The IranianUnique Travel

 

email us

US Transcom
US Transcom

Shahin & Sepehr

Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Advertise with The Iranian

    Letters

    Wednesday
    March 5, 1999

    Iranian women are mature and aware

I was really surprised and to be more accurate, shocked, to read your article "To live or to be alive?" . As I read more and more I felt like an American tourist was writing her observation regarding the life of Iranian women based on a few-days visit, seeing only through the surface of things. I mean you yourself said that you lived in Iran for 16 years and you are now 30 years old, that means half of your life you lived in Iran. Your observations are more through a single lens of Western culture and even from that perspective I have to say it is very much one-sided and without any depth.

You have made a number of assumptions and generalizations. There is more to life of Iranians than the relationship between women and men and even your look at that has been one-sided. On the issues that you have raised, there is a wide spectrum but your contacts included only a certain group. Who cares that there are women who haven't experienced going to a party until they are 22? Do you know how many men live in Iran who never experienced the joys of parties?!

In my visit to Iran in April 1998, on a number of occasions, I was delighted and proud to hear young women discussing literature, movies and plays everywhere (even while waiting in line to see a play). I really wonder how many girls their age in America are able to see things at this level of maturity and depth? They looked at men straight in the eyes and were very much clear about what they have and what they need to fight for.

I taught at universities in Iran for 12 years and young students were very much aware of their environment, the world and their choices. In your article "The women we wanted to be" you mentioned the impact books and movies had in shaping you. I am convinced (If you allow for one generalization) that if you had lived in Iran you would have had the same personality as you have now, except maybe you would not be able to go around the world as easily as you do now, but definitely much better around Tehran - and your uncle would not worry about you at all. This is part of the culture, you were a guest and new to the place, so they worried about you!

You just met a few people and then decided that this is the life of Iranian women . There are other people who live differently. I in fact know a number of people (men and women) above 25 who chose to not marry for different reasons. The age difference that you address and is in fact very true in other parts of the world, also is not an issue for everybody. Iranian women based on social, ethnic, geographical and economic factors differ in their lifestyles as do other women in other parts of the world.

Let me be clear: I am not blind to all the traditional and legal limitations for Iranian women . What I am saying is that within those limitations there are vast differences beyond what you have experienced in your visit to Iran.

I guess what I am trying to say is that what you have described does exist, but also a number of other lifestyles. With all the regulations and traditions there are people who do not follow the norm. To me that is not necessarily good or bad, it is just the way it is. There are also people who do not look at women the way you described.

The number of Iranian women in different and difficult professions today is impressive. Women directors, actors, artists, lawyers, art gallery owners and publishers among others made difficult choices, and fought all the way to live. Forugh Farrokzad lived in this traditional society and she was "Forugh". The new generation know it well.


Copyright © 1997 Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form