From: javad@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com (Agha Javad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Re: Women in Iran
Keywords: Politics, Difference
Date: 9 Nov 92 19:44:39 GMT
Organization: LabaniyyAtee-e-Sar-e-Koocheh

In article <1992Nov7.040957.20138@wuecl.wustl.edu> seyyed@wuee1.wustl.edu (Seyyed Mahdavian) writes:
>In article <1992Nov6.192738.6666@athena.mit.edu> lking@athena.mit.edu (Loren King) writes:
>
>
>>                           Women who have to fly from their
>>country just to explore the wonders of intellectual life.
>
>They fly to explore the wonder of western life :-) You may wonder if I tell
>you that in Iran, western culture is considered a "backward" culture. The only
>thing good about the west, is its technology and science, and we are following
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>that. But we certainly are not going to follow the philosophy and lifestyle of
>the west.

Is that the ONLY thing?  Don't you think freedom of speech, democracy, free
press, free elections, freedom of thought, etc. are good? hmmmm..

What exactly do you mean by philosphy and lifestyle of the west?

1) going to Ramones concert?
2) going to church on Sunday?
3) being muslim?
4) being gay?
5) being atheist?
6) not eating pork, alcohol, and harAm foods?
7) only eating kosher foods?
8) being vegetarian?
9) eat anything?
10) being scientologist?
11) being part of motorcycle gangs?
12) having extramarital affairs?
13) being faithful to your spouse?
14) smoking?
15) non-smoking?
16) loving rock music?
17) hating rock music?
18) listening to classical music?
19) hating music altogether?
20) family values?
21) drugs?
22) little league and PTA meetings?
23) charities?
24) human rights?
25) strip joints?
26) moral majority?
27) CNN?
28) MTV?
29) Playboy Channel?
30) Family Channel?
31) Discovery Channel?
32) Christian Broadcast Network?
33) Zoo TV?
34) etc.?


Try all of the above.

There is no official philosophy or lifestyle in the west.  There are as many
lifestyles and philosophies as there are people.  Here you can be a traditional
religious person who refrains from what you think to be wrong or you can
be gay or atheist and refrain from what you think to be wrong, and government
is required by law to grant equal rights and protection to you in any case.
Now which one of the above are you going to reject?  Is your choice to be 
imposed on everybody, or just on those who agree with or follow you?

>
>>What about them?  Is Iran such a static kingdom that they'll 
>>never be able to broaden their minds and express themselves 
>>within the nation of their birth, within the country they love, 
>>soley because they are women?
>
>They certainly can do so. We have lots of women among our students and 
>professors. We even have, I guess, nine members of parliament who are
>women.

Out of how many members?  And how many members in that parliament are not 
clergymen?  And how many are part of any peaceful opposition or have deep
disagreements with the government?

>
>We have tried to learn your science and technology. I hope that you also try
>to understand our philosophy and culture. I am sorry, but there is no way we
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Believe me, they HAVE learned our science and technology AND our philosophy
and culture.  They didn't close their eyes to things they disagreed with.
The fact that they don't practice it doesn't mean they don't study it.

The first step to get the world interested in your philosophy and culture
is to stop advocating violence against those you don't like, and using terror
as a means to your ends.

>can, or should compromise Islam.

Can you compromise human beings? Can you compromise non-muslims for muslims?

>
>>Loren King
>>MIT
>
>Seyyed.


Agha Javad