Iranian women

While no government is without faults, some are much better than others. This is the case when comparing Iran before the 1979 revolution and after. Under the Shah, who ruled from 1925 to 1979, there were heavy restrictions on political freedom, freedom of the press and assembly with the state cracking down on dissidents and labor unions. During his rule Urban areas, like Tehran, were cosmopolitan with modern cafes, cinema, music and Western fashion. Women were active in public life, including serving as doctors, judges, and ministers, and were allowed to wear what they chose, including Western-style clothing. The "White Revolution" aimed for rapid industrialization, land reform, and increased literacy rates. One stark difference was the Family Protection Laws of 1967 and 1975. These laws restricted a man from taking multiple wives without court permission and the consent of the first wife, making the practice rare in urban areas. In addition, they modified patriarchal interpretations of Shari’s law which put men in dominant positions in regards to families, things like divorce and child custody. At this time when women in Iran risked standing up to these injustices, women in the West remain silent. Some feel this is the time for Western women to protest the male dominated society in Iran but they remain quiet.