"I like competition in everything," the striking 28-year-old said after parking the car and going for tiramisù in a cafe in North Tehran. "I have to move whatever is movable in the world."
In March, she moved the nation when she won the national championship. State television refused to show the new champ on the victory dais elevated above the men, but photographers captured the moment. She stood quietly while receiving her medal, as she had promised the race organizers she would, with a scarf over her long black hair and a coat over her racing uniform.
Ms. Seddigh is a lively, energetic symbol of a whole generation of young Iranians who are increasingly testing social boundaries. Seventy percent of Iranians are under 35, and they have gently pushed for, and received, freedoms unimaginable even a few years ago. For women in Tehran, at least, head scarves are often brightly colored and worn loosely over the hair. The obligatory women's overcoats are now often tight and short.
(snip)
"I'm not a feminist," she said. "But why should women be lazy and weak? If you're determined, you've got to push."
Any female race car drivers in Iraq or Afghanistan? How're those invasions working out for the women over there? Will there be any female race car drivers in Iran after we invade?
6 comments:
If we managed to get up a coalition willing to invade Iran, I doubt the Iranian women would have the freedoms they have fought for over the years. From what I've read, interestingly, before Desert Storm, it was Iraq that had more women's liberation than other Middle Eastern countries.
I think Iranian women are still pretty far behind where Iraqi women were, at least in terms of religious oppression.
Not gonna say Saddam's Iraq was heaven on earth, but at least he was a relatively egalitarian bastard.
And I sure don't see any evidence that the U.S. is doing much to preserve women's rights in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Not worth the trouble, I suppose.
Yes, but can they drive 42' tall bowflex wicker giants?
I think you're confusing Iran and Egypt. Or is it the American Southwest?
As a result of their history, Iranian women are naturally resisting the oppression coming from the Mullahs. And that is somehow frustrating the regime. They push women, then women push them back. It has its ups nd downs, but yes women are inching every time towards more freedom.
In my opinion, Iranian women are generally less religious than Iraqi women although they have been under the rule of a theocratic regime for more than a quarter of a century, but there is no doubt that Iraqi women had way more social freedom before the invasion by the "liberators" than their Iranian counter parts now.
Invasion of Iraq has provided the best opportunity for the fundamentalists to grow and as a result, to impose religious limitations on the society in general and women in particular.
BTW, Great blog!
http://www.humanfirstthenproudiranian.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Faramin!
I feel terrible for Middle Eastern women, especially the ones who want something more out of life. And it's just revolting that the Republicans cynically exploited them as one of their feel-good post facto rationales for the Afghan & (more so) Iraqi invasions, when they clearly proven that they don't give shit one about them.
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