TROMSO:

Citizenship and passports are from the days past. Now we are all living in the same global village and we can all exchange ideas via this medium of the Internet and other ways to communicate.

Acquiring second citizenships are pretty much like flags of convenience for ships: Just to have easy passage. However, Iranians (and other nationalities in USA) are always separated from Americans, the so-called hyphenated Americans like Iranian-American, Greek-American, etc. Decent taxpaying Iranians are attacked in USA or pulled aside for humiliating searches because they are not "one of us", even though they bear an American passport alas it shows place of birth in Iran.

Why Iranians are leaving? Because they have a choice and they want to better their own lives. Some of the more brilliant ones leave because there are not opportunities for them in Iran (no NASA or Microsoft, for example). But again, few nations are lucky enough to have those things.

The important point is how many come back and how many, like Shirin Ebadi, care enough about their roots to help other Iranians.

In my opinion, Mr. Ettefagh is one of the 50-60 Iranian geniuses alive today. He has a clear mined and a very good memory. He still remembers articles on The Washington Post from 1970s. So I guess when he mentions Mrs. Anoushe Ansari, the first Iranian born astronaut, he also remembers that she is now an American citizen with American passport in her back pocket.

Iranians! Please don’t get upset. I am not suggesting here that Iranians “can not”. I am just saying that Iranians are leaving. 150 000 of the best minds of Iran are leaving Iran every year! Many of them never return. (Again these are not my numbers. These are UN numbers and they are fresh). And yes: I feel the same rush of sugar and spice of pride in every cell of my body when I see her floating around on the space station.

But what I really want Mr. Ettefagh to explain for us, not so very bright people, is: why? Why are so many young and bright people leaving Iran?

Perhaps Mr. Ettefag should have mentioned another Iranian woman that made us very pride, just for 3 years ago. Mrs. Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. She still lives in Iran as Mr. Ettefagh himself. To not mention her was maybe caused by a sudden impulse of selective memory but I guess there are other more logical and complex reasons for certain change of tone in Mr. Ettefaghs articles lately.

And to put things right: I myself left Iran for 20 years ago. I wasn’t one of the bright ones. I just ran away from the war in the 80s.

All the best from Iranian/Armenian and now Norwegian citizen!

Pretty good. Interesting comparison with Steinam. It is probably time to revist that idea.

Well done. Many interesting observations.

Finally! An article where I can agree with Mr. Ettefagh. I may have to frame it.

It's sad that American values have sunk to the level where "skin" is valued more than ideas, talent or manners. It seems that Iran has struck the proper balance. Good for them! Now, if we can just get them to take off the burkhas...

http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8792052&fsrc=nwl

Cheersto Emad....

Pretty women make us buy beer. Ugly women force us to drink it!

Otherwise, there are many interesting observations here.

As the old Persian proverb teaches: Learn manners from those who have none! As such, we can see what is going on elsewhere in the world and realise if it is correct or completely without merit. It is an a la carte menu!

Human nature.attraction and appreciation? Yes and of course. Why not?
Commercialisation and exploitation, with cheap advertising? No, thank you.

Appreciation of beauty is completely different from commercialisation and exploitation.

It is big business, however, but each culture will have its own way of dealing with the subject.

Moderation....every thing in moderation.

The reverse of sex-and-sell does not work. Marketing campaigns targetting women are not as much of a sex-and-sell story as it is towards men.
Who knows why? Perhaps men are bigger fools when it comes to making decisions as consumers.

True. The oversexed selling methods are getting to be too much. Too aggressive, too blunt.

Very interesting. As poster above said, we need more information about the real Iran.

Thanks for your observations.
Balance is the key. Intensive exposure and extremes has no long-term future in any thing, be it jumbo restaurant portions or hyper-sell advertising.

Yes sir,....Iran is not a soviet gulag.
Each culture has its own traditions and this globalisation story seems to have a side effect that was not intended: domination of cultures by the Americans. American culture of media, films, Internet, and the American version of the English language has practically taken over the world and with it we have sexually explicit material....all marketed as "freedom" being of speech, or a sampler of a "free" society.

Just about every where, people concur that younger people must be educated and they must have positive role models and mindsets. The over sexualisation and or the slim appearance is in fact a very superficial way of teaching younger girls about the future. The definition of cultural development is a much wider spectrum of learning and teaching than just superficial appearances, especially if it is at the risk of one's health.

We need better understanding of Eastern cultures. The media images are too shallow and most of Western media are financed with the sex-and-sell commercials and they have to tilt towards their sources of money. This is probably why we see mostly negative images of Iran.

Thanks for the article.

Let's remember that porn is the best seller of all on the Internet.

Rightly said with keen observations.

What is most fascinating is that all of those corporate bosses and directors of giant corporations that run these businesses (male and female alike) tend to label themselves as "conservative"!

Hugh Hefner's daughter, for example, runs the business of Playboy and she is involved in daily decisions, including the photos of naked women as the main feature of the publication. It is a business enterprise afterall. I wonder if she calls herself a conservative business person?

Well, it is all business. A giant daily bombardment of sex-and-sell every where you go.

Back in the days before the liberation of 1960s and 70s and free and open sex, etc. When cigarette advertising was legal, smoking was closely associated with sexual drive, glamour and the way to grab the attention of the opposite sex. It turned out to be the fast lane to death! Alcohol is still promoted in that way.

It is healthy to have good relations with the opposite sex (even though there might be little understanding of each other!...income for divorce lawyers, I guess!!). And both sides should appear healthy, nice and be physically (and fiscally!) attracted to each other.
But commercialising it all or exploiting this natural desire is not way to go. It does not leave room for real appreciation of the person opposite.

Good thoughts. Interesting comparisons.

Very interesting observations.
It looks like Iranian women have done better for Ms. Steinam's movement and advancement in their societies than Americans. This is of course in comparison with Iran's past and its regional neighbours. There are many statistical facts: a majority of university students in Iran are female, Iranian cinema is winning awards, female surgeons in Iran are very common, etc. etc.

Is this interesting? to see all of this, perhaps dispite the sex-and-sell culture?

Perhaps some other things can stand improvement in Iran, such as a more relaxed dress codes and changes in laws. But Iran is ahead of its neighbours in the region and ALL Iranians have the safety of their streets (if nothing else!), especially when you look at the lives of Iraqis.

When Ayatollah Khomeini passed away, his private collection of poems,in his own handwriting, were published. It was an amazing insight into private thoughts and life of a man of tough politics. Few people knew. The collection is mostly about appreciation of love and logic, the outer and inner beauty and a search for a balance of mind and body. The current leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei is also known to be a master reciter of classic Persian poetry and a good poetic debater.

But,.....American media are busy appreciating themselves as they hype images of "evil" about Iranians, all supported by girlie commercials and clueless analysis of talking heads on Fox News and CNN.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

"These days, Iranian women are busy with more substantive goals and achievements in all walks of life... Education, computer literacy, discovery of the world and achievements in cinema, arts, medicine, politics, journalism, development and charity are higher priorities for most Iranians."

Thank you for reminding everybody here that life lies beyond "the shallow sex-and-sell commercialism often associated with Western societies" (and rightly so).

That "deep ... appreciation of body and mind of the opposite sex" in Persian literature (more particularly in poetry)is indeed one of the treasures of Humanity.

good analysis.
Europeans, Russians, Chinese and almost all other people are more interested about their own well-being and taking care of themselves. And they always look at the exaggerated version from America with amusement. It is more of an empty show-off that you see in America. Yankees all look great on the outside, but have no clue about the rest of the world.

It reminds me of peacocks that always want to show off their feathers in a show and a grand production, but are otherwise useless and hollow creatures, as brainless birds.

Interesting.
We have not made much progress since Gloria Steinam days.

Well said. The women's lib movement didn't really achieve much. Women are still second class people, as Steinam said. After 40 years, we now have a few woman politicians, but the boardrooms are still male territory. Look at Wall Street and brokerage companies which are the engine of the capitalist economy: still very male dominated.

It also explains why women are exploited for commercial purposes. Until the time that corporations find a different way to advertise and sell products, the sex-and-sell formula will be with us. It is all just business.

As the author mentions, it is possible for socities to find a balance. The commerical aspect is probably the main problem. We must try to think and act with better balance.

Iranian cinema is winning awards all over the world without the cheap sex and tease and the so-called glamour of Hollywood. That is because it is about thought and deeper subjects than, say, Anna Nicole Smith.

Even though I am British, but I have always wondered why our country is sofixed on suggestive sexual behaviour that is more of a tease than any thing else. Politicians get plastered on tabloid front pages because they have sexual affairs on the side, some thing that is rather common in Britain.

Generally speaking, the Middle East stops at the right point and that is appreciation of beauty. Even in conservative Arab societies. As I visit Iran, I see that people and especially the younger generation interact with eachother rather normally, without the commercialisation of sex.

The author is correct. Iranian women tend to care for their appearance for themselves and they are not exploited for commerce. Persian poetry appreciates beauty of the body and soul.

I am really impressed, very impressed, by the above (short)analysis of mr. Ettefagh of iranian society.

Again, I think in Europe (and US) most people are at a loss, or simply totally ignorant of the goings on in Iranian society and culture today.

And the ramplings of mr. Ahmadinezad, don't help much explain it either.

Note to US Central Command: Drop condoms, not bombs, on Tehran.

Good luck, kids.

The current generation of Iranian twenty-somethings ARE Iran's "Baby Boomers." And, despite the burkhas, this is Iran's summer of love. Young Iranians are discovering sex as never before.

The student unrest that brought Khatami to power in the 90s was, I am guessing, a revolt by the youth against the sexually restrictive "morality police" of the Revolution. Never stand between a 20-year old man and his 20-year-old women (or vice versa).

Iran's current semi-Revolutionary state reflects the bargain the mullahs made with these angry youngsters - you get to have all the sex you want, but keep it private, and the mullahs get to keep control of the money and power. Fine, the kids said, and returned to the back seats of their cars.

But those kids will soon be 30-somethings, and then they may start caring about money the way they once cared about sex. When that happens, mullahs, watch out. There are a lot more of them than you.