Contriversial Family Photos
January 3, 2003 11:04 PM   Subscribe

Family photos of popular Iranian actress, Hedyeh Tehrani (filmography in Farsi), without Islamic Hijab, are so hot in Iran these days. Perhaps because they have always seen her wearing the official dress code for Iranian women, either on the screen or in the streets.
posted by hoder (6 comments total)
 
My God, hoder, is #4 going to get her in deep trouble in Iran? Or can they look the other way because it's technically beyond the borders?
posted by y2karl at 12:33 AM on January 4, 2003


I'd hit it.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 5:17 AM on January 4, 2003


My understanding of Iran is somewhat limited, but it sounds like a culture very much in flux. Several decades of war have finally come to an end... and that's leading to a new kind of prosperity.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I think Bush was wrong to include them in the axis of evil -- they're not anywhere near the same league as Iraq or North Korea.
posted by ph00dz at 5:46 AM on January 4, 2003


That's lovely, pretty_generic.

Hoder, no offense, but is there more to this post of yours? I know that there are issues that could be discussed but you haven't really provided any links to them.
posted by ashbury at 6:53 AM on January 4, 2003


How Iran entered the axis, from Frontline. Short answer: burgeoning nuclear program, active support for terrorism, and interference in the western provinces of Afghanistan. Nevertheless, we seem to be maintaining a quiet sub rosa cooperation, perhaps including intelligence sharing, regarding Iraq; and Iran has even begun cooperating with the multi-national UN naval forces interdicting illegal Iraqi shipping, which has often used Iran's territorial waters as a smuggling lane; and rumors of even more extensive military cooperation, which may stem from working in conjunction with Iranian special forces in Afghanistan. This at least explains why Iran has escaped denunciation in the year since the Axis speech. Along with their close alliance with Russia, they have shown increasing signs of working within international frameworks, such as solving the Caspian Sea territorial problem.

Meanwhile, Iranian society is restless; the majority of the population was born after the Shah was deposed, and has known only the rule of the mullahs. Though Iran has elections and active democracy at many levels, the national government is controlled by a religious committee with veto power, and the theocrats have stubbornly resisted any constitutional reform for years now, despite popular elections of reformist governments. Flowerings of freedom are always offset by unpredictable crackdowns. The educated middle classes have largely withdrawn their support for the mullahs, and many join the protests in the streets, which have in the past included signs saying "WE LOVE AMERICA" or quotes like "We need American tanks here." (Despite the political situation there is a strong expatriate community of Iranians in the US.) There is even strong support for the son of the Shah who has been going about promoting democratic reform from exile, though not all reformers are happy with him as a figurehead. Many observers feel that Iran is on the verge of major changes, but it's hard to see how close they are, or how much upheaval will be involved.
posted by dhartung at 7:42 AM on January 4, 2003


Faster, please!
posted by homunculus at 10:33 AM on January 4, 2003


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