Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Maintaining male dominance

Every year about this time, the temperatures in Tehran rise, and the morality police make extra efforts to enforce what they see as an Islamic dress code. Once in a great while, a man will be cited for an "improper" hair style, but nearly all of the efforts are directed at women. (And every year, Western media cover the story.)

And the political effects? Or the effects on civil society and rule of law?

Struggle over what to wear in Iran

Morality police confront shoppers

An annual test of wills between Iran’s morality police and women who dress in ways that are deemed unacceptable has begun in cities across the Islamic republic.

But this year, the stakes are unusually high. As Iranian leaders attempt to deflect the public’s attention away from economic woes spurred by crushing foreign sanctions, they risk alienating large segments of a society that is already deeply divided…

While the laws regarding proper cover haven’t changed, some women have grown bolder in interpreting the limits of what they can wear, creating a conflict that inevitably flares each summer as the temperatures climb.

The government’s offensive this year has been marked by the stationing of mixed-gender teams of morality police in Tehran’s main squares.

Already this summer, 53 coffee shops and 87 restaurants have been closed in Tehran for… gender-related offenses.

Such aggressive enforcement and stiff penalties have spawned resentment.

“I felt disrespected and insulted,” said 30-year-old Sahar, who was arrested for wearing sleeves that only went to her forearms…

Tehran police chief Ahmad- Reza Radan this month called support for improper hijab “part of the enemy’s soft war against us.”…

Finding urban Iranians who actually support the program to enforce hijab is increasingly difficult. Even many women who dress conservatively find the patrols distasteful…

Daring Tehran outfits

Mostafa, a 46-year-old marketing consultant, described how his 16-year-old daughter was arrested in a crowded shopping mall. “They coaxed her into the police van and told her they just wanted to talk to her,” he explained. “Once she was in the van the whole atmosphere changed and they said things that made her cry.”

After a brief time in custody, his daughter, Banafshe, was released. “Do you know what her response was to the whole episode?” he asked. “She said, ‘Dad, as soon as I finish high school I’m leaving this country forever.’”