UnIslamic Behaviour by Tehran Youth on the Holiest Day in Shiite Calendar

Potkin Azarmehr, Iran va Jahan:

According to Islamic Republic Daily, groups of youth in Mohseni Square and Mirdamad Ave in Tehran, on the eve of Shame-Ghariban, one of the holiest Shiite days in the calendar, were dancing, whistling and clapping rather than observing the sombre mourning rituals.

The news item claimed, rather than the traditional mourning, the youth were in a party like mood, the girls were not observing the Islamic Hijab, and were mainly wearing tight vulgar dresses and make up while the boys imitated Western hair styles and fashions.

Many of the boys and girls were openly holding and cuddling each other. As if all this was not enough, some started letting off fireworks, which was greeted by more joyous cheers and clapping from the youth.

At around 21:00 the chief of Tehran’s Law Enforcement Forces, Commander Talaii, turned up on the scene, but the crowd instead of dispersing gathered around Commander Talaii’s convoy and ridiculed him by shouting, “Talaii, we love you” , then ran behind him as they laughed aloud and jeered the Commander.

The news article finished, by accusing the youth of ridiculing the dearest evening of the Shiite calendar and Islamic credence in the most offensive manner possible. It also accused the Law Enforcement Forces of not being able to stop these insults to Islam and instead leaving the task to the faithful themselves.

The event as usual was not covered by many foreign correspondents.

The following is a quote from a BBC correspondent in Tehran on the eve of the revolution day this year, Frances Harrison :

"I want to tell outsiders not to think that young people today are different from young people in the early days of the revolution just because some Western culture has been penetrating into the country."