WOMEN IN IRAN \u2013 INTERVIEW SERIES<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given the Western view that women in Iran (or Muslim women in general) are \u201coppressed\u201d by society, by Islam, or by everything in general, I had the idea of interviewing several women in Iran to see what they thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, I don't post photos of the interviewees or their real names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you like it; for me, it was a very interesting experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amapola, 25, works on the stock exchange in Tehran<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beautiful, elegant, and with perfect English, she waits politely for me as I arrive 15 minutes late for our meeting<\/i> <\/b>\ud83d\ude13\ud83d\ude13<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 There\u2019s a bit of a controversy in Europe right now about the wearing of the veil\u2026some people think it\u2019s an imposition that restricts women\u2019s freedom\u2026what do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 That may be true in some cases, but in my case, I just see it as a habit\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 \u2026like a kind of cultural symbol?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 Yeah, that's right, I'd feel like I was naked if I went out without a veil\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YO – \u00bfY 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<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 In my case, I don't want my mother to arrange anything\u2026 but I have friends whose marriages were arranged, and they have happy marriages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 \u201cOh! But they didn\u2019t get married for love\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 Yes, I know, but their love has been growing, and they trust each other more\u2026 well, they seem very happy to me now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let's talk a little about religion<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 I don't know if God exists\u2026 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 hands<\/i>s) and that someone will judge you and say, \u201cYou here, you there\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 Do you usually go to the mosque?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 No, and neither do my parents<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 Hey, I guess you make good money\u2026 Why don't you strike out on your own?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 I feel good living with my family<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 Well, if you meet a guy and want to take him home, how do you go about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 I wouldn't bring any guy home\u2026 ((My attempt at a joke fell flat here.)<\/i>. I wouldn't want to live alone because of the men on the street\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 I don't get it\u2026 because of what the neighbors might say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA \u2013 No, because if men know you live alone, they might do something to you\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 And you, since you speak perfect English\u2026 wouldn't you like to go work abroad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMAPOLA – S\u00ed , durante una temporada pero para vivir quiero vivir en Ir\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
AZUCENA \u2013 \u2026well, what I like is dancing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 Oh! So where can you go dancing in Tehran? Are there any nightclubs\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AZUCENA \u2013 Of course not, we dance at parties we throw at our homes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 So, do you have a dance partner?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AZUCENA \u2013 No, Iranian men don't really like to dance\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ME \u2013 And at those parties\u2026 what else do you guys do? Do you take off your veils and go wild? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 I know what you mean. At home, we can be ourselves\u2014we even drink alcohol\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME: \u201cAnd where do you get that from\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 People in northern Iran, for example, make it; we\u2019re also familiar with Jack Daniel\u2019s, vodka\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 Okay, but\u2026 where did you get that from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 Look, when I'm introduced to a girl here\u2026 how do I greet her? Do I shake her hand like I do with you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 And when you go out to dinner? Is the man expected to pay, or does everyone pay their own way\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 It's fine if the man pays, but usually everyone pays their own meal<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we walk toward the car, we see a girl on the street with a bandage on her nose\u2014the umpteenth one I've seen in Tehran. I ask her about it<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 She's had a nose job; it's very common among women in Iran\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 Why? But you're all so beautiful\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 No, not all of us have ugly noses (she touches her nose), and we want ours to be more \u2026she makes a gesture as if to make it thinner\u2026<\/i>Boys also undergo surgery\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 And how much does the surgery cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n AZUCENA \u2013 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\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ALMUDENA, 26, is pursuing a graduate degree in marketing in Isfahan<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n We're at a caf\u00e9 in the Isfahan bazaar. Obviously, there are lots of small shops around, so I take the opportunity to ask him.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 Hey, a girl like you who knows about marketing\u2026 why don't you open a store?<\/p>\n\n\n\n ALMUDENA \u2013 We can't; we face discrimination\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 In what way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n ALMUDENA \u2013 Opening a store is very expensive, and we don't have the money<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME \u2013 \u201cCan\u2019t you just go to a bank and ask for a loan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She makes a really strange face\u2014half surprise, half denial, half\u2026 ignorance? I got the impression that either she doesn't know she can do it, or banks simply don't give loans to women\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n