Yay Obama

Iran's Attempt to Keep Protest Control Methods Out of the Eyes of the World

The Iranian nuclear program has developed into an international affair that has been outright denounced by Western governments, due to the implications that Iran is pushing hard to obtain the necessary technological advances needed to become an active nuclear power. Such an attempt to westernize is in stark contrast to the government’s derogatory views on Western culture and embracing it. While Iran formally states that its intentions are merely for peaceful, domestic uses of nuclear energy, the question arises as to whether or not this is really truth. This claim is faltered by the fact that Iran, among other actions, announced its intentions to self-enrich its own already highly enriched uranium by 20% (Watson). While this is still too impure to be useable as bomb material, the question remains as to what the true purpose behind this public announcement is. CNN reporter Ivan Watson raises a good argument in saying that such publicly announced information that, in light of Iran’s current international position regarding nuclear technology, such a move is no more than a façade. He comments that it this announcement was made the same weekend during which opposition activists openly planned to take to the streets in protest of the Iranian government. In other words, it is highly possible that Ahmadinejad is using nuclear propaganda to deviate the world’s attention away from ethical concerns to nuclear ones, leaving him free reign to deal with protesters to his regime in any manner he sees fit.

Overall, it seems that Iran is not avoiding modernization, but rather dropping the modern world through its governmental sieve, through which a very minimal amount passes. Also, selective parts such as nuclear technology are taken to further control the people and attempt to suppress rebellion through instilling twisted religious views, and by force. If we, as both Christians, and as the people who recognize this issue, step forward on a worldwide scale, we can better the chance for the sieve to be removed and the iron fist of the corrupt government to be replaced by one run under the true values of Islam and in favor of the people.
-Jeremy

The Role Of Women In Iran: Traditional Customs v. Western Influences

http://www.iranian.com/Women/2005/June/Rights/Images/1.jpg


With the exception of the Westernized and secularized upper and middle classes, Iranian society prior to the Revolution practiced public segregation of the sexes. In the traditional view, an ideal society was one where women were confined to the home and where they carried out the assorted domestic tasks associated with managing a household and nuturing children. Men worked in the public sphere, which consisted of working in the fields, factories, markets, and offices. Deviations from this ideal, especially in the case of women, ultimately reflected adversely upon the familiy’s reputation. During the Pahlavi dynasty the government was the main promoter of change in traditional attitudes toward sexual segregation. It sought to discourage veiling of women at official functions and encouraged mixed participation in a variety of public gatherings. The result was to bring the government into social and religious conflict with the Shia clergy, who fought to defend traditional values. (Kousha)
Among the ideas introduced into Iran from the West was the notion that women should participate in the society. The Pahlavi government encouraged women to get as much education as possible and to participate in the labor force at all levels. (Kousha) After 1936, when Reza Shah banned the chador, veiling came to be perceived among the minority of elite and secular middle-class women as a symbol of oppression. (Mohammadi) Before the Revolution, Iranian society was already polarized between the traditionally minded majority and a minority of involved women who were dedicated to improving the status of women. As early as 1932, Iranian women held a meeting of the Oriental Feminine Congress in Tehran at which they called for the right of women to vote, compulsory education for both boys and girls, equal salaries for men and women, and an end to polygamy. In 1963 women were given the right to vote and to hold public office. (Mohammadi) The Women of Iran had reached a milestone in the evolution of Iranian society.
Following the Revolution, the status of women changed. This major change in the social, religious, and political aspects of Iranian society shows how capable Iran is to globalize. Many of the tradition values are rooted in religious morale. Since religion has such a dominant influence in Iran, promoting change or the incorporation of Western influences is near impossible and looked at as sacrilege. The significance of the progress women have achieved in Iran shows the potential Iran possesses to globalize. Currently in Iran, the upcoming generation is fighting for change and Westernization.

-Victoria

Terrorism - An Obstruction to Globalization

Terrorism within Iran has increased exponentially following the revolution in 1979. In conjunction with this significant increase on a local scale, Iranian terrorist groups such as the Shiite’s are influencing and supporting terrorist factions within other countries such as Lebanon and Palestine. This rapid increase in terrorist groups throughout the world has posed a threat to globalization on a local and global scale. Adding to the already potent threat terrorism has on the more developed countries of the world is Iran’s recent acquisition of chemical weapons. While these weapons have not yet been administered to terrorist groups, Tehran, the capital of Iran, and current holder of the chemical weapons, has supported dozens of terrorist groups over the past several years (Brookings). This recent increase in terrorist activity along with the new technological advancements that enable them to become a greater threat have severely diminished Iran’s ability to globalize. The citizens of Iran, who desire a globalized society, are unable to modernize due to the fear instilled by these radical Islamic groups. The radical Muslims, who are in control of Iran, attempt to hinder the citizens of Iran’s attempts to westernize by using violence to instill fear in the people which in-turn have no choice but to obey their wishes. If these terrorist groups continue to grow in number and power, Iran and its people will continue to be oppressed and will never have the ability to globalize.

-Jimmy

Muslims of Iran need to come together and elect a moral president.

Iran is going through a stage of government enforced oppression. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is putting down any opposition to his governing and many of Iranians disagree with his ruling. Iran, which is a predominantly Muslim country, (ninety-eight percent of the entire country is Muslim) needs to come together so Iran can expand its global markets and come back into the good graces of the United Nations. Mr. Ahmadinejad is damaging Iran’s global economy by pushing for a nuclear program which the United States is against. Iran’s disregard of the United States is causing global companies to pull out of Iran and this is impeding their economy. For a country that is predominantly Muslim, a religion that preaches love and caring for one another, its president represents the opposite. The New York Times reported Mr. Ahmadinejad saying “the Holocaust (is) a "myth"”, he then continued onto say “Israel must be wiped off the map.” For a country that is so heavily religious, the people of Iran have elected a man who cares very little for his fellow human beings and just as little for his fellow countrymen. The people of Iran need to look at the root of their religious belief and the they need to elect Mr. Ahmadinejad out of office and put a more morally centered man in power. With a more religious centered person in office, the United Nations and United States would ease off Iran and their global markets could be more prosperous.
-Patrick

Iran

Iran’s globalized society has been impeded by several factors, all stemming from various sources: it has a somewhat well-founded distrust of Western culture, it has accepted radicalized religion as mainstream acceptance, and it has an oppressive government that squelches any sort of independent and progressive thinking. Stemming from the United States-led coup in the mid-twentieth century, Iranian hatred for Westernized (i.e. British, American, most of Western Europe) society and culture has created within its own society a close-minded way of life. Also a factor in the hindrances to globalization is the Iranian bastardization of Islam; instead of being taught in its true form as an accepting, giving, caring, equal, and loving religion, its instances of hatred and narrowness are instead focused. It is interesting to note that the government uses its influence to spread propaganda through religious channels, such as mosques and bazaars.

The challenge to change this society, while still retaining its own cultural identity, proves to be more difficult than it appears. How, then, must one change a society to be more accepting, open, and economically stable, while still retaining slivers of its culture, recently warped to meet the standards of a hateful government? The answer is this: education. One may see that the rising youthful population, who themselves never experienced a globalized Iran, wish to hold open elections, contact with other nations, and more freely dispersed information. They seem to desire a Western civilization, while the more conservative elders desire to retain the status quo. These two conflicting interests seem only to be helped as time passes; however, the proliferation of information and Western/Christian thought processes may expedite the change of Iranian culture.

-David