The main goal of the
fundamentalist government in Iran is to protect the purity of women and thereby
uphold their scarcity according to the Koran. But in actuality, women are rendered
powerless and more vulnerable to danger. To promote chastity and purity,
non-related women and men were required to limit contact with each other.
However, such deprivation, lead to many female relatives becoming victims of
sexual assault of their male relatives. “He used to say that he wanted to keep
himself and chaste pure for his future and refused friendship with women on
that account” (Nafisi, 48). Nassrin’s uncle a fundamentalist Muslim who sought
to uphold to teaching of his faith was in actuality a monster. A monster who
hides behind religion to commit crimes against women, the ones whom he ought to
be protecting in the first place.
The hypocrisy is
exemplified even further after Sanza recounts the suffering and humiliation,
she and her friends underwent in the hands of the soldiers of morality. Not
only, did they detain them even though the lasses were upholding their
ridiculous laws. But the soldiers violate their bodies twice under the pretense
of virginity testing. Then inflict pain unto their bodies by giving them
lashes. Ironically, the duty of the soldiers to protect the bodies of women and
ensure their safety at all cost. But their hidden hypocrisy instead makes them
a danger to the lives of the women under their authority.
This is awesome. I understand their religious views and the concept with women is kind of beautiful in the context of the Koran, but there is no reason for things like virginity testing or lashings. Its a little strange to me that the extremists need to practice the religion to the point where it is horribly unpleasant. Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm sure they feel the same way towards everyone else.
ReplyDeleteWomen in the Koran, as with basically any other ancient religious or historical text, are typically portrayed as things of beauty or objects of desire--but also as subservient. Those looking to control the women in their society cite these texts, claiming to do "God's work" by imposing strict regulations on women and their rights. Reading Lolita in Tehran does a good job of exposing this practice for what it really is: religious exploitation for government gain.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I love your post but I do not really understand what your picture has to do with your post. The points you bring up are spot on and wonderfully thoughout. I really like the examples you give and how you explain them. I have to be honest, I feel by you comparing telemarketers (from the picture) to the raping and mishandling of women's bodies down plays the issue at hand.
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