This reminds me of a recent thread where someone posted a link to an article that showed a number of women in Iran flouting the traditional women's garb, and instead of wearing the long, concealing robes and head coverings, were sporting headscarves that allowd some of their hair to be seen, and pants and jackets like western women often wear. Well, evidently this doesn't sit too well with the theocrats.
I'm also disheartened to see, in the article, President Mohammad Khatami referred to as "one of the few moderates still in office".The report comes amid a general crackdown on women deemed to be "badly veiled," which has seen police in the capital Tehran and other cities round up hundreds of women sporting flimsy headscarves, three-quarter-length trousers and shape-revealing coats.
Now we keep hearing how strong the urge for reform in Iran is, yet the moderates are apparently losing ifluence in the government. so how imminent can reform really be? What looks more likely, at this point, is that the fundies will tighten their grip, and any reform will be stifled until the resentment of it boils over, and we may get a coup d'etat. In other words, things will get worse before they get better, and when they do get better, it may not be through peaceful reform.
Or it may not boil over, and we could get a country that, like North Korea, just goes on and on being a shitty, depressed third world hellhole with no end in sight.
