Iran - Then and Now

                                     Woman in Iran Dressed "Improperly"
While I was surfing the website Global Voices, I decided to look at the country of Iran.  I found a blog entry titled "Iran: Summer Heat Gives Way to Crackdowns on 'Improper' Clothing" from July 18, 2011, by Fred Petrossian.  The blog entry discussed the crackdowns in Iran by the government on women who were wearing clothing that does not fit their tight dress code, namely "un-Islamic" clothing, during the summer months last year.  As in the United States, the women in Iran appeared to be trying to wear more "revealing" clothing due to the summer heat.  He included pictures and videos of women being taken into custody by officials.  An interesting one, the first video in the blog, showed a woman actually running away from the police before being captured and arrested.  At the end of the blog, Petrossian wrote that another blogger, Irane Azad from Iran, also wrote about these incidents, and he provided a link to one of Azad's entries.  Though I cannot read Farsi, it is easy to understand the point that the blogger was trying to make.  There were pictures of both ordinary women being arrested for indecent clothing and Iranian actresses who were dressed similarly, if not more "revealing" than the women being arrested, who were not facing the force of the government.

I thought it was interesting that the government of Iran was actually arresting women off of the street for "indecent" clothing, though I was not surprised.  However, I was surprised at the reaction from both the women and the crowds that normally were watching the arrests take place.  As I mentioned above, one women ran from the police before being captured and arrested.  The crowds in the videos occasionally revealed their support for the women, even protesting their arrests.  Iran is often depicted as a country of extremists with few people resisting the Iranian government.  These videos, though, told a different story.  While they are only a couple of examples, the women in the videos, along with the crowds, reveal to the world that not everyone is in full support of the government and its polices.

As I mentioned, Iran is known by many in the Western world as a country based on extreme Islamic principles.  Women have few rights, and the image of the country is one from centuries past.  When I was on the Foreign Policy website, I saw the Once Upon a Time series.  It includes photo essays of different cities from before they were racked with violence and controversy, "to more peaceful times."  I found the Tehran photo essay very interesting.  One picture really shocked me, especially after reading the blog entries discussed above.  It was from 1971 and had women from Tehran University wearing miniskirts.  The other pictures in the essay revealed a more Western-style Tehran, one that is difficult for anyone born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to imagine.  There was even a picture of six people smiling at the camera, looking like they were attending UCLA, not UT (University of Tehran).

With all the news stories today about Iran, especially the current ones involving its nuclear activity and tensions with the United States and Israel, I believe it is interesting to look back on Iran before the Islamic Revolution.  The country has changed in the past thirty years, as is revealed when one compares the photo essay from the Foreign Policy and the blog entries from Global Voices.  In understanding the Middle East, specifically Iran, we need to widen our perspective to one that includes what occurred before the violence and repression that is often characterized as the norm.

Jenny

Blog Entry - 
Petrossian, F. (2011, July 18). Iran: Summer heat gives way to crackdowns on "improper" clothing. In Global Voices. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/07/18/iran-summer-heat-gives-way-to-crackdowns-on-improper-clothing/
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/ir.htm

Other Related Articles - 

• http://globalvoicesonline.org/

• http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/iran/

• http://www.foreignpolicy.com/once_upon_a_time 
  

• Azad, A. (2011, July 13). Blog post In Global Voices. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://arshia-azad.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post.html

• Parks, C. (2012, February 15). Once upon a time in Tehran. Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/15/once_upon_a_time_in_tehran#0

Obesity Rising in South Korea

                           Song Hye-kyo, South Korean actress and model
A report in The Korea Herald titled "Number of obese pupils continues to rise: report" from February 26, 2012, stated that "14 out of 100 children in elementary, middle, and high school are obese."  The report was the result of a study done in 2011, where "181,000 students from 743 schools throughout the country" were examined.  It was determined "that diet, activity level, and amount of sleep had a major affect on students' health."  While the number of overweight and obese students have risen in South Korea over the last several years, the study also found a sizable percentage of students who are underweight.  The rate of obesity in that nation has risen at the same time that children are consuming larger quantities of fast food, not exercising, and sleeping less than six hours a night.

Another article, one from The Guardian on September 6, 2006, titled "Obesity in Asia mirrors western increase," compared the rising obesity rates in Asian nations with those in Western ones, like Great Britain, the United States, and Australia.  It stated that the cause of the issue is Asia's rapid modernization over the last couple decades.  For centuries, people in Asian countries lived rural, agricultural lives, consuming foods like fish and rice.  However, as these nations have modernized, more people are moving to urban centers and consuming high-fat and high-calorie foods, like citizens of Western nations.

I found this news story both interesting and surprising.  Whenever most people, including myself, picture someone of Asian descent, they imagine a small, very slender person.  A prime example is Song Hye-kyo, a South Korean actress and model.  She follows the small and slender stereotype.  The story from The Korea Herald, though, reveals that this reality is quickly decreasing as more and more Asian people, including children, are becoming overweight and obese.  As Asian nations, like South Korea, become more Westernized, they begin to experience problems similar to those in the United States, Great Britain, etc.  The fact that people in these countries have the access to proper nutrition is wonderful, but like Americans, they are overindulging themselves.

The BBC News reported on January 2, 2008, that "The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese."  Obesity, a modern issue facing most Western nations, has a unique impact upon Asian ones.  "Asians On A Different Obesity Scale," a February 11, 2009, article from CBS News explains that Asian people who are small and slender can still face the problem of obesity.  While a body mass index (BMI) of 25 is overweight and 30 is obese, Asians may require an even lower number to be healthy.  This is due to the fact that Asians have more fat content that other racial groups, like Caucasians.  With obesity rates rising throughout the world, Asian nations may be impacted more due to their citizens already natural thin frames.

As with programs here in America, I hope South Korea can fight this epidemic and lead its citizens, especially its youth, down the right path.  The world is becoming smaller with every passing day, as modern technologies, like Skype, connect countries all over the planet.  We need to be concerned about the health of our people here in America and across the ocean in South Korea.

Jenny

Article - 
Number of obese pupils continues to rise: report. (2012, February 26). The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120226000288
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/kr.htm

Other Articles - 

• Obesity on rise among students: report. (2012, February 26). The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120226000329

• Obesity in Asia mirrors western increase. (2006, September 6). The Guardian. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/06/health.healthandwellbeing 

• Obesity: in statistics. (2008, January 2). BBC News. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7151813.stm

• Asians on a different obesity scale. (2009, February 11). CBS News. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-525887.html

• Overweight in children. (2011, March 29). American Heart Association. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Overweight-in-Children_UCM_304054_Article.jsp#.T0pRLPWQmVo

Saudi Women - Fighting for Their Rights

 

Manal Al Sharif Driving in Saudi Arabia (with English subtitles)

In this Youtube video from May 2011, Manal Al Sharif defies Saudi Arabia law by driving through Khobar.  As a woman, it is illegal for her to drive in that country.  She needs a guardian, either a male relative/friend or a hired driver, to be a chauffeur.  Manal Al Sharif narrates the video, telling her audience why women should be allowed to drive.  Her arguments include the need to drive in an emergency, her inability to renew the license for her own car, and the inconvenience for wives when their husbands are away on business.  Manal was arrested for her crime and sentenced to ten lashes, but it was later revoked by King Abdullah.  He also granted women in his country the right to vote.

While many women are fighting for their rights in Saudi Arabia, others are resisting the calls for change and reform.  Eman Al Nafjan wrote in her December 2011 article "What Do Saudi Women Want?" from the Foreign Policy that some women question the responsibilities that would be asked of them once they were granted the right to drive.  She even discussed an incident where a Saudi Arabian woman worked with the ruling family "to strengthen the guardianship system."  While outsiders wonder how women could live without certain basic rights, Saudi Arabian woman question the actions of those outsiders, wondering how they could go places without a male protector or reveal their faces and other portions of their bodies to the world.

When this story come up in my search results, I remembered watching it on the news last year.  Until that time, I did not know that women in Saudi Arabia cannot legally drive.  I knew that that nation is one of the most conservative ones in the world, but driving is a privilege that I, along with many people in the United States, forget does not extend to people in other countries throughout the world.  After being able to drive for the past several years, I find it difficult to imagine not have that right.  I would not be able to perform the simplest of errands, like buying groceries, without the assistance of a male relative or friend.

I am glad that many women in Saudi Arabia are fighting for their rights and standing up to the government.  While a video of one woman driving may not seem like a big deal to people living in the West, Manal Al Sharif risked a lot to show her support and determination for just one of the many rights women in Saudi Arabia do not currently possess.  As citizens of the twenty-first century, I believe it is our duty to be aware of issues and other problems occurring throughout the world.  The tension between reformists and conservatives, especially in the Middle East, is a topic that is extremely important and relevant in today's world.

Jenny

Article -

Al Nafjan, E. (2011, December). What do Saudi women want? Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/28/what_do_saudi_women_want
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/sa.htm
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowNSH_W2r0

Other Related Articles -

• Henderson, S. (2011, September 26). All the king’s women. Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/26/all_the_kings_women
• Pavgi, K. (2011, September 29). Reprieve for Saudi woman sentenced to lashing for driving. Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/09/29/saudi_womans_sentenced_reprieved

Chilean Students Protest for Education Reform

            Camila Vallejo - Prominent Member of the Student Protests in Chile
Hinchliffe, J. (2011, December 13). Camila Vallejo voted Chile's person of the year. The Santiago Times.
Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/education/23070-camila-vallejo-voted-chiles-person-of-the-year

Walker Elliott Rowe discussed in his article "Could the Chilean Winter become the Prague Spring?" in The Santiago Times from August 18, 2011, the student protests that had taken over the country and still continue.  In Chile, the elementary and secondary schools are separated into three categories - public municipal schools, subsidized schools, and private schools.  The subsidized and private schools, as would be assumed, are better financed than the public municipal schools.  This is very evident in poorer towns/cities, where the public schools often do not provide adequate resources to its students.

The tuition students pay to attend public universities also is a problem in the nation.  Rowe reports that the average cost is around $6,000 per year.  Even though that amount is not as high as what students pay in other countries, especially at private colleges and universities, it is difficult for many students to pursue a postsecondary education.  Many people in Chile are earning minimum wage, which is not enough for students to afford attending college/university.

Problems in the education system, in the areas of both elementary/secondary and postsecondary, has caused students, along with other supporters, to protest in the streets.  The demands include changing the admissions process, which includes the University Selection Test (PSU) entrance exam, more state-funding for education and free university education in general.  Some universities have even been closed during this school year due to the protests.  Camila Vallejo, pictured above, has been a leader in the movement as the president of the University of Chile Student Federation (Fech) (she lost her re-election campaign in November).  Marches, public demonstrations, and other forms of protest have dominated the student movement.

When I first read this article, I was surprised that I had not heard of this movement before now.  I consider myself very knowledgeable about current events in the news, but this story, to my understand, has not received much media attention.  Student protests, especially ones that resulted in riots and the use of tear gas, would presumably be front page/top of the hour news stories.  However, I do not believe many Americans are aware of the problems faced in Chile in regards to education.

It is easy for students from any country to understand the issue of tuition, especially with the cost of a postsecondary degree increasing every year.  Students from California to England have protested increases in educational costs.  I remember watching the news just over a year ago when English students attacked Prince Charles and his wife's car during protests to tuition increases in that country.  Students at public and private colleges/universities alike await the news of the following school year's increase in tuition and fees.  As the economic downturn has continued on over the last several years, these increases have been more difficult for students to accept.  The problem has been taken to the extreme in Chile.

Over the next several months, it will be interesting to follow the activities of the Chilean government.  Many people are wondering if it will implement any of the requests the student protesters have called for during most of previous year.  Issues related to education, especially tuition, are important for all students to follow, no matter where such events are occurring in the world.

Jenny

Article -
Rowe, W. E. (2011, August 18). Could the Chilean winter become the Prague spring? (Walker Elliot Rowe). The Santiago Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.santiagotimes.cl/blogs/146-walker-elliot-rowe/22259-could-the-chilean-winter-become-the-prague-spring-walker-elliott-rowe
Map - http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/cl.htm

Other Related Articles -

• Hinchliffe, J. (2011, December 13). Camila Vallejo voted Chile's person of the year. The Santiago Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/education/23070-camila-vallejo-voted-chiles-person-of-the-year

• Pedigo, D. (2012, January 27). Chile's year of protests reveals greater challenges for 2012. The Santiago Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.santiagotimes.cl/opinion/editorial/23317-chiles-year-of-protests-reveals-greater-challenges-for-2012

• Pedigo, D. (2012, January 4). University entrance exam reveals continuing inequality in Chile. The Santiago Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/education/23160-university-entrance-exam-reveals-continuing-inequality-in-chile