Latest news with #culturalChange
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iran before 1979 revolution: Photos show extent of women's freedom
They are photographs that show just how much has changed in less than 50 years. Women wearing short skirts and figure-hugging dresses; families shopping in department stores; skiers enjoying themselves on the slopes. This was the lighter side of life in Iran before the 1979 revolution ushered in the repressive regime that is now threatening all-out war with America after the US bombing of its nuclear facilities. Under the rule of King Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (pictured), who was an ally of Britain and the US, the hijab was even banned because it was argued it suppressed women. In the 1960s and 1970s, many women in Iran joined the work force and mixed freely with men. At the time, actresses who were later banned from performing posed up in short skirts for magazines, while locals were photographed skiing and wearing swimsuits and Miss Iran contestants enjoyed paddle-boat outings. Other images from magazines show all-girl pop bands, an actress posing with her director husband, and advertisements showcasing Western fashion. Also seen are families enjoying themselves on skiing trips in the mountains around Tehran. Among the women pictured is Iranian actress Forouzan. She started out doing voice-overs but eventually moved on screen. She co-starred in some of the highest-grossing Persian films of the era. When the revolution hit in 1979, like many Iranian actresses, Forouzan (pictured) was banned from playing roles in films and grew more and more isolated until her death in 2016. The women's rights movement in Iran blossomed after Reza Shah Pahlavi became king. As well as banning the hijab, Pahlavi granted women the right to vote. The Family Protection Act gave women greater rights such as allowing divorce and banning marriage under the age of 15. Under the Shah, Iranians enjoyed the luxury of new colleges, universities and libraries. Secondary schools were free for all and financial support was extended to university students. The Shah also pushed the country to adopt Western-oriented secular modernization, allowing some degree of cultural freedom. However, there was also widespread censorship in the country and the Shah repressed political dissent. The crackdown on communists and Islamists also led to many being imprisoned and tortured. With his liberalising reforms and harsh treatment of his political opponents, the Shah made an enemy of traditionalists in the country. These factors, along with the Shah being perceived as a puppet of the USA and economic uncertainty, culminated in the monarchy being overthrown in 1979. The Shah, who was suffering from cancer, fled the country and the hardline Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (pictured) returned from exile. Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been living in exile in France, then returned and announced the creation of an Islamic republic. The women's rights movement quickly regressed. Wearing the hijab was enforced, many of the rights they had been granted were withdrawn and the female minister of education in Iran, Farokhroo Parsa, was executed by firing squad. Under Khomeini's rule, Amnesty International estimated that the number of executions carried out in Iran was more than in the rest of the world combined. One woman who was caught wearing lipstick in the northern city of Tabriz was said to have been flogged 101 times in the city's busiest area. In the days that followed the revolution, students who backed Khomeini stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 66 of its staff hostage for 444 days. Popular anger against the US was rooted in the 1953 CIA-engineered coup that toppled Iran's elected prime minister and cemented the power of the Shah.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iran BEFORE the 1979 revolution: Photos show the extent of women's freedom under the Shah - but life was not all rosy
They are photographs that show just how much has changed in less than 50 years. Women wearing short skirts and figure-hugging dresses; families shopping in department stores; skiers enjoying themselves on the slopes. This was the lighter side of life in Iran before the 1979 revolution ushered in the repressive regime that is now threatening all-out war with America after the US bombing of its nuclear facilities. Under the rule of King Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was an ally of Britain and the US, the hijab was even banned because it was argued it suppressed women. In the 1960s and 1970s, many women in Iran joined the work force and mixed freely with men. At the time, actresses who were later banned from performing posed up in short skirts for magazines, while locals were photographed skiing and wearing swimsuits and Miss Iran contestants enjoyed paddle-boat outings. Other images from magazines show all-girl pop bands, an actress posing with her director husband, and advertisements showcasing Western fashion. Also seen are families enjoying themselves on skiing trips in the mountains around Tehran. Among the women pictured is Iranian actress Forouzan. She started out doing voice-overs but eventually moved on screen. She co-starred in some of the highest-grossing Persian films of the era. When the revolution hit in 1979, like many Iranian actresses, Forouzan was banned from playing roles in films and grew more and more isolated until her death in 2016. Other images show director Ali Hatami and his wife, Zari Khoshkam. He continued to make films and TV series' after the revolution, and his daughter, Leila Hatami, is a famous actress in Iran. The women's rights movement in Iran blossomed after Reza Shah Pahlavi became king. As well as banning the hijab, Pahlavi granted women the right to vote. The Family Protection Act gave women greater rights such as allowing divorce and banning marriage under the age of 15. Singer and actress Nooshfarin, pictured left, was one of many Iranian artists to be exiled from the country following the 1979 revolution. She started her career as an actress before moving into singing. Upon her exile in the 1970s, she moved to Southern California to continue her career. Pictured right, a woman in shorts poses up for a magazine in 1970 Skiers pictured on a chair lift at a resort in Iran in the 1970s Under the Shah, Iranians enjoyed the luxury of new colleges, universities and libraries. Secondary schools were free for all and financial support was extended to university students. The Shah also pushed the country to adopt Western-oriented secular modernization, allowing some degree of cultural freedom. However, there was also widespread censorship in the country and the Shah repressed political dissent. The crackdown on communists and Islamists also led to many being imprisoned and tortured. With his liberalising reforms and harsh treatment of his political opponents, the Shah made an enemy of traditionalists in the country. These factors, along with the Shah being perceived as a puppet of the USA and economic uncertainty, culminated in the monarchy being overthrown in 1979. The Shah, who was suffering from cancer, fled the country and the hardline Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile. Pictured above is Persian actress Forouzan in 1974 (left) and 1975 (right). She started out as a voice-over actress but eventually moved on screen and co-starred in some of the highest-grossing Persian films of the era Actress Forouzan is seen above left. Iranian singer Mahasti (right) moved to the UK in 1978 ahead of the revolution and eventually migrated to California to continue her singing career The Daily Mail's front page after the 1979 revolution proclaimed 'Victory for the prophet' - a reference to Khomeini's takeover Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been living in exile in France, then returned and announced the creation of an Islamic republic. The women's rights movement quickly regressed. Wearing the hijab was enforced, many of the rights they had been granted were withdrawn and the female minister of education in Iran, Farokhroo Parsa, was executed by firing squad. Under Khomeini's rule, Amnesty International estimated that the number of executions carried out in Iran was more than in the rest of the world combined. One woman who was caught wearing lipstick in the northern city of Tabriz was said to have been flogged 101 times in the city's busiest area. In the days that followed the revolution, students who backed Khomeini stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 66 of its staff hostage for 444 days. Popular anger against the US was rooted in the 1953 CIA-engineered coup that toppled Iran's elected prime minister and cemented the power of the Shah. After Khomeini's death in 1989, there was no let-up in the repression of Western lifestyles.
SBS Australia
7 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
This slur was used to abuse Concetta's father. For her, it's a proud identity
WARNING: Distressing language Concetta Caristo is a proud wog. But for her father, the word was spat at him in vitriol. 'I use it as a term of pride. I really do. And I obviously think it's based on tone. If I hear someone saying it to me in this vitriolic tone, I'm sure that would make me upset, I would be so taken aback by that, which to me really shows how far the word has come," the comedian and Triple J host told SBS Examines. "My dad who was born here was like, 'yeah, it was used with vitriol for being different.' So that is pretty a remarkable change." The term originated from the slur 'dago'. "Dago sort of slips out of usage and . . . is replaced by the slur wog," explained global diasporas expert and Greek Australian Dr Andonis Piperoglou. He said the term originally meant infestation or disease. Former Socceroo Peter Katholos, who came to Australia from Greece at nine-years-old, remembers wog being used against him. "There were moments where I was called a wog, many, many times," he said. "You were looked at as a stranger, like 'what are you doing on our land?' Little did they think that these people that came from overseas were here to work hard to basically help in building this country, which the migrants did." While the word wog has a complex meaning for many Australians, Dr Piperoglou said it's helped curate a new cultural migrant identity. "The diaspora of these groups from the Mediterranean can start to self-identify and claim a certain type of alternative Australian-ness, which rides up against and challenges some of those monocultural renderings of what constitutes a good Australian." This episode of SBS Examines celebrates 50 years of SBS, recognising some of the broadcaster's first migrant audiences and their contributions to modern Australia.
