Four decades have now passed since a mass political movement resulted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. In the 1970s, the unequal distribution of oil wealth hurt the Iranian middle class and rural poor while the elite reaped its benefits. I can speak for Iran to an extent, less so for Afghanistan. This is not meant as a reprimand, as I am sure of everybody's good intentions. Claim. Following a post in r/atheism , and my despair at seing such generalizations built upon a few pictures, would you be able to explain what were the legal status, rights, and living conditions, of women in these countries during the seventies?for reference : http://fr.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/1sotpt/women_in_iran_and_afghanistan_in_the_1970s_before/. September 08, 2014 1960s, 1970s, Iran, life & culture, people, street, Tehran Older people will remember a vastly different impression of Iran though, the Iran from before the Islamic Revolution. Source: Old Pics Archive. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. The absolute monarchy and one party state came after. Remember to say Bismillah and use your right foot … Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. Dedicated to all topics Iranian. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Women got the vote in Iran rather late, in the 1960s I believe (don't have the date handy), and even under the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, familial laws were awfully paternalistic. When the best thing you can say about Shah's time are women being able to show their sweet, white thighs, then maybe one needs to re-evaluate the benefits of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 brought seismic changes to Iran, not least for women. Come to discuss Iranian Politics, Persian and Iranian History, Persian Art, Persian Cuisine, Iranian Music and much more. The official community of Iranians and Iranophiles on Reddit. The point is that the 70s weren't a great time to be a normal Iranian, and neither is today. You guys do understand the Shah was Shah before 1953 right? He essentially sought to make Iran the most powerful regional country as well as capable of projecting power far beyond the immediate Persian Gulfregion. “With my work I return to Iran of the 1970s because those were my teenage years that made me the woman I am now,” says Afsoon. I have removed all personal anecdotes as per our rules. Photos taken in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which saw the ousting of King Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, show what the vibrant Iranian life was like in the 60s and 70s. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. This(kashf e hijab) was during a limited time(1314 to 1320) in Reza shah's era, not his son Mohammad Reza . When the shah of Iran fell in 1979, the U.S. froze at least $400 million of Iranian money sitting in a Pentagon trust fund. The history of Women in Afghanistan during the 1970’s is, alas, a mostly ignored area of Modern Afghan history. No offense intended to those who contributed these, but it is not what our subreddit is about. It should be noted that Photos, like those presented in the Reddit thread, could be propaganda by either the Royalists or Communists in an attempt to put out a good image of its sometimes brutal attempts at modernization (for example, King Amanullah’s attempt to turn Afghanistan into a Central Asian Turkey by following policies of Ataturk led to his violent overthrow). By adopting a western-looking vision of a national modernity the Pahlavi regime was active in supporting the importation of western culture, holding up a very specific (and acutely sexualized) image of what a modern woman looks like. Come to discuss Iranian Politics, Persian and Iranian History, Persian Art, Persian Cuisine, Iranian Music and much more. The 60s and 70s witnessed a blooming, unwound Mideastern Iran, contrary to the country we know today. I don’t know about Iran, but the pictures of those Afghan women in Miniskirts and western dress is highly misleading. When it came time to revolt against the Shah, which was a wildly heterogenous revolution united mostly by anti-imperialist feeling, certain groups revolted not only against the imposition created by American and British political power, but against these images as well. Come learn about Iran and Persia and chat with Iranians from all over the world. As one of my mentors says, "When they held up western women to us, it was never Mme. The people of that region created and sustained much that has become incorporated into the West. Second we did not "go in there," the Shah ran Iran as he wanted to, and ultimately he realized by the late 70s he had no legitimacy anymore and almost zero popular support. 98.0k members in the Izlam community. The images here, by the late Iranian photojournalist Kaveh Golestan, were taken between 1975 and 1977 in the red-light district of Tehran known … He had much less power before the coup though. 478 votes, 43 comments. The British Petroleum Company was thrown out of Iran again after the revolution. The Western obsession with unveiling Middle Eastern women is beyond creepy, all of these White Wednesdays Twitter posts are filled with American baby boomers talking about how Iranian women should show their "pretty faces.". Could you please point us towards some sources on the gap between liberal Kabul and the rural majority in 70s Afghanistan? The stunning photos of life across vibrant Iran in the 60s and 70s portray a seemingly cosmopolitan kingdom on the brink of change. Stay on top of Iran latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. SAVAK didn't send people to other countries and have them stabbed to death or blow up bars. Brodsky, With all our strength. Mehta and Mamoor, Women for Afghan women. Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Conceiving Citizens, Afsaneh Najmabadi, Women with Mustaches, Men without Beards, M. Camron Amin, The Making of the Modern Iranian Woman. The Islamic Republic of Iran never stopped trying to get it back. Furthermore, this image of western-looking women in miniskirts is itself one that was subtly imposed on the women of Iran by its male leadership. That's what the US media tells you, which is nonsense. IR apologism taking new forms. It hasn't become a devastating, war-raging land*. Glad this miniskirts meme is at the very least seeing some opposition. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email. This my first stab at answering an Askhistorian question. But when and how did it begin? Whoever is the U.S.'s ally is shiny and beautiful, whoever is not is a "state-sponsor of terrorism". It's no secret that Iran and the U.S. have a history of animosity toward each other. We are the only forum that guarantees free speech and does not censor users based on their views. And furthermore, taking women-specific issues aside, resisting any of the Shah's policies later in his reign was an incredibly dicey move as SAVAK became a more prevalent force, instituting a regime of torture, fear and exile against ideological opponents. It could said that, yes, some women in Afghanistan wore Miniskirts and western dress; most Afghan women did not. http://fr.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/1sotpt/women_in_iran_and_afghanistan_in_the_1970s_before/. Today the dress code in Iran is way more conservative compared to the 70s women’s fashion; now, they need to cover their hair, necks, and arms. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the fetishization of Muslim/Iranian women by these imperialist mindsets will end up turning the hijab into a symbol of indigenous defiance and pride and strengthen the whole idea of wearing a hijab as per one's own desire. Shattering myths and claiming the future, New York 2002. One example being the heavily pro-natalist programs of the late 60s and 70s -- including a government sponsored campaign against the Pill (a policy the Islamic Republic would adopt at times too). 2. Find more subreddits like r/iran -- The official subreddit of Iranians both in Iran and elsewhere. Shortly afterwards, the UK government divested their controlling stake amidst Thatcher-era privatisations. Very true that Iran has been a highly cultured society for thousands of years. Original projections from the time, widely reported in the Western press, sho… Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. It found various ways to diversify, and is now the well-known BP plc. The Shah openly said at the time that he wanted to make the Iranian armed forces “probably the best non-atomic” military in the world (Maziar Bahari, “Fall of a Shah – Part 1”, BBC World News, 2009). Almost like people don't actually care about Iranian citizens. Nevertheless, Iranian women are generally stylish and tend to choose colorful outfits. 1978 Filming for Iranian TV Programme, 70s Iran from the Kinolibrary Archive Film Collections. Curie or Eleanor Roosevelt, it was Twiggy and Farah Fawcett." The true story behind the new movie Argo about how CIA operatives posing as a Hollywood production team rescued six Americans hiding in Iran during the … Googling "Iran before revolution" mainly just shows pretty girls in miniskirts. Of course there are some pretty fundamental differences -- the ideologies are wildly different, and that has a huge effect on what limits are placed on women's agency -- but the point is that it is very unhelpful to assume that women are somehow worse off (or better off) just because they dress a certain way. Press J to jump to the feed. Come learn about Iran and Persia and chat with Iranians from all over the world. The trouble with posting images like those without any context is that you assume that the women before and after the Islamic revolution were either being forced to dress a certain way or are dressing in the manner they please. Many women of the Islamic Republic would dress with a veil if they had the choice. What happened in Iran is the same old story over and over. The sad fact is, the sartorial choices that women had at their disposal in Iran was limited by law -- veiling was outlawed under the Pahlavis, it was made mandatory by the Islamic Republic. You would not think so, but compare how much literature there is for the Mujahedeen of 1970’s (well 80’s really, but most of the main player’s were active in 1970’s as well). In more ways than one, Iran of the 70s and Iran of the 80s was the same sort of place for women. People looking for personal experiences should turn to r/AskReddit. This great point is actually addressed in depth in Fanon's "A Dying Colonialism," in the context of Algeria's fight for independence against France. On February 11, 1979, the Islamic Revolution swept the country. Let's take a look back at how Iran was prior to the Islamic revolution, war with Iraq, and various other misfortunes: 1. The Portal for Public History From 1941 to 1979, Iran was ruled by King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah. Googling "Iran before revolution" mainly just shows pretty girls in miniskirts. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Many women of religious persuasions couldn't wear veils, even if they wanted to, under the Shah. For Washington, the revolution represented a devastating strategic loss. Scroll down below to check the vintage photos of Iranian ladies sporting the 70s style in the pre-revolution times. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Making Americans humble since 1979, old country. When the best thing you can say about Shah's time are women being able to show their sweet, white thighs, then maybe one needs to re-evaluate the benefits of the Pahlavi dynasty. Weird how Reddit is fetishizing Iran when it's people were miserable but the US had a puppet gov installed but demonize it's current state. Iran: COVID-19 Takes 223,600 Lives in 497 Cities 1 بیانیه ۱۵۰۰زندانی سیاسی - مصداقی - افشای مأمور وزارت اطلاعات The fact is, both are true. I think that's the most important thing to consider with that image, but rights and social status is important too. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AskHistorians community. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, New York 2003. Enter the Islamic House of Memes! Again, no offense intended to that sub, as it sometimes features interesting stories. The official subreddit of Iranians both in Iran and elsewhere. The intent of r/AskHistorians, however, is to provide in-depth, source-based answers from people who have studied the area or topic under discussion. A magazine cover featuring The Beatles' Paul McCartney's visit to Iran Stewardesses of Iran Air. very soon when the oil money is out, some people have to start new jobs! TL;DR: Iran tried secular democracy in the '40s and '50s but the CIA/MI6 ruined it. Women got the vote in Iran rather late, in the 1960s I believe (don't have the date handy), and even under the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, familial laws were awfully paternalistic. In the past Iran was a sanctuary for those seeking esoteric ancient knowledge and free religious expression. However, this was mostly confined to small group of liberal elite in Kabul, who were mostly out of touch with the impoverished rural majority who were much more conservative then the Kabul elite (although it should be noted that the majority were not as conservative as the Taliban at the time).