my iran guidebook

I bought a guidebook for Iran and have been poring over it ceaselessly. I am getting very excited about the trip, and the book is kind of hilarious. I love how in the "Where to have a drink" all they say is "Are you kidding?"; in the "Where to go out dancing" part, they simply write, "In your dreams." When discussing alcohol, the guidebook (it's a Lonely Planet book) encourages travelers to "detox their bodies" in Iran, as the illegal booze is sketchy and the rest not so great. They say that there may be Armenians that sell beer and wine, though and that there's an Armenian restaurant in Teheran that's a recognized Christian establishment - which means women don't need to wear veils (!!!), and Muslims aren't legally allowed in. This looks like a good place to go when I feel as though I am being oppressed by the patriarchy.

Speaking of the patriarchy, I took a class last semester that was all about women and gender politics in the Muslim world. It was a typical liberal arts anthro course, starting off with "basic" facts and information about Islam and women and descending into a vicious cycle of defensive apologies and cultural relativism. No, it really wasn't that bad - just a bit frustrating - but the most important that the course highlighted was the way in which Western feminists often feel the need to "save" their Muslim sisters from oppression (i.e. veiling). The truth (or should I say, "truth") is that the veiling part of it is often voluntary and women want to cover themselves out of piety, etc. I agree that presuming they are oppressed and using the veil as a symbol of oppression is a terrible thing, even if I feel oppressed wearing a veil. Also, veils are the last thing one should worry about, considering how hard it is for women to get a divorce, for example. I am curious to see whether my views will change when I'm there. 2 more days - so excited!