Iran Arrests You For Dancing, But Only If You Are Female
They refuse to stop.
A 17 year old Gymnast has been arrested and publicly shamed in Iran for posting videos of her dancing. She was not stripping, being blasphemous or provocative. She was dancing to JB Let me love you. Hardly a Cherry Pie or Jay Castro FMN. Maedeh Hojabri, who has a following of 600,00 on Instagram, was broadcasted on Iranian TV crying and pleading on Friday. This was a clear state forced confession of immorality (or more like morality).
“It wasn’t for attracting attention, I had some followers and these videos were for them. I did not have any intention to encourage others doing the same. I didn’t work with a team, I received no training. I only do gymnastics.” She sobbed.
Maedeh has been charged with indecency, a cover up term for "she made some low life government official get a boner and he can't keep his hands of his dick because she was not covered the way he wants her to be".
Iran lacks an understanding that what women wear and do is not to entice men. If a man can't control his sexual urges that is on him, not the woman. That's his inability to control himself and he should be the one in jail. Controlling our urges is what separates us from animals, a very thin line that is crossed by psychopaths.
Iranian Women are true feminists, living and breathing to defy the patriarchy any way they can. Iran is a very traditionalist country ruled by outdated and absurd laws that defy human rights. Instagram in Iran is not as heavily restricted as Facebook and Twitter. Women in Iran are banned from being seen without a hijab or dance in public.
The women of Iran are fearlessly taking a stance and also risking jail and public shaming by staging public dance protest as well as dancing on social media and hashtagging #dancing_is_not_a_crime. When we think of fearless women, we think of the women of Iran.
Iran's blatant disregard and ignorance of women dates back to the revolutions of the 1970s. The Revolution was good in some instances but was detrimental to women's rights. In 2014, seven Iranians were arrested and given a suspended sentence of 6 months jail time and 91 lashes for recording a version of 'Happy' by Pharrell. HAPPY? Are you fucking kidding us right now? If you want to know what life is like for young Iranians you need to watch 2011 feminist movie Circumstance.
While Amnesty 'condemned' what was happening, no one really did anything. The new generation of Iranians are taking their own fearless stance and it won't be long until a government over throw will occur.
The Middle East has made phenomenal progress in Female Rights and Empowerment. Most recently, Saudi Arabia finally gave women the right to drive. A basic right that we in the West and many other Middle Eastern and majority Muslim countries, deem the norm. In 2017, Jordan abolished honour killing and rape law, turning a centuries old law on its head, a law that goes beyond just human rights violations. Sadly, these laws are still upheld in Saudi Arabia and Iran.
What needs to be pointed out is that these laws put in place to "keep a woman" has nothing to do with Islamic Law. On the contrary these laws are cultural constructs and only upheld by traditionalists, much like the Amish and Twelve Tribes in the Western World. Most of the Middle East is highly Americanized and have evolved and adapted traditions to more modern times.
Surprisingly, women in countries such as Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and The Palestinian Territories do not differentiate between men and womens rights. Women and men uphold the same rights, equal pay, the right to vote before Western women, the rights to education, hold positions of power (especially in government) and the rights to wear what they want. A Lebanese beach in the summer, could be confused for Miami.
It is countries such as Saudi Arabia, The Gulf Areas and Iran that still have not caught up with the times and remain highly patriarchal. Probably why Trump gets along with the Saudi's so well. Let us emphasize that the named countries are traditionalist countries and mix Islamic Law with their own cultural tribal laws. This crucial statement is one that mass media tends to censor.
Dance your hearts out tiny dancers, rise and resist and post it any where you are #dancing_isn't_a_crime!
More Female Heroes from last weeks Scaling of the Statue of Liberty in protest of ICE.
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