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Those Sexy Iranians
The NY Times ^
| May 8th 2004
| NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Posted on 05/07/2004 10:49:51 PM PDT by F14 Pilot
SHIRAZ, Iran If, as the poet Philip Larkin observed, sex began in 1963, it has finally reached Iran over the last year.
True, girls and women can still be imprisoned for going out without proper Islamic dress. But young people are completely redefining such dress so it heightens sex appeal instead of smothering it.
Women are required to cover their hair and to wear either a chador cloak or an overcoat, called a manteau, every time they go out, and these are meant to be black and shapeless. But the latest fashion here in Shiraz, in central Iran, is light, tight and sensual.
"There are some manteaus with slits on the sides up to the armpits," said Mahmoud Salehi, a 25-year-old manteau salesman. "And then there are the `commando manteaus,' with ties on the legs to show off the hips and an elastic under the breasts to accentuate the bust."
Worse, from the point of view of hard-line mullahs, young women in such clothing aren't getting 74 lashes any more they're getting dates.
"Parents can't defeat children," Mr. Salehi mused. "Children always defeat their parents."
And that's what Iran's baby boomers, a wave of 18 million people 15 to 25 years old, are doing. They will transform their country, just as baby boomers in the West changed America and Europe. I don't think Iran's theocracy can survive them, for I've never been to a country where young people seem more frustrated.
The regime's problem is that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini exhorted Iranians to have more children, and they responded today, 60 percent of the country's population was born after his Iranian revolution. And these young people are determining social mores and carving out a small zone of freedom for themselves.
In one sense, the relaxation in clothing requirements is superficial, and some Iranian women have scolded me for asking them about head scarves when they are more angry about discrimination in divorce, child custody and inheritance rules. But the clothing rules affect every woman every day and raise the central question in Iran's future: should a few aging male mullahs still determine the most basic and intimate elements of every Iranian's life?
From that vantage point, it looks to me as if the revolution is sputtering. The mullahs are refusing to accept real democracy, but they are giving in to popular pressure in some areas. The draft is immensely unpopular among young men, for example, so this year the hard-liners shortened the service requirement. More important, individual Iranians are reclaiming their individuality and their autonomy and how they dress is the best measure of that.
The morals police no longer order women to cover up stray hairs. These days, the fashion is for brightly colored, glittery see-through scarves, worn halfway back on the head.
"It's possible head scarves will be gone in another year or two, the way things are going," said Amir Suleimani, a scarf salesman in the Tehran Bazaar. "God willing."
No wonder conservative newspapers in Tehran denounce Iranian women for strolling around "nude."
The baby boomers include Saghar Tayebi, a 17-year-old in Isfahan who wore a tight manteau with high slits, embroidered jeans and a red headband. Her mascara was hefty and her lipstick bold, and her sleeves were rolled up to reveal lots of bracelets. Lots of hair escaped her scarf. But when I asked her whether she dreamed of wearing Western-style skimpy clothing, she looked aghast.
"We totally reject that," she said indignantly. "We don't want that freedom."
Conversations with young people like Saghar suggest that youths want to remain good Muslims, and that some are happy enough in an Islamic republic but that, above all, they want to laugh and love. Many are not overtly political, nor sure exactly what kind of government they want, but they do know that this isn't it.
"We want fun," declared Tannaz Haj Hosseini, a 20-year-old university student who was out with her boyfriend in Tehran. "There's no joy here."
I protested that her nail polish and see-through scarf not to mention the boyfriend underscored the progress in Iran. A few years ago, she would have been lashed.
"I don't compare myself with 10 years ago," she said. "I compare myself to what I could have and don't."
Ayatollahs, look out.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: boys; freedom; girls; iran; sex; usa
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Freedom For Iranians, NOW!
1
posted on
05/07/2004 10:49:51 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
To: DoctorZIn; McGavin999; freedom44; nuconvert; Eala; AdmSmith; dixiechick2000; onyx; Pro-Bush; ...
Great Info in this new article from the NY Times reporter in Iran!
2
posted on
05/07/2004 10:51:17 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: F14 Pilot
Iranian women truly are some of the sexiest in the universe. I only wish more would seek refuge in the New York area. They can seek asylum at a certain apartment in Brooklyn anytime...
FREE IRAN!
3
posted on
05/07/2004 10:52:15 PM PDT
by
Clemenza
("Knowledge is Good" --- Emil Faber, Founder of Faber College)
To: Clemenza
LoL!
4
posted on
05/07/2004 10:55:20 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: Clemenza
Iraqi and Pakistani woman are no slouches either. With those extremely dark eyes and black hair with the hard red highlights.
5
posted on
05/07/2004 10:56:14 PM PDT
by
olde north church
(Give me the cheerleading pyramid over a plastic shredder everytime.)
To: F14 Pilot
Freedom BUMP
6
posted on
05/07/2004 10:56:30 PM PDT
by
Pan_Yans Wife
(Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open. --Elmer G. Letterman)
To: F14 Pilot
Freedom For Iranians, NOW!
A big thumbs-up to that... and freedom for Iranian sisters!!!
7
posted on
05/07/2004 10:58:41 PM PDT
by
KangarooJacqui
(Australia.... halfway down the slippery slide to socialism - observe our deeds, and beware!)
To: F14 Pilot
what no pictures?
8
posted on
05/07/2004 11:01:19 PM PDT
by
expatguy
(Fallujah Delenda Est!!)
To: F14 Pilot
Obligatory pics are mandatory, you know that, quit posting threads when we are tripping on our tounges.
9
posted on
05/07/2004 11:01:57 PM PDT
by
eastforker
(The color of justice is green,just ask Johny Cochran!)
To: F14 Pilot
Thanks for the ping!
To: olde north church
I dated a Pakistani Parsi with GOLD eyes and light brown hair.
Beat that!
11
posted on
05/07/2004 11:07:38 PM PDT
by
lavrenti
(I'm not bad, just misunderstood.)
To: F14 Pilot
Beautiful women shouldn't be covered up, and a man who can't control himself around women who aren't his has not been taught proper morals.
Beauty is a gift from God and had he intended for them to be hidden from all eyes but their husbands, he would have created them in a sack that couldn't be opened until marriage.
12
posted on
05/07/2004 11:12:53 PM PDT
by
McGavin999
(If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
To: lavrenti
I remember Benazir Bhutto, Christian PM of Pakistan -- very attractive
13
posted on
05/07/2004 11:17:00 PM PDT
by
olde north church
(Give me the cheerleading pyramid over a plastic shredder everytime.)
To: expatguy
Hope these pictures help you, LoL!!!
Ghazal, Iranian born girl, Candidate of the MOST BEAUTIFUL Girls contest in Belgium.
Nazanin Jam, Iranian-Canadian, won the 2nd place in Miss World 2003
14
posted on
05/07/2004 11:17:16 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: eastforker
15
posted on
05/07/2004 11:18:55 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: F14 Pilot
if you were to wander in the richer more northern suburbs of tehran you wont necesarily feel like you are in an islamic country. the girls are dressed in fashionable european winter styles, tight long jackets and reasonably tight pants. thier hair is covered by colorful scarves but these are often pulled right back, sowing most of hehair.
and the girls are certainly absolutely lovely. shirazi girls are renowned to be friendly and when they see blonde hair and blue eyes they will come right over to say 'hello', even if thats he only english word they know.
you could still have a policeman tell you to move apart from some girl you are sitting close to in the park, even if that girl is your wife!
16
posted on
05/07/2004 11:19:47 PM PDT
by
sweneop
To: expatguy
When I googled "Iranian" I came up with this:
OUCH
To: sweneop
WoW, I didnt know that! Thanks!
18
posted on
05/07/2004 11:22:20 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: Straight Vermonter
An MKO member who set himself ablaze months ago in Paris when French government arrested thousands of them.
They are Mullahs armed opposition group based in Iraq and France. They are not popular among Iranians and US State Department put their name on TERRORIST Groups lists.
Over & Out!
19
posted on
05/07/2004 11:24:36 PM PDT
by
F14 Pilot
(John ''Fedayeen" sKerry - the Mullahs' regime candidate)
To: Straight Vermonter
National Geographic -- Travelogue -- "Iranian cuisine is considered to be among the spiciest in the world."
I guess Baqh-far should have thought twice before dismissing the waiter pouring water.
20
posted on
05/07/2004 11:28:55 PM PDT
by
olde north church
(Give me the cheerleading pyramid over a plastic shredder everytime.)
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