A Rant

Iranian woman being dragged from an equal rights demonstration in Iran
in March this year by the female dahlek style police

The same police enforcing the dress code

Homa Darabi grew up in Iran where she studied to become a doctor before completing her studies in America. She became quite active in politics during the revolution, supporting human rights and equal status for women. (She supported the revolution but was opposed to the islamic republic). Despite being very successful in the US and becoming a naturalized American citizen in the 70s she decided to return to Iran to do some good there. In 1976 she was appointed Professor at the University of Tehran School of Medicine. Progressively dissolusioned with politics as the islamic republic got a hold on Iran she devoted her time to her profession as a medical doctor. As a testament to her talent - she was the first Iranian to pass the board in Child-Psychiatry in U.S. and also went on to establish the Psychiatric Clinic of Shahid Sahami in Tehran. In 1990, she was fired from her position as a professor at the School of Medicine at Tehran University due to her 'non compliance to islamic rules relating to the hijab'. She was later harassed in her practice for the same reason and finally had to close down her practice and limit herself to being a housewife. Over time and under pressures from many Iranian parents, Dr. Darabi had been obliged to apply the label of "mentally incapacitated" to many perfectly intelligent, bright young girls to save them from the punishments (torture) of the new zealots. When a 16 year old girl was shot to death in Northern Tehran for wearing lipstick, Dr. Darabi could no longer handle the guilt she felt about 'her favourable involvement in the Iranian Revolution', and the way women were being treated in Iran. She finally decided to protest the oppression of women by setting herself on fire in a crowded square in northern Tehran, on February 21, 1994. Her last words were "Death to Tyranny Long Live Liberty Long Live Iran"

You can read her sisters letter to a CNN reporter she isnt too happy with here.
Recommended. Seems also to be a decent synopsis of womens rights in Iran from pre revolution. Very interesting read....

"There is no such a thing as a moderate Moslem. Islam means submission and one either submits or gets killed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
I have not found anyone who can define "moderate submission." Under the Shah we had personal freedom and not political freedom. Under the Islamic Republic we have lost both. I also don¹t know what Iranian woman told you that she does not mind the hijab. Perhaps you did not ask the question from a broad sample of women in Iran to validate your assumption. My sister burned herself to death in the public square because she did not want to wear the hijab. Her last cries were "death to tyranny, long live freedom, long live Iran."

And in Britain today... never mind the above eh girls...youre happier endorsing their REAL oppression by aligning yourselves with the dahleks yeah?

Jack Straws polite request now qualifies him as an Oppressor of Muslim Women. (Dopey bint).

Ignorant, mindless, moronic little twits parade about placards condemning Straw for his "oppression of muslim women".

I can't relate to them in that garb as British citizens. Neither frankly do i want to. I feel nothing but shame. These young girls are growing up in a society where women have equality and rights AND FOUGHT FOR THEM like the women in Iran are trying to do today. This garb denies anyone full access to that world. Just because they have chosen to wear it doesnt make me respect them for their 'choice'. Women choose to support husbands who deceive them, they choose to support husbands who rape and murder and chop people into bits and bury them in their backyard. They choose to write to men on death row. There are stupid cows the world over. Doesnt mean we should endorse it or not at least attempt to show them up for what they are. Jack Straw a man i would normally have little time for better bloody well stand by his comments. The rest of his liberal buddies and their multi culti paradise have a lot to answer for.

>rant mode off

Real Oppression continued ~ Iran Update

Irans female racing champion barred from defending her title:-

It was the first time Seddigh, whose exploits earned her the soubriquet "the little Schumacher", had been excluded from a contest. Senior federation officials said they had been unable to obtain permission for her participation. However, Seddigh believes she was banned to prevent her earning enough points to repeat her championship success, which won her international fame but upset Iran's male-dominated religious ruling establishment.

Dozens of women arrested in Iran Protest:-

Hundreds of Iranian women gathered outside the offices of the judiciary in Tehran on Tuesday in protest to the impending execution of a female prisoner, dissidents have told Iran Focus. Dozens of protesting women were arrested outside the judiciary as they clashed with armed agents of Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) and its undercover units. Agents of the SSF sealed off the area, and motorbike patrols roamed the vicinity breaking up crowds of women. The women were protesting the death sentence of Kobra Rahmanpour.

Male Teachers barred from teaching in girls schools:-

Iran’s Ministry of Education has issued a decree banning all male teachers from teaching in all-girls schools, a top ministry official announced earlier this week. The new regulations will take effect from the beginning of the new academic year, Iran’s deputy Education Minister said. The latest move is part of a wider plan to enforce gender segregation laws in public arenas inlcuding seperate teaching buldings for women altogther.

"It feels," says Mohsenian, "as if we're all incapable of behaving like normal people and need to be regulated at all times."

The new hypermorality isn't exactly a return to the days of the Ayatullah Khomeini. Today the tactics are subtler than in the past, when morality police were dispatched onto the streets of Tehran to harass youth. Instead, regular Iranians are being cowed into the role of enforcer. A month ago, I met a few girlfriends for coffee at a popular café. One of my friends lit a cigarette and was informed by the embarrassed owner that smoking is now illegal for women in cafés. Such small but significant restrictions are a discouragement. Half the women I know don't go out for coffee anymore. So without a single police raid, the authorities have stifled Tehran's bustling café scene. The restrictions are multiplying daily, with dress codes imposed on women's-clothing retailers and limits on women performing music in public. Last week trucks laden with satellite dishes rolled through my Tehran neighborhood; police have been confiscating the illegal devices all around town.

A little Iranian girl ponders her bright future