I chose this topic because the history of Iran is something I love to read and talk about. Before the Iranian revolution in 1979 women during the Pahlavi dynasty had as much rights as women in the Western World. After the regime change women rights are horrible. Women are not allowed to enter stadiums to watch sports games. In1997 was the first time in years several women were allowed to enter a stadium and watch a soccer match. Today in many cases married women cannot leave the country without their husbands’ permission also making it impossible for them to escape domestic violence situations.
The largest Iranian protests on women’s rights started after 22 years old Mahsa Amini was killed on September 16th 2022 by the Guidance Patrol, the religious morality police of Iran’s government. She was arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab. It sparked a nationwide outrage and protest broke all over the country. Women have been seen taking off their hijabs and throwing them in fires and men have also joined in on the cause for change. Sadly Hundreds of people have been killed din the protest by the Iranian government and thousands have been arrested. Several celebrities of Iranian backgrounds have protested the government and brought awareness to women rights such as German Iranian comedian Enissa Amani and actress Golshifteh Farahani. Golshifteh Farahani has been expelled from returning to Iran after posing nude in a magazine shoot and refusing to wearing a hijab in international films.
I do find it is sad Women’s rights and the Middle East are restricted. I seen first hand when I visited Turkey. Turkey is a liberal Islamic country where women have more rights than other islamic countries such as can wear whatever they want or go out socially with friends and even without hijabs. When me and my female best friend went to the famous Blue Mosque women still needed to wear hijabs even tourist. After exploring the mosque my friend suggested we should leave and a native man overheard her giving me demands and followed us asking her why is she talking to a man like that.
There is a great documentary called The Iran Job about a black basketball player who played for a team in Iran. Its a great movie about a man experiencing culture shock and how Iran is vastly different from America. In the documentary he befriends the team nurse and later she comes over to his apartment with her two other friends. They have to sneak to his place to see him and spend time with him. They show him around the city and teach him about their culture. They told him they risked going to prison breaking laws spending time with him. If you havent heard of it I suggest watching the movie.
