To most Iranians, one of the most oppressing factors about Iran is the Islamic laws that they are governed by. The laws are plain and simple and cover almost every facet of one’s day to day life. The hijab, the Islamic covering of a woman’s hair and skin, is strictly enforced and deemed mandatory by the Islamic Laws in place. So much so that the government of Iran has put revolutionary guards in place to not only regulate but enforce these laws on hijab. If a woman is found to be obstructing the Islamic laws regulating the hijab, she is taken in for processing. During this time, she is placed in a jail cell and her name is entered into a system that will deem her as an unlawful citizen and eventually make it harder for her to attain a good paying job.
After the issue of hijab, the most regulated and enforced Islamic law focuses on preventing any type of sexual relationship between a man and a woman before marriage. Although in theory the law comes across as a restriction on public displays of affection, in practice it is something completely different. If revolutionary guards spot a young man and woman having dinner together, walking together, watching a movie together, or any other activity that they feel is bypassing the proper Islamic boundaries between an unmarried man and woman, then they can by law take you in, call your parents, and force you to spend a night in jail. These charges apply to the simple crime of taking part in mundane activities with a member of the opposite sex that you are not married to; with that being said, charges for being caught at a party, drinking, or wearing any type of clothing that reveals your skin call for latching at times.
When Pharelle’s video happy was released, a group of young Iranians created their own take of what the song meant to them. Filled with love, happiness, and sheer joy, this homemade video resulted in a surge of controversy. Due to the fact that the kids in the video did not come from very high families that could protect them under the law, they were all sentenced to six months in jail and 91 latches.
Although Islamic laws make day to day activities harder, it is the economic status of the country that has most people struggling to survive. Under strict U.S. sanctions, most people resort to methods of corruption and stealing to be able to put food on the table. Nurses, teachers, and all other government officials earn enough to well, make it paycheck to paycheck. Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani, a regime Stalwart, made acknowledged the pain people are feeling and blamed it on Iranian economic mismanagement as well as sanctions.
Sabrineh, a highly educated middle-class Iranian woman stated “Bare essentials are becoming scarce- food, medicine, transportation, everything. Utilities, housing are becoming next to impossible. They are all further and further out of reach. There are food lines. People don’t know how much money to carry in their pockets every day because prices are rising on a daily basis as opposed to the previous day. And there are the fortunate people who can buy bread. There are others lingering around who cannot.”
"You should remember the Revolution and the political establishment have always advocated equality and promised the oppressed a better life," said a retired economist. "Their understanding of equality was more in line with leftist ideologies. For people in our society to see a multimillion-dollar car alongside a Paykan, valued at two to four thousand dollars, is a sign of not having achieved that equality."
The sanctions seem to have only affected the middle and lower income classes of Iran, leaving the wealthiest one percenters not only unaffected but also as the people who are controlling the industries, large business corporations, the military and the Revolutionary Guard Corps, and live a life of luxury. Unapologetically wealthy, the Iranian youth are no different from the rich kids in Beverly Hills, London, or even Herzliya Pituach. Free from the control of the Revolutionary Guard Corp and the police, the youth are able to live, party, and promote their wealth on social media websites by featuring their luxurious lives. In a dry country, the youth are able to import and drink whiskey and vodka like its water without fear of jail time or any negative consequences restrictions.
“Everyone knows these people. Most have fathers who can’t be touched. If they get into trouble, the trouble simply disappears by means of the right connections. Others aren’t that fortunate.”
“Every country has its rich and poor. We know that it can be emotionally difficult for some people who don’t have the ability to live the kind of life that is documented in the pictures, but you don’t have to follow us too.”
Ultimately, Iran at the end of the day is a third world country and within these countries money and power rules. All in all, although Iran is a great summer vacation for me, the wealth disparity has crippled the lower economic class and the sanctions have been most felt by them. The wealthy continue to control every aspect of Iran to such a degree that they are able to hinder any of the lower class from rising up and challenging them. As the conversation between President Obama and President Rohani continues, one can only hope that the sanctions will be lifted and the lower and middle class of Iran can finally obtain a life with value.