Fundamentalist Iran

Fundamentalist Iran by nickkembel



I love your blog about Fundamentalist Iran, Nick. What you said about it is exactly the experience I had with Iranian people both inside and outside Iran. I spent some time chatting with Iranians on the internet and off it to find out what people there are like both before and after I went there, because of the limitations on such discussions once inside the country. While I was there, I did more listening than talking, to try to pick up the general feelings and opinions of people. It is truely a fascinating country. I will go back, but not just yet because of the visa complications, and I also want to wait for the current poliical situation to calm down even more. I know it is not a big threat, but I still prefer to go there when things are a bit quieter politically, such as they were when I was there. Reply to this

I did not witness a single event or indication that anything unstable was happening politically.

I still dont like the feeling, that things are just bubbling under the surface. I was in E. Europe just before the 1989 revolutions and I didnt notice any lack of peace there either. What I am still often surprised about is just how peaceful places feel, even with all kinds going on politically. As well as that, whenever the world casts a more critical eye than usual in Irans direction, the authorities often respond picking on women more about clothes and other stuff. It is like women are used to show the world that 'we can make people do what we want here, in Iran' It just does not feel good, even if I am in no real danger.

....if Palestine and Pakistan were the same place because they sounds kind of the same.

HaHa! That is quite a lack of knowledge. But, I have to admit that I would not be able to point to where many of the states are and name them on a map of the US. I willl learn them soon though. Want to improve my geography in general. 😊 I once heard somebody ask where Israel and Palastine are and if they are the same place and how she would get to them. It p*ssed off a Jewish guy listening, but I think she asked in innocence considering things she said in previous discussions. He thought she was trying to start somethin. :D Reply to this

I witnessed men going out of their way to assist women, to offer them seats, to give them extra space, and to treat them with respect.

Umm! Yeah, I sure hope womens freedom is not a price Iranian women will always have to pay for this respect. If it is, then it can hardly be called respect.

Likely Iranian women will like many western women decide it is too high a price, if they ever get to actually make that decision. A bit like the 80s in Europe, when many men(and some women supported this too) were guarding their territory and women wanted more rights: A common threat from men was that women will be deprived of romantic gestures from them, in the name of equality. Now the more frequent complaint is that western women have become manlike. Will we ever have true equality? That being that we are allowed to be women/feminine, while being respected at the same time politically, socially, economically..? Reply to this

Well, my main point here is that everybody is suffering because of sexism. I dont think most men really want to withold romance and chivilary and I dont think most women want to be manlike. And does anyone really want the lack of peace that all types of discrimination causes in our societies and in the world? Reply to this

The Iranians that I spoke with seemed to universally believe that Ahmadinejad is, as they put it, crazy, and were basically apologetic on the matter (in the same way that many Americans might have reacted on
the topic of George Bush a few years ago), though I did also meet a few supporters. The general belief among them was that while he does like to make controversial (crazy) statements to the world press, he at least has the balls to stand up to America, something that few world leaders do.

What I cant understand is, despite how liberally minded some Iranians are, I have never heard even one of them say that Islam and its clerics need to be removed from the political arena, in order for any real reforms to come about.
It is kinda useless to get rid of Ahmadinejad and replace him with yet another weak link. Because he is a weak leader, despite what his supporters say about how ''courageously'' he tells off the big western powers. As long as religion and politics are still the same thing in Iran, even a more liberal leader will bring about no real reforms, because the clerics would never allow a strong and influential leader to get into power. Reply to this

hi mell, thanks for the recent comments on my blog, i appreciate your feedback. thanks for the link to the "lipstick revolution" article, it was very interesting i heard pretty much the same opinions from girls i met - both for and against the dress code and etc (though i cant claim to have met an iranian female race car driver!).

i thought i might just clarify a few things from my blog and comments - i know its not really important, but iran is such a misunderstood country already that i want to try ensure that my opinions on iran are not misunderstood too! 😊

but in reply to your second comment, yes i totally agree that there are many ppl who still support the govt. if you read my previous blog youd getter a better idea of what i witnessed there, that second blog was pretty much only for photos.

however, that anti-govt sentiment reigns at the moment is just my personal opinion. i spent almost 6 weeks in iran, which is a pretty long time to just "pass through". as such i interacted face-to-face with many iranians, with all sorts of values and opinions and levels of education... and still in that entire time i only met 2 who liked the govt, and agreed with their policies and handling of the country. just 2.

and thats not only limited to those who spoke english,. because yeah, you know that those who learn english are stereotypically more liberal and western-orientated and hence disagree with the conservative and anti-western stance of the current govt. but all types of ppl voiced to me their dissatisfaction with iran today: taxi drivers, shop assistants, cafe staff, randoms on the street; men and women; young and middle-aged and even some old - even if they couldnt speak english they would always say "Government" and then say "bad" or indicate "no" somehow. and many even indicated that they hated the chador ("chador. bad!"), and other things. as always there is a majority and minority... and from what i saw, the vast majority of ppl want at least some type of change.

as for the "backwards" part, thats not directed at iranians but at us in the west. before i left home a few ppl i knew thought the ME (and iran) was less sophisticated (with civilian unrest, women in headscarves, etc) and also that their culture is inferior to ours (being "Islamic"). my uncle in particular. by just mentioning all their empires, and also the ridiculous former wealth of the shah (much greater than that of the english monarchy!) i just wanted to highlight (very quickly) that their heritage and history is as diverse and interesting as ours. that their current situation (regarding human rights and etc) doesnt correspond to that from eras bygone was not what i was focusing on.

and i totally agree with the last point you said on your last post on this forum regarding the coexistence of religion and politics... it certainly causes many problems! Reply to this