflect that undeniable beauty"

Who says that arts and literature have to reflect the "reality" as it is? And aren't "beauty" and "grossness" subjective words? Are you saying that you are censoring some forms of expression and tolerating some other, based of your own personal taste? Or are you admitting that some forms of expression of sexuality are immoral (Yes, I used the word IMMORAL) and again your values?

The reality is that you and I both have a moral code when it comes to the expression of sexuality in public. The difference between us is that I do admit it and you don't. And I place the bar higher than you do.

beg all you want!

The Mrs.

Dirty words are dirty, period. We are just going to have to agree to disagree on this. To me use of such words in any context for that matter, is associated with a sense of disgust and shame. I guess, Like JJ said before, i will justhave to skip over such pieces in the future!
There is a difference between what the hezbolahis think of as lack of self-respect and what it really is.

I beg to differ!

1 - I vehemently object to JJ's use of the term gross, below. :)

2 - kouroshS:

I'm not here to argue about the finer points of linguistics. All I'm saying is some dirty words no longer carry the cultural burdens they did.

Sure, the way we refer to our bodies is important. But that isn't limited to vocabulary! It has more to do with context, level of comfort, the audience etc. So using the p word might be disrespectful in a male locker room but perfectly ok between consenting adults. Furthermore, I don't see anything wrong with a woman using the p or k word when she's talking to herself, or in a literary piece in reference to herself (in the non threatening context of this type of article)! As long as you're not standing over her shoulder calling her names of course :)

Judging some else's self respect is tricky business. After all, hezbolahis think women without hejab have no self respect! They set the bar pretty high.

Beauty

Thanks Ali1234. Now we all know where you and I stand. You think this story is not any different than talking about sex to a group of kids! To you ANY discussion about sex in public is wrong. You think that any explicit mention of sexual ecstasy is pornography AND for perverts, basically.

I couldn't disagree more. Porn is a gross, twisted, exaggeration of reality. Sex itself is good, beautiful and the most pleasurable of human activities and those who have a gift for writing and art will continue to reflect that undeniable beauty in their work for all adults to enjoy, even for those who just "wanna know what goes on in their minds" :o)

Jahanshah

You said:I'm really curious. In your opinion, is there ANY example of any form of expression about sex which you consider appropriate? Because I have a strong feeling that you are not just upset about this story and how and where it has been published. You just think the subject is entirely inappropriate in any kind of public setting

"Public setting" is the key word here. What I consider appropriate or inappropriate in the virtual world is no different from what I consider appropriate or inappropriate in a real world.

In the real world, in both Western and Eastern cultures, if someone shows up at a public place, a gathering in the community or even a "mehmooni" and starts giving explicit details about how he/she masturbated the night before or starts reading a sexually explicit piece to the random crowd of strangers (and non-strangers), would that be considered as an appropriate behavior?

Or again, would the same author who wrote the above piece, tell the same story using the same vocabulary in a real world public setting attended by parents and children alike and people from all ages and backgrounds? And would people be justified if she told them "hey, I am just talking about sex which is a great pleasure in life"? I seriously doubt it. So, why is it appropriate for her to do it in a virtual public forum such as Iranian.com?

In the real world, sexuality is considered as a "private" matter. And sex talks or any other sexual activities, happen in the privacy of people's rooms or specific places designed for that purpose. Same should hold true in the virtual world.

You said: So everyone should "look for it" on their own. Each person should remain in the dark about one of the most wonderful, powerful and important human activities -- about sexual intimacy and pleasure and ecstasy. Why?

Why do you think people need help and guidance "getting out of the dark" about sex? I don't get it, do you consider your readers as mature adults or not? They should be mature enough to not get offended by sexually explicit material in an open public forum but are not mature enough to look for it on their own in special websites created for that purpose?!

I will continue to publish stories like this -- not to provoke you or anyone else, but for the enjoyment, and enlightenment, of myself and those who feel the same.

Fair. But I am curious to know where you would draw the line? Females writing about "wet dreams" and masturbation? Males writing about their ejaculations? Maybe creating a section where people can engage in cyber sex and cyber orgies and share their fantasies for the public to see? Throwing in some porn pics and links once in a while? I am really curious, where, and according to what moral principles and values, would you draw the line?

You said: Something tells me that despite all your protestations, you will most certainly continue to read stories of this kind published on this site. And it makes me smile.

Sometimes I also watch Foxnews and the O'Reilly show, that doesn't mean I enjoy them or approve of them. Just wanna know what goes on in their minds (and there maybe some masochism involved :)

Enjoy :o)

Ali1234,

You say, "I call this 'pseudo-intellectualism', not so much for the content of the article itself, but for the social engineering intentions behind it. The idea that an author writing about her genitals to 'enlighten' us seems condescending. And it takes away from its authenticity."

Writers, artists and the like are not that sinister to be "social engineers" and the people are not that foolish to fall for anything they see and read. Writers, artists, do what they do because they have an inner urge to share something with the public.

This "authenticity" of sex that you mention, what would be the proper way to describe it honestly, truthfully o artistically in a public forum? You say it should have no place in iranian.com. So where and in what way would it be acceptable to you?

I'm really curious. In your opinion, is there ANY example of any form of expression about sex which you consider appropriate? Because I have a strong feeling that you are not just upset about this story and how and where it has been published. You just think the subject is entirely inappropriate in any kind of public setting, even for adults. You think anything expressed explicitly about sexuality, especially about genitals or orgasm and... is shameful, worthless and even harmful to society. I would love to be proven wrong.

You say, "I think people are smart and mature enough to look for it on their own. They don't need anyone to rub it on their face in a public forum. I personally have no interest whatsoever in 'erotic writings' or the so-called 'erotic arts' but I guess if someone feels the urge to write about their last night's masturbation, they can do it in websites and forums created for that purpose. But if they do it on iranian.com in order to 'break taboos, 'provoke' and 'educate' people, then they can expect harsh criticism."

So everyone should "look for it" on their own. Each person should remain in the dark about one of the most wonderful, powerful and important human activities -- about sexual intimacy and pleasure and ecstasy. Why? God knows it's bad for you!

Nobody is rubbing anything in your face. Nobody forced you to click on this story and read it. Something tells me that despite all your protestations, you will most certainly continue to read stories of this kind published on this site. And it makes me smile.

Themrs.

You say that some deragatory words are accepted nowadays!!? Gee. i wonder what those could be. It would have been nice if you at least had mentioned a few examples. I guess i am wrong to think that anything derogatory, by its very nature, tends to be offensive. What could be possibly acceptable and decent about such language?
You are totally changing the subject here. There are no attempts being made at "polarizing the language" in any shape or form, Nor are those who are like me and despise such language are a bunch of Uptight people, who get enbarrassed by it.

It should not be that difficult for anyone to realize that it makes a HUGE difference how one refers and speak of that certain part of female reproductive system. You don't think it matters when a man describes his sexual experience with his wife or Gf as getting some pu...vesus remembering it as a memorable intercourse? Would both methods of expressing the experience make the same impact on you? Would you not lose at least some respect for that man if he uses the P word in english and K word in persian? even in cases such as this one, It is a matter of self-respect if a girl takes the time to come up with a better word. Trust me, it aint that hard.

Taking the easy way out, you conveniently suggest that it is more than okay to be cheap once in a while, or there are no Un-laat synonyms for certain words. Well, guess what, you are wrong.

Jahanshah

You said: "If this piece of writing is "pseudo-intellectual", give an example of writings on sex that is properly intellectual in your view."

I call this "pseudo-intellectualism", not so much for the content of the article itself, but for the social engineering intentions behind it. The idea that an author writing about her genitals to "enlighten" us seems condescending. And it takes away from its authenticity.

You said: "Where should sex be expressed and discussed, if not through art and literature? Parents don't tell us much, if anything. We don't learn about it in our schools. None of the Iranian media organizations discuss it. So how are we supposed to learn and have a healthy and enjoyable sex life?"

I think people are smart and mature enough to look for it on their own. They don't need anyone to rub it on their face in a public forum.

I personally have no interest whatsoever in "erotic writings" or the so-called "erotic arts" but I guess if someone feels the urge to write about their last night's masturbation, they can do it in websites and forums created for that purpose. But if they do it on "Iranian.com" in order to "break taboos", "provoke" and "educate" people, then they can expect harsh criticism.

This article might be too

This article might be too much for our senior citizens, but understand young peoples in US are very comfortable with this culture, it's called free expression, so loosen up and don't be hypocrites, you have experienced it too and so is every person living on this planet unless you have a medical problem!

Horny woman tells A "Porn story"

I am not sure why some of those comments here take this one so seriously , it is a Porn story ,what ever you want to name it,,like some believe "Strip tease" is an Art !!!

Bunch of horny men liked it ,,,cause it made them hot.... and 50/50 female respond to it too,I am surprised How did the owner of this site permit this, even the picture is a NO NO for this site ,I think only because the user name was a female,(it could be false too)...I DO not make a gudgment on This..
could be cool or could be dirty ,,and way off for this
site...
So much of our so called Iranian ONLINE "CULTURAL SITE"..
WELL CULTURED THANKS....

Right-on Parinaz, keep up

Right-on Parinaz, keep up the good work and keep us inform :D

Ari

If you find birth control pills or condoms in your daughters belongings, depending on your attitude you'll respond differently. Not to mention that your daughter knows you better than yourself in this regard. Meaning if she finds you strict she'd go to great lengths to hide it, if not she'll be non chalant and you'll find it.

You can either talk to her about it, forget and ignore it as if it doesn't exist or be harsh on her, take your pick.

What I'm trying to say is that if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound? There is enough sex literature for us to consider and no need (at least for us in this thread) to intellectualize it.

Granted many teens in Iran don't know enough about sex but for sure as hell they (in Islamic regime) know a lot more than you and I did back then in liberal Shah's time! Wouldn't you agree? Heck even there are even "sex education" classes, we had nothing! But we knew enough about sex and found our way to it. Being the victim here serves nothing. Iranian women are liberated enough, they just don't brooze it to us Iranian men :-)

This article is good using the K word (for women), but this thread is BS, that's all I'm trying to say.

Let Lap Poodle

Regarding the sordid pleasures of intellectualizing, its a kind of sex because we do fertilize each other's minds. After a gestation period new ideas pop out, which we lovingly nurture into new kinds of social norms. In a sense you are witnessing group sex on this thread; you just haven't seen the baby yet because it is still in the process of being conceived--there's a "bad" word for that process which I won't mention.  I invite you to join us, and bring a bottle of Chardonnay.

Interesting observation

what is more interesting than the article itself is that women in this forum are more aroused, excited or at least emancipated in expressing their opinion that the men! This clearly shows that this topic has absolutely no sexual value per se, it only stands to be voice of a woman who is trying to break the glass of silence about a subject that is even a private issue in the western world.

The encouragement or applaud from either side is meaningless. Are we now going to have more articles about masturbation and wet dreams? Or have we achieved the long lost freedom that our women are thirsty for?

Sometimes, no reaction can be a compliment. Iranian women will never earn what is defined as freedom, by only imitating what is the edge of feminism in the West, as it has not achieved a true freedom for the women of the west.

I believe, that a woman regardless of her nationality will always be more appealing if she tries to share the world with men in an equal basis and without verbal violence. In the battle of violence the male usually wins, it is the pure love that men become tamed and civlized with.

Masturbation and self indulgence are at the very lower part of the totem pole.

Ari

This thread is much ado about nothing - your comments notwithstanding. First Iranians don't talk "enough" about sex, then "reading" about sex in "arts and literature" is good and breaking "taboos", mind you all this from people who have NOT had enough sexual relations!

Besides do "young" people whose parents don't tell them about sex or can't find it in newspapers and are curious about sex, search for it in "arts and literature"?!

Now imagine this same group of people who are on this thread are in a party sipping Chiantis and Charonnays. Imagine them bringing up this article from i.com and "discuss" it! Do you think any of them will actually "talk" about it and "use" the k word?!

Just like many other issues it is good to intellectualize it for the sake of discussion but no sense of reality and thinking Iranians don't know enough about sex - as if! WTF are we discussing then?!

Religion and customs

دیدم امشب تعداد

دیدم امشب تعداد زیادی از بازدید کننده ها اومدن و پست تغییرات فرهنگی وبلاگ سامبولی رو خوندن. که همه از اینجا لینک گرفته بودن. اولاً ممنون که لینک ما رو اینجا زدین. دوماً چطور می شه مطالب وبلاگ رو وقتی به روز می شه اینجا نمایش داد؟
ممنون

Writing, publishing, reading, and discussing sex

I stand by my own reaction to reading about sex from a woman's point of view in Farsi--it is refreshing to me, for I have not seen many honest and realistic examples of it. I have read many examples in English, and the English writings are also of interest to me, but not in the same way. I suppose it is fair to say that what is important to me in English or Farsi is to read an Iranian woman express her sexuality. It's just not done regularly enough to grow tiring for me.

As a writer, I have grappled with the topic quite a bit. I have written numerous experimental pieces which I have never submitted for review. I always find something wrong with my storytelling about sex, because I know my personal inhibitions have not left me completely free to say it, describe it, and convey it fully, first to my own satisfaction.

Though the temptation and intimidataing forces are present, as an Iranian woman, even one who can and does write regularly, writing about sex is difficult for me, and I'm acutely aware that only part of it has to do with my as yet developing skills as a writer. Much more of it has to do with me as an individual, limited by my own perceptions and experiences. In trying to write and tell others about anything that has to do with sex, I feel somewhat paralyzed and grow doubtful about what to say, how much to say, and how to say it. What would people think? Would they think I'm talking from "personal experience?" What if they do? Would I appear as a nymphomaniac if I attempted to describe a scene filled with lust and steamy, expert lovemaking? Publishing under my real name, would I be able to show up in my regular circles after having published writings which show what I know of and about sex in such detailed and real levels which leave no doubt that I am talking from personal experience? Lest we forget, there's the Iranian woman side of me which is dwelling endlessly on whether I should stay with the concept of what a decent and respectable Iranian woman does and says in public, keeping her sexuality and tales of intimacy inside her bedroom and in her computer and in the hundreds of pieces of paper tied together and filed somewhere out of the reach of even family members to see.

To put this in its proper persepctive, if an Iranian woman writer would not write about it, readers cannot read about it, either. So we are back to why it is important for Iranian women to write about sex, and why this piece is important regardless of its form and structure, for its conent deals with something important and valuable.

سلام متن خوبی

سلام
متن خوبی بود و نگارش تاثیر گذاری داشت. البته هنوز نمی دونم خود ارضایی چه مضراتی داره.
اینو هم بخونین جالبه
//sambooli.blogfa.com/post-131.aspx

Right time, right place

Thanks Ali 1234.

1- You say, "it is condescending: I am sick and tired of pseudo-intellectuals trying to "break taboos" and "educate" me by writing about their genitals and masturbation session on a public forum."

If this piece of writing is "pseudo-intellectual", give an example of writings on sex that is properly intellectual in your view. In any case, there is nothing intellectual about this piece. It's simply a description of a woman's sexual experience plain and straight. Why is that bad or wrong? Why is it condescending? Give me an example of a non-condescending discussion about orgasm, other than in a biology book.

iranian.com has carried articles and stories about sex for years. I like them, so do many others. They are eye-opening, interesting, and yes taboo-breaking. But they are a very small part of the site.  99.9% percent of iranian.com is sex free. Don't read these stories if you don't want to.

2- You say, "Maybe "Nothing is sacred" but everything does have its own place. JJ, you are a media professional, I challenge you to show me one respectable publication where such explicit sexual pieces are just thrown in between articles. If you want to use sex to sell and attract more readers that's another story, but don't intellectualize it for us."

iranian.com is not a newspaper. It's a public forum made possible by a new medium where everything is discussed. Sex is an important part of our life and as such it is part of iranian.com. Again, nobody is forcing this on anyone. You and all those who have a problem with this can easily avoid it.

3- You say, "No matter how much you "deconstruct" the concept, sex is NOT just like any other pleasures in life that can be discussed anywhere and with anyone. Talking about sex in public in such an explicit way, with strangers and anonymous people from every age and backgrounds, is NOT like talking about ghormeh sabzi. There are tons of other factors to consider."

Where should sex be expressed and discussed, if not through art and literature? Parents don't tell us much, if anything. We don't learn about it in our schools. None of the iranian media organizations discuss it. So how are we supposed to learn and have a healthy and enjoyable sex life?

4- You say, "This you might not agree with but in my humble view; cultural values are to be respected. It is not because you can offend, trigger some sensitive nerves and create reactions, that it is necessarily right to do it. I won't go to an Indians public forum and write about how tasty the cows are, knowing that cows might be considered as sacred to large number of them. That's just common sense for us global citizens. But you seem to have launched your own "crusade" against religious people, and specifically Muslims, so any article that might take a shot at them or make them a little uncomfortable is welcomed. But that's a whole other debate."

I have no respect for "values" -- cultural or religious, Iranian or Western, Islamic or Christian -- that make no sense. There's simply nothing "sacred" about sex. It is a natural human activity and we MUST be open and informed about it. And the best way to do that is through education as well as public discussion and art/literature.

Disappointed too People

Disappointed too

People who are desperately trying to cling to a polarization of language into spheres of acceptable and unacceptable speech are actually trying to create a taboo where none exists! The cultural lexicon has changed. Some derogatory words are acceptable now.

When you see the doctor you might tell him your bladder or kidneys hurt. You don’t talk of ‘del dard’. Medical terminology is useless in this context.

If we agree that some words are ‘dirty’, the question becomes “is there any room in the mainstream media for dirty literature?” It’s a question of propriety. Ir.com publishes its users (it’s not The Economist) & we discuss whatever people want to discuss! It’s not like you are at home saying your K** hurts and then “son, pass the butter please”. No, this is an appropriate setting.

The Persian language isn’t poor in vocabulary, but words are labeled!!! I find a similar pattern happening with ‘dehati’. I’ve noticed some words that have a more modern version are now considered ‘dehati’. Some words are ‘laat’ because supposedly, good people from nice families don’t discuss the flesh, especially not in public! As such, we don’t have un-laat equivalents for some words.  

At the end of the day, ask yourself this, if all I’ve said is wrong and if this article is really cheap (I don’t even understand what that means), then why can’t we be cheap once in a while? In the words of Dr. Seus:

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.  

Ali1234

This wasn’t meant to arouse you. Indeed there are other sites for that. You don’t have to be a fan of this genre to see it for what it is not. Do you get turned on at the Louvre when you see a statue from a Greek God? Come on. As I said, this is pure and simple a question of some up tight people being embarassed. No matter what you want to say. You know why? Because no matter how this is written and by whom, you will label it as pseudo cultural intellectualism. Don't worry, she won't come to your dreams tonight.

Jahanshah Now let me shed

Jahanshah

Now let me shed some light on why I am against such articles so you don't just blame it all on religion. Personally the things that bother me about Iranians writing about sex in public forums such as this one are the followings:

1-It is condescending: I am sick and tired of pseudo-intellectuals trying to "break taboos" and "educate" me by writing about their genitals and masturbation session on a public forum.

If I want to learn more about sex, I go to specific websites where I can ask experts or read educational articles on the subject. And if I want to read erotic and explicit articles, again, there are specific Adult websites for it.

As adults, we want to be treated as such. We are you teenagers. Your readers are mature enough to deal with sexuality own their own, whether it's for fantasy or education. They don't need these "shock therapies".

2-Maybe "Nothing is sacred" but everything does have its own place. JJ, you are a media professional, I challenge you to show me one respectable publication where such explicit sexual pieces are just thrown in between articles. If you want to use sex to sell and attract more readers that's another story, but don't intellectualize it for us.

3-No matter how much you "deconstruct" the concept, sex is NOT just like any other pleasures in life that can be discussed anywhere and with anyone. Talking about sex in public in such an explicit way, with strangers and anonymous people from every age and backgrounds, is NOT like talking about ghormeh sabzi. There are tons of other factors to consider.

4-This you might not agree with but in my humble view; cultural values are to be respected. It is not because you can offend, trigger some sensitive nerves and create reactions, that it is necessarily right to do it. I won't go to an Indians public forum and write about how tasty the cows are, knowing that cows might be considered as sacred to large number of them. That's just common sense for us global citizens. But you seem to have launched your own "crusade" against religious people, and specifically Muslims, so any article that might take a shot at them or make them a little uncomfortable is welcomed. But that's a whole other debate.

cheers,

Religion and Customs

Thanks Ari. Yes, like all other humans we Iranians do want to keep sex private. But as you well know, we are extra shy/uninformed about sex and sexuality compared to many other nations. And that comes from religious and cultural customs. No? That's just my guess.

Even as adults, Iranians treat sex as something dirty or vulgar, rather than natural and wonderful. So when sex is discussed in the public realm via art and literature, we get very uneasy and label it as indecent or perverted.

For Jahanshah

1. We insist on privacy for sex

2.We have sex even when the female can't be fertilized

3.The female body conceals ovulation(other female mammals advertize it).

4. We have menopause.

5. Males hang around after the female conceives.

6. (My favorite) Male penis is too big for the reproductive function.