The Islamic political systems, likewise the one in Iran, are freedom killers. It instils social habits that are believed to be traditions but are nothing more than backward social reflexes. For the ayatollahs, the proximity of a woman is a cause of lust in man and best avoided. Full stop.
In 1979, the sex segregation was imposed in public places. Many she-sport enthusiasts have been jailed recently and been reported in the Western media. However the issue of public transports is little known outside Iran. Since 79, buses and metro carriages (Tehran) were split in two areas for passengers: a large half front for men, back seats for women; one might think it as carrying cattle in a pick-up. Today, robust barriers in buses and carriages mark the sex apartheid.
For a minute can you imagine boarding the tube in London with seats marked separately for men and women? No? Funny? Err…
In Iran, no one laughed
In the early days, the protesting women were beaten up; men shrugged and said nothing. Today, all the Iranians are used to the fact and do not give it a thought any more.
On the 19th January 2015, the Iranian president, H. Rouhani, had a PR staged in Tehran’s metro. He and some other officials were to meet the passengers on the platform and in the carriages. The spectacle was to promote the public transport and “clean air”: just a few words and many pictures for the Iranian outlets.
Do take a close look at this picture that made the headline in Armân-e Iran paper:
Hassan Rouhani is having a chat with a she-passenger in a metro carriage. They are separated by the heavy metal barriers that underlines the sex apartheid in the Very Islamic Republic of Iran. This picture depicts vividly the specific contempt of the allegedly “elected president by universal suffrage” for his she-voters. But then what to expect from a man who has built his carrier on lies, hypocrisy and ruthlessness? This picture sums up the ugliness of the Islamic phallocentrism, and the collective acceptance of male-chauvinism.
According to one powerful specialist in Islamic dogmas, ayatollah M.-T. Mesbah Yazdi, Iran does not need democracy since it has the best political system of the world. He dared to say it in 2009 – whilst the bassidji snipers killed many unarmed citizens protesting to rigged elections. The bodies of the victims were dispersed in wastelands around towns. In prisons, the very pious guards satisfied themselves by raping many arrested women.
To sum up in the best political system of the world and the cradle of world’s civilisation: the Leader is a lifetime dictator, the president is named after a parody of elections, the freedom of expression is limited to approve the ayatollahs’ Islamic dogmas, – anything else deserves flogging or execution-, and women are part of the society as long as they do the donkey work and are ready when the man fancies.
Having Fun with Apartheid
Some years back, a he-cousin of mine wanted to guide me through the city using public buses: “You’ll see! It’s fun.”
In the bus, we were separated, Islamic morality prevailing: he was in the font with the men, I stood at the back with the women. Robust barriers marked the partition.
The bus was overcrowded: I was pushed to the far back whilst he disappeared in the front, in the men’s section. I had no idea where to get out. After a long journey, when we were moving away from a bus stop, I saw my cousin on the pavement gesticulating. Oops! I had missed my stop. It would take us a good half an hour to meet again.
When all’s said and done, the Islamic morality is not very practical, and certainly not funny.
A Caviller Question in Sexism
On some bus routes, minibuses are used as public transport. A minibus has one door, women and men are lumped together. And the brave she-users find themselves facing a religious dilemma.
What to do when a women is next to a man, or has to occupy a seat left empty by him?
This caviller question was put to a prayer leader (Pishnamâz) in the 1980’s. The fool Tartuffe had a deep thought. Then he launched into a long diatribe against the kofâr, those heathen westerners incapable of designing a suitable minibus for the Omat-e Islam, people of Islam.
He continued his rant until he reached the subject of women, the principal cause of lechery in men. Women should not go out, their place is at home where their conjugal and family duties lie. The Pishnamâz preached that Allâh allocates men to noble tasks; donkey work such as buying groceries is for females to do.
That Tartuffe concluded that women after their shopping and their use of public transport, become impure, Nadjes, and must be cleansed by taking a ritual bath.
Iranian women have decided that they have more important things to do than listen to twaddle.
We believe that Iranian women will shrug off the Islamic despotism and apartheid in long run. Our men have been accommodating, have they not? What does best describe the apartheid sexism in Iran?
(With extracts from: Chronicles from Iran, Albertine Ahmadi, 2012, Kindle Edition.)
PS to our Western friends:
Now that the Paris terrorism and attacks are still fresh on the minds, it is time to have a hard-talk with our Iranian friends on democracy, freedom and people’s mentality and ambitions in Iran. Please, do avoid the trap of talking about the beautiful mosques and the Iranian heritage from pre-Islamic era as pictured in the coffee-table book. Why despotism? Why there is no credible opposition to the ayatollahs?
