By Syma Sayyah, Tehran
Note: This piece was written before the recent
election
Last week a
young friend of my brother’s arranged that I go and talk to his mates at the
park near my mum’s house. Park Andisheh is located in the middle of Old Shemiran
road (called Shariatie these days). It is also right in front of the sport club
which I and my sisters used to go to for swimming when we were at
school.
There I spoke with several young men,
and I was pretty impressed with readings they had done and the sense of
attentiveness and awareness they exerted towards serious social issues. They
were as concerned about society and what is going on as they were concerned
about what is happening to them personally, which I found rather refreshing.
The average age of the young men I spoke
with was about 25-26 years old. All except one were university educated, and
this is what they generally told me:
·
They are fed up or worse, but they are not passive; almost all of them
will vote in the forthcoming election, even if they have to choose the best of
the worst. Some of them were unhappy with President Khatami, and stated that
although he made many things possible but he also clogged up many things from
happening
·
They were very definitely against another revolution and for a step by step progress
towards better society and reform.
·
One of our major problems in society is lack of law and order, lack of
clarity and transparency; mismanagement and bad management are the worst
problems that prohibit our progress.
·
The government must be an example of clarity and transparency in their
dealing and stop favoritism.
·
They generally agreed that we, as a nation, must stop feeling sorry for
ourselves and the role of being a victim. We must take hold of our lives, and it
is up to us to make our future; it is up to the people. We learn to
think,
choose and stand up to the consequences.
·
Jobs, especially important jobs, must be given to those who can do it
well, for the benefit of all and the
country.
·
Many girls who come to university are sincere and hard working, but many
girls who just come to meet boys and find a place to sort of dress up. But they
were all for LOVE and think it is good and important, but want for a lifetime
relationship (marriage) a lady as a partner who is a friend. All expect one said
that they would marry a girl disregarding her virginity.
Then I asked them about the most
important possible things that they could wish for:
·
Freedom in general and freedom of speech in
particular.
·
Economical Reforms in order to establish, security; financial, work and
social choices along with more justice and
accountability.
·
Stoppage of opportunism and favoritism, and
despotisms. Iran is in process of social modernization but needs a
serious renaissance in many aspects of life and social activities, specially in
management.
·
Establishment of political parties, more effective civil society and more
realistic parliamentary mode of governance.
·
Improvement in living standards for all and at all
levels.
·
Luck of finding the right girl for permanent
relationship.
·
International openness and relation with other
countries including USA!
Later that week I was attending a
gathering of women active in civil society and there I learned Markaz
Mosharekate Zannan had conducted a national survey and these are their
findings:
These are women’s demand and
requirements of women in Iran:
- Superior Employment
Opportunities
- Sense of social and personal
security
- Improvement of recreational
facilities
- Enhancement of
livelihood
- Improved and better view of women and
their abilities
- Increased Educational
Accessibility
- Correction and change of laws biased
against women
- Improved awareness and information to
women
- Facilitating
marriage
- Strengthening and better Support for
women groups
Women's main problem areas in
Iran the survey found
were:
- Unemployment
- Lack of freedom and well
being
- Lack of social and recreational
activities
- Economical
problems
- Marriage
- Education & training
programs
