From: bxm50@pars.amdahl.com (Ben Mahjoor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Re: Women's Position.
Date: 14 Dec 92 21:04:52 GMT
Organization: Amdahl corp.

> 
> Hi, Behnam. Here are some issues that came to me after reading your post
> 1) Prostitution during Shah's regime was quite under protection of the
> government. So many police cruises were there just for protecting the
> INDUSTRY. A big city like that couldn't be there by itself. Shah's regim
> could shut its doors but instead they protected.
> 
> 2) Please let all the post readers know about the source of your first
> mail about sigheh. You know that we can't simply accept every news with-
> out knowing the source  and a news without a credited source is ROUMOR.
> 
> 3) Like you I don't agree with unlimited investment of foreign cos. But
> for your info. Canada's foreign debt started in 1982 and right now is
> more than 470 billion dollars. ( read TIMES, recent issue.) So Iran's
> 14 billion debt ( IF this figure is correct!) is not a world record.
> 
> 4) You accused Iranian women's of being inactive and not stugglling for
> their rights and now you say that they are doing that. People don't
> change like that! The only explanation that could clarify this controver
> -sy in your posts is that they've been active and they are but simply
> not in the way you're showing it but in the way of chalanging fot thier
> country's independence and well being. Pesar Amoo
> P.S. I'm glad that you've not been offended and could pursue the discussion.
>
> - Pesar Amoo 

1). Absolutly and no one is denying it. Any big city in the world has its
own Red distrcit (e.g. LA, NY, Amsterdam, etc.). Government and police must
protect this area otherwise it will spread all over the city. Iran was
doing nothing different than any other country. Having said this, I don't
know what the subject of discussion is here ? Are we trying to compare
the extend of prostitution in today's Iran and in the past regime ? 
I just want to clarify it so that we can have a better discussion.

2). My sources are "KhavarAn", "Payam e Iran", "RoozegAre Nou" and
many other publications. Another good source of news is "Radio SedAye Iran".
Of course, "KeyhAn e HavAii" (representing Rafsanjani's gang) is also
a good source if one can find a copy. New York times and Washington Times
have good article about the economic situation in Iran also.

3). You are comparing an apple with an orange. And, US has more that 500 
Billion dollars trade deficit. You are comparing a highly industrialized
and fully developed country with a third-world country under a government 
that belongs to a 7th century meuseum. Canada has 470 Billion dollars 
debt but the nation produces more that 1 Trillion dollars as its GNP.
Iran has total income of 80 billion dollars (IBMs total sale). It 
has acquired 15 billion dollars debt in ONLY 14 years. This is a world
record, not the total amount of its debt. Besides it is not the only
thing. Iran, at the time of Pahlavi's regime had 36 Billion dollars 
cash reserve, had acquired half the Krup Industries stocks, and had 
many foreign investments. The Krup stocks were sold half what they were
worth (at the time of hostage crisis, becasue the government did not have
any money). The 36 billion dollars were wiped out when the hostages were 
released as a part of agreement. 

Iran, with a budget of 80 billion dollars, spends 20 billion a year on arms.
If one follows your line of argument then 20 billion is nothing compare with
270 billion US spends on its army. But is this a valid comparison ? It is
interesting and a historical fact that these kinds of comparisons led us to
today's situation. When our so called "intellectuals" kept comparing Iran 
with countries like England and Switzerland (but not with Saudi Arabia and
Iraq). They wanted Iran to be like these countries in 57 years.  
Unfortunately they thought Khomeini and his gang can do a job better and
in shorter time. 


4). Accusation is a strong word. I never accused our dear and courageous
sisters of anything. I stated that Iran's history does not recall a 
"mentionable" women's strugle for equal rights. If you can recall such 
a movement then please direct me to the right source/book for my own
information. Lack of such a movement in our history does not mean that
women were lazy or not interested in their affairs. Not at all. In my`
opinion, there was no time for such a movement to gather momentum becasue
the government gave them the  many rights that women in Europe had to
strugle for. There is nothing wrong with this. Nations learn from each
other's history and one does not have to re-invent the wheel. Giving
those rights to women was a just, noble and necessary action becasue 
it is the first step in the process of becoming industrialized. One 
does not have to sit around and wait for a "movement" to start.
I still stand beside my opinion that this historical movement has gathered 
tremendous momentum becasue women lost every social rights that they have
and attained the new historical right of being "sighe".


                 - Behnam 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian,soc.rights.human