How the other half lives...is full of surprises

As is often depictured about Iran, since the revolution, woman are required to cover themselves when in public, or in the view of male non-relatives. This includes covering the head - using a hijab, and the female form - using a chador. Apparently the strictness with which this is enforced has diminished over time, something women particularly in Tehran have taken advantage of. It is not uncommon to see the hijab pulled way back on the head, to reveal not only the fringe but also frequently almost the full head of hair. And interesting, quite often the hair is red, green or purple!! In Tehran, I saw more women not wearing the chador, and opting for jeans, that the sight of a woman in a chador became surprising. Pushing the boundaries wherever possible, plenty of women have painted their fingernails and accessorise with large pendant earrings and other jewellery. I even spotted the odd tattoo. In a travel agency staffed by four women, all appropriately attired in a black hijab, the English speaking women who helped me book a train ticket had a musical note tattooed on her wrist. When I asked her about whether this was permitted, she said of course, many young people in Iran have tattoos. She explained that she had that tattoo done in Amsterdam, but that she had another tattoo she had done in Iran. Before my disbelieving eyes she stood up and pulled down the top of her top to reveal a few words in Persian script written across her chest. I don't know whether I was more shocked by the tattoo or the fact that she revealed it so publicly. No doubt, despite these small acts of rebellion, women in Iran must tire of the male imposed rules, and whilst there are many things to admire about Iran, the lack of equality sure isn't one of them.

Whilst the situation for women is lamentable, surely for members of the LGBTI community it is disastrous. The pre-Trump former President Ahmadinejad said in 2007 there were no gays in Iran, hence no persecution of them - an effective way of squaring the circle. On a crowded metro train in Tehran I was joined by two transvestites - two solidly built women that towered over their fellow Tehranis. This didn't stop two teenagers from giggling, which proceeded in to more hostile sniggering, elbowing their fellow passengers and drawing as much attention as possible with some comments which even without speaking Persian I couldn't understand were offensive. Probably used to such harassment, the two women turned away and did their best to bravely ignore what was going on around them. And so it turns out that whilst homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death (and at the same time non existent!!) the Ayatollah (the supreme and religious leader) and his successor have both issued fatwas that authorise sex change operations. In fact the government financially subsidises the procedure, and it has been embraced by Iranis to the point that as of 2008 more sex change operations were carried out in Iran y other country other than Thailand. Wikipedia quotes Hojatoleslam Kariminia, a mid-level cleric who is in favor of transgender rights, that he wishes "to suggest that the right of transsexuals to change their gender is a human right" and that he is attempting to "introduce transsexuals to the people through my work and in fact remove the stigma or the insults that is attach to these people."

The thing I am learning about Iran is that there is always a surprise around the corner, as people chafe against rules that don't seem to make any sense.