The Veil as a Protest Item

Often, Americans see the veil as a tool of oppression of women... even if some choose to wear it to express their own personal style or religious beliefs. If you have been keeping up on some of the political news coming from Iran, you will note that the last election didn't go as smoothly at the current administration would have hoped. Once again activists and demonstrators were arrested for protesting in the streets, only this time...the government decided to use the veil to humiliate one of the protestors, Majid Tavakoli. Apparently, the government thought being reduced to wearing a woman's head scarf would be an appropriate embarrassment. Little did they know, that it would be the impetence to use the head scarf as a tool of solidarity and protest by other men. Take a look at the links...it is kind of funny.

If you don't think Iranians have a sense of humor, you really have to see this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwtJBO9DSWI
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/12/11/world/middleeast/11lede_iran480/blogSpan.jpg

Rick Steves: Iran...Yesterday and Today

Want to get a look at present day Iran, first hand? Rick Steves has produced and interested travel program on Iran. I first came acrossed it while watching PBS during a pledge drive. The imagery is vivid, and can really help bring some of the literature we've been reading on Iran to life. Some interesting things to note: it is a Rick Steves program. Many may be familiar with his series on European destinations. It is sort of a dorky, ackward, American. It is interesting to try and see him cover Iran in much the same way he would cover a bull fight in Spain.

Because the relationship between the US and Iran is so dicey, some may say that his presentation involves a lot of Orientalism, or preconceived notions about Iran that aren't necessarily so accurate. Rick Steves tries to relate a lot of what he sees to what he believes and American audience would relate to, instead of just letting the stories and imagery stand for itself. Also, because the program is done on the pretext that it is a travelogue...it doesn't really go to the tourist sites that Iranians would go to. It more or less covers what an American might know...which is Tehran. Rick Steves also tries to commentate on Iranian politics, that isn't a hundred percent accurate or unbiased.

Still, I believe there is a lot one can gleam from this program. Also, if you want to talk about preconceived notions of Iran...watch the link to his lecture series on Iran. In it, he is a little more candid about what occurred behind the cameras and how his opinion of Iran changed over time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmaoyR2sxSA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfcOBNdyiKQ

Lipstick Jihad Two

We discussed Lipstick Jihad in today's class, and there seemed to be a lot of malice towards the book. It sort of bummed me out, considering I sort of liked it. I know that it is not a perfect text, but I wanted to address some of the issues. Maybe it will make me feel a little better.

1. The author seemed whinny and self absorbed.
Well, it is a memoir. It is kind of all about her. That being said, the author has tons of flaws. It is clear that she is conflicted about her own identity and self-worth. Being an Iranian American has not set well with her. She feels as if the minute she admits her Iranian identity, Americans judge her on a flawed set of stereotypes. She secretly avoids it in her teens. Yet, there is a part of her that is totally absorbed with her mysterious homeland. She dreams of it as if it is in utopian technicolor. When she arrives in Tehran, the dream is sort of popped. She isn't really Iranian, no matter how hard she tries. Still, she doesn't feel American either. This struggle is constantly raging in her, which sort of spills over into her perceptions of other things.

For those of you who are annoyed, I can understand that the untidiness of this process is uncomfortable and ugly. As a young woman myself, going through her own identity issues, I can relate to this self-absorbed trying to figure out me and what all this stuff is about. My process isn't pretty either. The fact that this memoir is written before she even hits 30 might explain why there is never any sort of resolution to the problem. She is still figuring it out. I know I am.

2. This book perpetuates an Orientalist view of Iran.
If you came to this book to get an accurate historical perspective on Iran, or contemporary portrayal of Iranian life without Western stereotyping...yeah, this book will let you down. I believe that, at best, you sort of get the author's take on everything. Remember, she is a refugee, with a bias opinion that is shaped by her perception of what Americans perceive Iran is all about. I also think that she holds a lot of orientalist views that she doesn't even acknowledge because she is still processing them. Now, that being said...I think the book does paint a picture on what Iranian history is like for a refugee and how that impacted their family that fell in a certain social class. I would assume there are others who see things simularly. I think it is also interesting that she seems to be so careful at times when she describes things in Iran that she believes Americans might get the wrong idea about. Her hesitancy sort of suggests that there is another sort of social pressure that we put on refugees like her to be ambassadors for their country, when they are sort of quasi-representatives of that nation. In further interviews with her, she says that she has been asked to speak on Iran and other Iranian topics as an expert, and she does not consider herself one. It is us who want to put her in that role.

3. If we can't view this as a good model of the genre of memoir, or see it as an accurate representation of Iran, we should disregard it and keep others from reading it.
I learned so much about Iran when I read this book, and it gave me such curiousity to learn more that I reject this. Is it the best book ever written, no. I think it talks about something that we have so little on. Maybe it was pushed to be published too soon because the hunger to fill the information gap is so high. Just because it is popular and available doesn't mean we have to feed the fire and use it. True. Still, I think it talks about so many things that young America is interested in that it is a great discussion generator.

Here is another note... I think there are a lot of parallels to Cuban refugee communities in the experience of the author and her family. I think you could pair this with Dreaming in Cuban or stories on other refugees and gain value from that perspective. Her experience isn't completely unique, and it could be a springboard to understanding the lives of those fleeing persecution in general.

4. She double speaks. One minute, she says that the Islamic Republic represses women's rights, and in the next admits that the Islamic Republic help gain greater freedoms for women in rural areas. It is hypocritical.
I think in places like Iran, things and not black or white. I think women, like those in this author's family, once the Islamic Republic took over lost a lot of freedoms they had once enjoyed and were peeved about it. In the same way, some very conservative Iranian women were able to experience the reverse. There is complexity there. It is easy to demonize, without noticing that some part of the population benefited greatly by the Islamic Revolution. Likewise, Iran is doing somethings currently that are fantastic, that doesn't mean that they are saints. Couldn't this be said of the US too?

In regards to the critique that the author only noticed the full hatred toward American governmental policies after 9/11...and how could that be because she had been living there so long... I understood that she knew that it existed before, but she didn't really understand the depth or the breadth until that moment. Simular to the slave narratives I have been reading in African American Literature, there is a singular moment where the main character understands the full depth and breadth of racism, or their plight as a slave. Not that they hadn't been exposed to these facts before, but it was the first time they noticed, or understood.

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Again, I understand that this text and the author has faults, I just felt like we might have been too eager to judge and disregard this text. Maybe I am stupid. Maybe I don't have the chops for this whole literary criticism thing. I mispronounce words, or make stupid observations... but at the risk of looking like a total idiot... I want to stand up for this book. Call me crazy. I think it has some merits to help Americans start to understand Iran, or build some interest in looking at Irans as human beings like you and me. The book forces us to look at our own stereotypes and misconceptions of Iran, and asks us to learn something about the heritage of this land and the current plight of its people. Even if it is flawed, isn't it a start?

Saudia Arabia-No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain

I love the show No Reservations as well as its host, Anthony Bourdain. This episode was his journey through Saudi Arabia with a Saudi Arabian-American female host. The country is shown as devout, hospitable, thriving, and full of modernity. Of course, you can't help noticing all the veiled women. Although the female host, when asked about the segregation of males and females, always seems to down play it... I as a woman watching the show can't help but feel a twinge of saddness. I feel that if I were to visit Saudia Arabia, I could never see it completely or fully participate. As amused as I am by the vibrance of the markets, the uniqueness of their culture and cuisine, I think I would always feel slightly uncomfortable. I don't know if it is because I perceive that I would have to repress my feminimity, or be concerned of some sort perceived threat. I want to understand that there are some women who appreciate their culture and want to live this way by choice. Yet, I can't help wondering all the voices that might not be able to be expressed.

I don't know if this reflects poorly on me, or if it is just where I am in my understanding of the situation. I still sense discomfort.

Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

For anyone who wants to begin to understand Iranian people, I believe this graphic novel is a fantastic first step. The book follows a young Marjane as she tries to grow up in a war torn Iran from pre-1979 to the early 90s. Her story gives tons of perspective on the history of Iran, it's relationship with Islam, the struggle between the ideals of the West and East, exhile, and repression in her own country. The story is very accessable through vivid images.

I was completely moved by this book. I don't think one can read this book and not feel a sort of compassion for the Iranian people and their struggles. It is the perfect compliment to another one of my favorites, Lipstick Jihad. The two books occur during a very simular time frame, deal with very simular topics, and really paint a simular picture.

I really want to watch the movie associated with this book. My hope is that the illustrations are simular. I wish this book was manditory reading for our politicians, and for the rest of us. There is so much more to Iran than this tyranical regime that is portrayed on our mainstream media. These people have suffered so much, it is a miracle that persevere. I have great admiration for the women of Iran and I really hope that they find the freedom that works best for them in their lifetime.

An amazing book! A must read!

The White Castle-Orhan Pamuk

This was a selection offered by our Turkish group. It is about a young Italian scholar who is captured by the Turks at sea and brought back to Turkey as a slave. He is able to make his captivity a little better by posing as a doctor and using his Western knowledge to become an asset to the Turks.

Refusing to convert to Islam, the Italian is eventually sold to another scholarly man who bears a close resemblance to him, Hoja. Hoja demands to know everything the Italian knows. Together, they work on projects to save lives during the plague, create fireworks, and build an ultimate "weapon."

Somewhere in the balance, the Italian and Hoja get so close that they begin to become each other. In the end, they even switch places. The book cover of my edition states, "Orhan Pamuk's exploration of identity, of the strained relations between a devout, superstitious East and a "rational" West."

As this book is written by a Turk, you would think that the concept of "Orientalism" would be minimized...but I as a reader felt uncomfortable at times because the narration is by a foreigner of the West. I felt at times that the portrayal of the Turks was at times crude. The Sultan was sometimes portrayed as a not so smart leader. Hoja was a sort of crazy, ruthless slave holder, and several there seemed to be a lot of corruption and brutality.

In the end, the Italian seems to assimulate to this new world, and maybe even enjoy it. As a reader, I don't know if I at the end of the story develop a greater affection or respect of the Turks. I think that is what bothered me. If you are looking for literature that promotes a greater understanding of the modern culture of Turkey, I don't think this is the best book. I enjoyed it for what it was, although it could be confusing at times.

Time of Favor

Should there be a devote religious brigade in a military setting?

Could you imagine the US Army having a special Evangelical unit that was inspired by some religious leader? I think this movie examined that a little. A radical Rabbi had sort of backed this religious Army unit. I believe the legitimate purpose was to protect their settlement, but because the Rabbi continuously talked about reclaiming the Temple Mount...it sort of opened the door for one of his pupils to want to put action behind it. If you noticed, the regular Army guys never strayed from protocol. It was the "superior" student that was physically weaker, romantically stood up, and looking for a way to feel better that turned things on their head.

Was it all his fault though? Initially, the Army took the Rabbi into custody...but he was freed fairly quickly...although he was certainly the catalyst for the events. The poor commander got beaten mercilessly, and you don't know if he ever truly recovers his good reputation, even though he had nothing to do with it and in the end prevented the student from blowing up the Temple Mount.

This movie also talked a little about women as property. The Rabbi tried to marry off his daughter to his lead pupil. He didn't understand why she was against it, and refused to let her see the man she did want to see.

This was an interesting look at Israel. I think the account was fictitious, but there were a lot of customs and thought patterns that were able to be viewed and contemplated.