Anti-establishment in Tehran
One more thing about Iran as the election approaches.The BBC's Jane Corbin interviews two young outsiders and notices a couple changes on the streets of Tehran from her time there sixteen years ago. From that she makes some sweeping generalizations. Watch the election results to see how accurate they are.
Rap, blogs and the political mix
[T]he Tehran I discovered was a capital of contrasts, reflecting a true - and deepening - divide in this nation of 72 million people...
On the streets, many push the limits of Islamic dress code, despite the lurking presence of the morality police...
People here told me that while they remain committed to the values of the Islamic Revolution, they are hungry for all that modern life has to offer.
On the streets, many push the limits of Islamic dress code, despite the lurking presence of the morality police, at the ready to arrest those deemed to have gone too far.
At the moment, that fashion is for brightly coloured silk headscarves and big sunglasses. Instead of conservative black head coverings and flowing robes, many women today are sporting a shock of dyed blonde hair pushed out provocatively from under their headscarves.
The trends extend to the popularity of plastic surgery...
The conservative government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries hard to keep a tight lid on the country...
But thanks to the youthful make-up of today, there is also a thriving underground scene of musicians, artists and bloggers. These are the people who are changing Iranian society in ways which are beyond the reach of those who control the political arena...
Information is spread here in ways which are difficult for the Islamic authorities to stop. Television is state-controlled but at least a third of Iranians have satellite dishes, offering glimpses of the world beyond its borders.
The government is nervous about the BBC's popular new Persian Service, beamed in from outside. Thanks to home computers, rather than the internet cafes of a decade ago, monitoring of the internet is largely beyond the reach of the authorities...
Many young Iranians say they are not interested in politics and that their society will change regardless of their leaders, even if it is a slow process...
Labels: elections, Iran, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home