<http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB111152940238386770,00.html>
The Wall Street Journal March 23, 2005 REVIEW & OUTLOOK Mullahs the Limit March 23, 2005 Laleh Seddigh is going places -- fast. Nicknamed the "Little Schumacher," the 28-year-old race car driver recently became the first Iranian woman in the Islamic Republic's history to win a race. Ms. Seddigh beat 12 male competitors, striking a blow against Iran's institutionalized sexism. Ms. Seddigh notes the hostility to her in Iran but isn't fazed by it. "Resistance from men does not bother me," she told Agence France-Presse. "Once I get on the track, I like to use my technical skills, take control and dominate the other drivers." But there are obstacles. "Every time I want to practice or make a test drive, the track staff ask me for a letter of permission -- even though I am the captain of the Proton speed team," she added. "Men never have this kind of hassle." Her victory isn't cutting her much of a break. She was forced to pull a poncho over her "tight" racing overalls before collecting the trophy. Pictures of her were, according to the Middle East Online, censored. And the crowd cheering her lifting the trophy was of course segregated. All that's par for the course in an Islamic theocracy. "Morals police" enforce a strict dress code with lashes. Divorce, child custody and inheritance laws are all heavily biased against women. The mullahs preach the inferiority of women. But Ms. Seddigh's sports triumph is another small sign that things are changing at the grass roots in Iran. Two years ago, Shirin Ebadi, a female judge who was disbarred after the Islamic government declared that women are too "emotional" to sit on the judiciary, won the Nobel Peace Prize. Across Iran, women comprise over 60% of university students and are increasingly prominent in the professions. With sponsorship offers from Proton, Mazda and Hyundai on the table, the "Little Schumacher" is set to become a poster girl for a different Iran. As long as the mullahs give the green light, that is. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
