Ms. Khalili's portrayal of women ["To
live or to be alive?"] in Iran is an insult to all Iranian women
who despite deep-rooted social and political constraints, have made great
strides for representation and participation in the society. A bourgeois
reflection of Iranian women as portrayed by Ms. Khalili is unjust and inaccurate.
Over the last twenty years, Iranian women, albeit less than formidable
sociopolitical conditions, have began to build the required infrastructure
for a genuine grassroots women's movement in the country. The gradual
enhancement of the role of women in Iran's social, political, and economic
facets have to be attributed to not only few "activists" or "politically
conscious", but to all women who in their own individual and specific
ways have made a contribution to this long and difficult process.
Although some of the strategies used by Iranian women to change society's
social and political norms may be valued by western standards as mundane
and insignificant, to those in the front-line and their supporters, these
are bold steps with serious and long term implications.
Of course, wearing lipstick, showing a bit of hair, meeting and artfully
flirting with a man in public may not be considered as achievements by
those who consider greater political representation, enhanced employment
opportunities, and equal pay, as some of the key indicators for measuring
women's progress to achieve emancipation. Nevertheless, for millions of
Iranian women, these are serious moves to overcome hindrance from liberty
and self-determination.
I am sure that some of those women whose behaviors Ms. Khalili has so
freely criticized, face challenges to their basic rights on a daily basis,
and not only few weeks a year while visiting the old country. These women
have to always be aware of what they can do and say, when and where. Shouldn't
we who sit behind our computers in a luxury of our surroundings in Washington,
New York, or Paris be a bit more understanding of their conditions and
therefore supportive of their cause, rather than exposing our self-righteous
and paternalistic views?
Jafar Javan
Washington DC
