Iranian of the Day

The lobotomized motion of "decent culture" must go on,

Forough Farokhzad has said in words (much stronger, more explicit than) what Golshifteh has done visually. The paradox remains that after almost four decades from Fourough Farokhzad's transition, we're still at least a couple of decades behind her.

Could it be IR? Could be internalization of a male-dominated culture? Could it be releasing gas on the sidewalk? The joke is on the sidewalk, patrirachy, and IR my friend.

The joke is on you fellas!

     Again, I don't know what she had in mind. HER ACT IS NOT A BIG DEAL! YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT. It was what some made of her act that is the big deal. Those who tried to make a heroine from her.

        This story has got a life of its own now! That is what needs to be examined and the perception it created needs to be corrected!

      So I advised those "open bright minds" (VPK, Simorg, Mash ghasem perhpas and more)  that are laughing at rest of us for creating the BIG FUSS to realize, the joke is on them! :-)

VPK jaan next time try Decaf! :-)

Sexism is a big barrier to our progress

All my life I fight against male chauvinism as sexism and perceptions of women to be inferior to men. It appears some male chauvinism are trying to hide their real face behind "moral police" mask in this site.  

The shot is state of art. Most likely in the line of early work of Cezanne and later on Toulouse Lautrec.  

     The shot has never meant to have any political messages. It has nothing to do with politic or IRI. That was NOT the way the photoghrapher wanted to communicate with viewers. I am sure if Pas mal (the photographer) hears about political interpretation of the vieweres, that will make him laugh.  The shot is only state of art and has been nominated to French oscar award.

       At the same time the naked photo shot promotes women's liberation in Iran. It benefited Iranian women rahter than hurting them. The Iranian women who have been under oppression of bunch of the stinky rag heads who are trying to impose idea of lizard eater arabs from 1400 years ago. It benefits Iranian women big time. It also promotes equality between men and women and social justice. Under current circumstances, if the men took his top off it is okay, and it is taboo if women took her top off. This photo shot implies and send a signal to all Iranian women it is okay for women to take her top off like men. That is the meaning of equality between men and women. Golshifteh name will remain as a taboo breaker and the leader of paradigm shift in our history.

                      LONG LIVE FREEDOM, LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY 

                   Long live equality between men and women

Responses

• Dear Shemirani: thank you for your kind words.
• Dear Vildermose: as I said before you got it right.
• Disenchanted: get it in your head: his is not about alternative to hijab. It is the personal business of one actress. The world does not revolve around IRI; Islam or you. People do things for many reasons.
• Dear Rea: well said.
• AO: I disagree, It goes to the heart of what is wrong with some Iranians. Specially Iranian Muslims. They think we must all conform to their standards. It is vital to get across to them that they do not rule the world. 
• Gitdoun: it is not her business to worry about movie industry in IRI. If they want to be barbaric it ain't her problem. Blame the revolution.

im disappointed

I think what she did was indecent. I do not applaud her for it. I don't view boobs as Art. And no I don't think her action of " let's boob the Ayatollahs to death " will enhance our chances of a democratic revolution in Iran. Infact if anything this will make the lives of aspiring actors in Iran ALOOOOOOOT harder. The pressure on the lives of countless thousands who get their bread from working in the film industry in iran has increased a whooole lot thanks to Golshifteh's stunt. And a little disclaimer to the fanatic gholshifteh fans ::: No I don't support the IRI, no I am not an Arab,  no i am not a fascist, communist or a socialist, and and last but not least no im not a religious extremist.  --gholshifteh has put something out in the public domain. I can give either a thumbs up or down. Im choosing to give a thumbs down. Bon appetite !!

False dichotomy!

The alternative to what is practiced in Iran is not nudity! That is what mullas want us to believe. There is a third alternative that respects freedom of women and protects the decency of the society as well!

//iranian.com/main/blog/disenchanted/what-next-taboo-be-broken-iranian-women 

Amen Rea!!

Who cares, really?  She did it.  Good for her.  For Darwin's sake, let's move on from this boob thing.  I'm really sick of seeing more cyber space devoted to this issue.  

So much fuss over nothing

Young, beautiful, let them be.
To each generation its own expression.

Dear Vildermose you are 100% right

You got it totally right and beat me to the post ! The whole thing about "cheap" is in the context of what your said. A woman is viewed as object for sale. Based on slavery and belief that a woman has no value or ability to be on her own. 

That is why virginity and youth is so highly valued. Kings would divorce their wife because she "failed" to give them a son. Including our own modern Shah! Never mind that a daughter is just as wonderful as a son and gender is determined by father.

The worst part is women also buy into it an example being "expat". My own grandmother used to belittle women all the time. This is how the prejudice is passed from generation to the next. We need to stop it here and now; that is the real point.

Dear VPK: the problem with

Dear VPK: the problem with misogynist basij is the fact that view women as piece of property (jens, kala) with a worthless and chauvanistic value system that is geared only toward men's sense of Owning a slave. The women are not considered as human being but a piece of Vagina for the pleasure of their husband. They have no other worth than being a sexual organ to please their master and to satisfy his insecurity about his masculnity...

The whole custom of Khastegari is worse than a prostitution because the family auctions off their virgin daughter to the highest bidder. It's a business deal like buying a car. The woman is an object Not a living, thinking, breathing, feeling human being. Only a piece of meat.

 A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Yes, Expat. She is beautiful and talented woman

"She is a beautiful, talented woman" expat

Is that the reason you are jeolous of her?

To VPK

Just wanted to Thank you ! Besiar ensan ba sharafi va fair hastid va ba hosele mamamia !!! i admire your patience :) !! happy to have compatriots like you !

(More i read narrow minded reaction, more i understand how jahanSevomi people can be ! but the great point is majority of people reacted very well  !! it's showing a huge evolution of Iran's society ! )

Re: but she has cheapened herself by doing this,

but she has cheapened herself by doing this,

I didn't know women are for sale or have a price. I guess some people's minds never got over slavery. By the way being a woman does not give one any moral authority to price others.

I think all these closet basiji are "cheapened". The only thing I find more disgusting than a  hijabi "modest" basiji is on lecturing others. 

God almighty!

All this fuss, outpouring of moral
indignation and outraged self-righteousness over an exposed tit?!

As they say, you can take the boy out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the......... 

FreeIranForever

When I saw the picture, I have to say I didn't feel the need to vomit! She is a beautiful, talented woman, but she has cheapened herself by doing this, and I agree with your view that it is degrading to women.

Hey "Freeiranfornever"

Tough dude then vomit for all I care. Your post is more disgusting to me than any picture. Who are you to define what is "degrading" to women. Yet another "morality police". 

With all these self appointed guardians of morality who needs basisji. We got our own police right here. More I read this "holier than thou" posts the more glad I am to see her do that.

You do not like body of a woman and it makes you vomit; great that is your right. Do you prefer a burka or a black chador? No wonder Iran is not free and will never be while people like you run it. A more appropriate name is "Free Iran Never". 

disgusting!

I rather vomit than look at these pics.... how degrading to all women!

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression. Learn how to live with

All the power to you girl! Let it all hang out and bring the chill and shiver to the linguini spine of mullahs and the rest of IRR thugs.//www.1001harf.com/W3/archives/2507#comment-99 

Siavash

These people are on their high horse and thing they are superior. Your time is wasted on them because they are "right" and we are "wrong". Just like any other ideologue there is no point arguing.

Have you got a single Mossadeghi or revolutionary to admit their mistake. I just read "Pendar" on another blog calling the Pahlavi days "filthy". Do you think any of these people will pay attention to reason. No they won't.

Freedom is universal, but sexuality is individual

 "I mentioned Hijab and not Islam cos Mr Siavash thought she was making some brave stand against the veil which is, I think, a load of bull."

Dear Expat,

I don't know your nationality, but I am Persian and I am proud of my heritage and my culture which is distinctively different from Arabs. You problem is that you didn't read profundly what I wrote to you, instead you just followed the track of thinking that you were on. You repeated whatever you made up in your mind to say. That is not the way to achieve your objectivity. Dear, You have to read what other people are saying first and then respond respectively.

Please take a look at this statement of callme red:
    "How about asking some guys showing their balls in some kinda artwork," callme red 

 Look this person didn't even bother to watch the video. Some of those 29 individuals were men who took their clothes off. 

Do you see how people could be blind to the fact?

    This is what I am saying. you have to read carefully what people are saying. In the case of call me red he/she has to watch the photo shots carefully before making any judgement. The same goes with people who are pro mosaddeq. They repeat whatever they heard in the comic movie of "Dai Jan Naplean" and support Dr.Mosaddeq against Brits. without knowing that Dr.mosaddeq's uncle known as Mosafar- din shah signed the treaty of oil with brits and Mosaddeq never condemn his uncle for that treaty.

Now, I highlighted very important point in my discussion. I repeated again since apparently it was not absorb at first place.

 The shot reminds viewers the early work of Cezanne and later on Toulouse Lautrec.

Have I seen any place in your or "call me red" write up refers to these artists? NO, why? because you made up your mind to say what you want to say without any regard to what others thinking. That is bias. means you had preconceived idea about one social phenomena and desperately try to get to your bias thinking in a short cut.

 Is that how you conducted the poll in 11 univeristy? I am glad I was not one of your subject.
Sexuality may be big deal for you or call me red, but it is like sneeqing in public in France. Furthermore, sexuality is something individual (some may like it , some may don't) , versus freedom is universal and it has been admired throughout centuries by everybody and people get killed, tortured, imprisoned for that.

 Only according to Arabian idea, people has to be punished for their sexuality.

                       LONG LIVE FREEDOM, LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY

By all means stop 'responding" to

me. But I will post to expose the hypocrisy of the morality police. I don't care where you were born although London is getting more Islamic than IRI. Nobody owes the self appointed "modesty" police anything.

By the way if you are not born in Iran then what is your claim. What makes you think you own this woman. Not that an Iranian has a right over her either. But some have the dellusion. You don't even have that flimsy basis.

By harassment I do not mean posting on blogs. If you don't know what it is Google it. As for bitter or not I am just fine. You think what you want and it makes 0 difference. It is funny that people have so much need to control other people.

VPK-for the very last time...

I'm actually gonna stop responding to you because you seriously seriously don't get it!

'You sound like you just got out of the Islamic Republic. Get out and watch a few movies. '

 Erm, so if someone disagrees with baring their breasts, they're from IRI? (I was actually born in Rickmansworth and brought up in Southgate, North London!). 

 And why do you keep saying 'it's none of your business'???? It's a public forum and I'm making a public statement to a public magazine.  It's none of YOUR business to interfere with what I"M saying! 

 Perhaps YOU, sir, should stop being so prejudiced and can I say, downright aggressive, towards people who don't share your views.  I have NEVER personally attacked or insulted you on this forum.  What I've said has always been regarding the subject matter-which I personally disagree with.  THAT IS MY CHOICE.  I am not taking away Ms Farahani's freedom-I don't have that power nor do I wish to.  I am stating my opinion.  YOU, on the other hand, are sounding more and more like the people you despise-making outrageous statements like the one I've quoted below:

 '

• Voice your opinion and go on to your life.
• Go pick a fight with her.

The first is a normal right of anyone. The second will get you in trouble.

Go ahead and remember in the West too much harassment is illegal'

What on earth are you talking about man? Too much harrassment for who?! It's a public forum! And you keep talking about 'picking fights' with people.  You have turned what has been a debate into a really horrible slanging match. And I'm afraid to say you sound really bitter.

Peace and love. 

Expat 2

So anyone who thinks she went topless for a 'greater cause', she failed on that score too. 

You must have not got my point. I do not say it was a response to IRI. But that it is her business.  This is why I say "world does not revolve around Islam". All things are not to either oppose or support Islam. People do things for totally unrelated reasons.

By the way you are not alone in the West. There are various "anti pron" groups you could join. They are the Western version of "Morality" police. But they don't have as much power. 

You prove there are some people who do not understand freedom. Who do not get the meaning of "mind your business". People sticking their nose in others is the source of many fights. You made your point now you got two choices. 

• Voice your opinion and go on to your life.
• Go pick a fight with her.

The first is a normal right of anyone. The second will get you in trouble.

Go ahead and remember in the West too much harassment is illegal. 

I hope you see one day tbe benefits are leaving people alone.

Expat

Regarding Islam: the whole "morality" in Iran today is based on Islam. That is what brings Islam in. Whether you admit it all raised in Iran are influenced by it. I am not going to argue this anymore. It is obvious.

Well mine is that she got paid a lot of money and she thought it would boost her career.

She got paid to act yes because that is her job. But I doubt exposing got her much more. Do you know how common exposing breasts is in movies? You sound like you just got out of the Islamic Republic. Get out and watch a few movies. 

If showing a breast advanced your career there are thousand who would do it. The world is filled with aspiring actresses who do much more than that! Sorry but it takes a lot more than a breast shot to advance a movie career; much more.

And once again...

Who mentioned Islam VKP?

She got topless cos that's her right-her body, her choice, that's your point right? Well mine is that she got paid a lot of money and she thought it would boost her career. That is it-again I reiterate, I mean this sentence precisely, nothing more nothing less. With regards to my previous post, I mentioned Hijab and not Islam cos Mr Siavash thought she was making some brave stand against the veil which is, I think, a load of bull.

Now if I WAS to enter a debate into whether what she did inadvertently stuck 2 fingers up to the regime then I don't think it did. They've probably blown up all the pictures and stuck it to their walls. So anyone who thinks she went topless for a 'greater cause', she failed on that score too.

CalumeRed-lol!!

And once again...

Who mentioned Islam VPK?
She got topless cos that's her right-her body, her choice, that's your point right? Well mine is that she got paid a lot of money and she thought it would boost her career. That is it-again I reiterate, I mean this sentence precisely, nothing more nothing less. With regards to my previous post, I mentioned Hijab and not Islam cos Mr Siavash thought she was making some brave stand against the veil which is, I think, a load of bull.
Now if I WAS to enter a debate into whether what she did inadvertently stuck 2 fingers up to the regime then I don't think it did. They've probably blown up all the pictures and stuck it to their walls. So anyone who thinks she went topless for a 'greater cause', she failed on that score too.
CallmeRed-lol!!

Expat,

I guess it's no use trying to convince some people about the fact that they may be wrong, and she just did what she did for some other reason, not for political/cultural reasons as they think and insist on.

Exposing the boobs as an important means to fight the regime and fight hijab and teach Iranian women how they could live without hijab is a great idea. How about asking some guys showing their balls in some kinda artwork, it may help fighting the regime too- if they have any balls at all, if not, we can ask their wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, partners to show their boobs. or butts. they will certainly agree, as they are intellectuals who have no problem with nudity. especially if it is for specific reasons, like fighting the regime and wrong beliefs in the society.

FYI, Lunda Shad in "The Scream of Ants" had done this before. but she did not cut her picture off the movie- posting it like it was done just like that. 

this whole idea was so cheesy- whatever her reason was. 

Expat

 
You have your idea of modesty and others theirs. I don't even think modesty is meaningful. Nor do I think that as defined in Islam it is a good thing. 

Regarding women in hijab it is not my or Golshifteh's job to help them. Yes I am glad to be of help but I don't have my world revolve around it. You really got to understand world of every Iranian is not Islam. Many of us left it behind years ago. In my case over 30 years ago. Many people just don't care about Islam and its values. 

Be it modesty; prayer or anything. People want to live their lives as they see fit. I don't normally use "we" but will here. We do not owe anyone and by "we" I mean regular Iranian people. From actor to taxi driver we are not required to please others. Just do your thing and allow others to do theirs is that good!  

Expat, you got it all wrong my dear

 "...Ms Farahani is sacrificing her modesty (and her bra) to make a stand against the degredation of Muslim women..." Expat

Golshifteh naked shot promotes women's liberation in Iran, even though it was not meant to be for that reason and it has not been originated for that purpose, but it is targeting foundamental pillar of Islamic idea of wrapping women in the  "Black Shroud". Arab idealogy perpetuate the concept of wraping women in a black shroud as the sign of decency and modesty.

The fact is neihter Golshifteh nor her photographer or her hair dresser ever thought of fighting against Islamic dress code.  Not at all. The shot was meant to portray state of art. In that respect, I have to say Golshifteh naked shot reminds me of early work of Cezanne and later on Toulouse Lautrec which is more close to what was in the mind of photographer than that monkey who calls himself Iran's president.

Just take a look at this link.

Iran - Woman Arested for 'Bad Hijab' - YouTube

No one heard the voice of this little girl who was brutalized by Islamo-fascist agents. But everybody heard the voice of Golshifteh.  Do you see the difference? 

Golshifteh and this littel girls are 2 poeple among million Iranian women who suffered tyranny of these monsters for 3 decades. These monsters were trying to  impose idea of lizard eater Arabs from 1400 years ago on our nation. Any resistance to that idea is admirable. Sometimes the resistance is dramatic and sometimes it is mild such showing their hairs under scarf in public. Sexuality and sexual connotation is not that important as much as you are thinking. Freedom is main objective.  For example, there were so many people who defended Iran during Arab invasion in 1980. I am sure among those people there were some homosexuals and lisbeans, but that doesn't make Iranians forget about them and not to appreciate them. They defended our country against arabs. The main objective was defend our homeland and sexual orientation doesn't count. Now, you may take a look at my blog and judge for yourself.

Golshifeh Frahani, the leader of Paradigm Shift

Thanks,

Siavash