Lillygol's Presentation

Lillygol's lecture gave me a new look at the Iranian government and its protesters. All we've known so far about the situation in Iran was written or drawn. But to see what the Iranian people see every day effected me deeply.

"Don't get me wrong, I love this dang country and everything about it. I love the freedoms we used to have, I love those." -George Carlin

This new insight also makes me appreciate what we have in America. That our problems are menial and that even complaining about those problems is something that makes our country great, that we can protest without being beaten and shot at.

"People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people."-V

The Iranian government controls their people, not with simple orders, expecting them to fall in line, they beat, arrest and even publicly execute those who they disagree with. They control with fear, letting people know what happens to those who protest and break the many laws written by the Ayatollah and falsely justified by religion. Feeding their people lies they will never believe (i.e. Ahmadenijad's re-election, everyone voted for Mousavi, they closed the polls halfway through the day claiming President Ahmadinejad had already won) and people still pour into the streets, knowing the risk, and fight, even lay down their lives, for their freedom.


"They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!" William Wallace
(I'm sorry if that was cliche, I just had to do it!)

The fact I have (and hopefully will) never have to fight like that for my freedom, I love it all the more. But knowing how the Iranian people have bravely stood up for their rights makes me feel that if the moment came, I would be ready.

The Veil

In post-Islamic Revolution Iran, women are forced to wear a veil, concealing their hair, or a chador, a head to toe cover showing only the eyes. Although some women wear the veil willingly. Their perspective on the veil derives from many different ideals of Islam and their perspective. One fact is tat a woman's bare skin and hair would cause men to have impure thoughts, or worse, act on those thoughts.

Some women still wear the veil unwillingly, feeling their rights are being violated. And with good reason. Women are denied the rights of speech, expression and the right to make their own choices. Women cannot even decide who they marry or whether they will marry him or not.

Women in Iran protest the veil as a symbol of oppression and misogyny. Others support the veil as a symbol of peace and their dedication to their faith. It is impossible to say one is more correct then the other and we must remain mindful of their faith, their laws and their choices.