Women in Iran

WOMEN IN IRAN – INTERVIEW SERIES

Given the Western view that women in Iran (or Muslim women in general) are “oppressed” by society, by Islam, or by everything in general, I had the idea of interviewing several women in Iran to see what they thought.

Unfortunately, I have only been able to interview women from the middle and upper classes. This is due to language barriers (women from lower socioeconomic classes do not speak English) and cultural factors (it is much more difficult to make contact with them).

Obviously, I don't post photos of the interviewees or their real names.

I hope you like it; for me, it was a very interesting experience.

Amapola, 25, works on the stock exchange in Tehran

Beautiful, elegant, and with perfect English, she waits politely for me as I arrive 15 minutes late for our meeting 😓😓

ME – There’s a bit of a controversy in Europe right now about the wearing of the veil…some people think it’s an imposition that restricts women’s freedom…what do you think?

AMAPOLA – That may be true in some cases, but in my case, I just see it as a habit…

ME – …like a kind of cultural symbol?

AMAPOLA – Yeah, that's right, I'd feel like I was naked if I went out without a veil…

YO – ¿Y que piensas de los matrimonios convenidos? It seems that in the more conservative regions of Iran, marriages for young girls are arranged by their parents among themselves

AMAPOLA – In my case, I don't want my mother to arrange anything… but I have friends whose marriages were arranged, and they have happy marriages.

ME – “Oh! But they didn’t get married for love…”

AMAPOLA – Yes, I know, but their love has been growing, and they trust each other more… well, they seem very happy to me now.

Let's talk a little about religion

AMAPOLA – I don't know if God exists… I'm confused; but what I do know is that there isn't a heaven and a hell that are so separate (She makes a dramatic gesture of separation with her handss) and that someone will judge you and say, “You here, you there”

ME – Do you usually go to the mosque?

AMAPOLA – No, and neither do my parents

We continued talking, this time about what her life is like in Tehran; she lives with her parents, and her mother does most of the housework.

ME – Hey, I guess you make good money… Why don't you strike out on your own?

AMAPOLA – I feel good living with my family

ME – Well, if you meet a guy and want to take him home, how do you go about it?

AMAPOLA – I wouldn't bring any guy home… ((My attempt at a joke fell flat here.). I wouldn't want to live alone because of the men on the street…

ME – I don't get it… because of what the neighbors might say?

AMAPOLA – No, because if men know you live alone, they might do something to you…

ME – And you, since you speak perfect English… wouldn't you like to go work abroad?

AMAPOLA – Sí , durante una temporada pero para vivir quiero vivir en Irán.

Azucena, who is about 40 years old, works for the government in Tehran in a job related to computer science; I suspect she is either divorced or a widow.

AZUCENA – …well, what I like is dancing

ME – Oh! So where can you go dancing in Tehran? Are there any nightclubs…?

AZUCENA – Of course not, we dance at parties we throw at our homes

ME – So, do you have a dance partner?

AZUCENA – No, Iranian men don't really like to dance…

ME – And at those parties… what else do you guys do? Do you take off your veils and go wild? 

AZUCENA – I know what you mean. At home, we can be ourselves—we even drink alcohol…

ME: “And where do you get that from…?”

AZUCENA – People in northern Iran, for example, make it; we’re also familiar with Jack Daniel’s, vodka…

ME – Okay, but… where did you get that from?

She doesn't answer. We finish our dinner, and she goes ahead and pays. I offer to pay for her dinner, but she only accepts my share of the bill. I take the opportunity to ask her about the proper etiquette when dealing with Iranian women.

ME – Look, when I'm introduced to a girl here… how do I greet her? Do I shake her hand like I do with you?

AZUCENA – No. You shouldn't touch any woman. If she extends her hand, then you can shake it, but YOU shouldn't be the one to offer your hand first.

ME – And when you go out to dinner? Is the man expected to pay, or does everyone pay their own way…?

AZUCENA – It's fine if the man pays, but usually everyone pays their own meal

As we walk toward the car, we see a girl on the street with a bandage on her nose—the umpteenth one I've seen in Tehran. I ask her about it

AZUCENA – She's had a nose job; it's very common among women in Iran…

ME – Why? But you're all so beautiful…

AZUCENA – No, not all of us have ugly noses (she touches her nose), and we want ours to be more …she makes a gesture as if to make it thinner…Boys also undergo surgery…

ME – And how much does the surgery cost?

AZUCENA – I don't know, but I'll tell you one thing: a lot of them only wear the eye patch to make it look like they've had surgery, because around here it's a sign that you have money…

ALMUDENA, 26, is pursuing a graduate degree in marketing in Isfahan

We're at a café in the Isfahan bazaar. Obviously, there are lots of small shops around, so I take the opportunity to ask him.

ME – Hey, a girl like you who knows about marketing… why don't you open a store?

ALMUDENA – We can't; we face discrimination…

ME – In what way?

ALMUDENA – Opening a store is very expensive, and we don't have the money

ME – “Can’t you just go to a bank and ask for a loan?”

She makes a really strange face—half surprise, half denial, half… ignorance? I got the impression that either she doesn't know she can do it, or banks simply don't give loans to women…

ME – Well, girl, you can always marry a rich guy, haha 

He doesn't get the joke and just stares at me with a blank look on his face 

YO-  Wouldn't you like to stop working and stay home with the kids?

ALMUDENA – Noooo

ME – What about finding a boyfriend?

ALMUDENA – No, I don't like men either….

ME – And if you wanted to find a boyfriend… where would you look? There aren't any bars or nightclubs here…

ALMUDENA – We know a lot of guys at college

ME – How are things with your family?

ALMUDENA – All right, my parents are very open-minded and support me; I have an uncle in Canada, and I'd like to go there to work, and they support me.

ME – Is there a message you'd like to share with the world?

ALMUDENA – Yes, we Iranians are a peaceful people; we love peace and want normal relations with other countries.

Well, that's all there is to it….

If you want to know more about Iran: https://999millas.net/es/category/paises/una-ruta-por-iran/

Texto: Mike !