What We Long For

Hasti Hashemian 

February 25, 2023

ESLITNG 100

What We Long for

 

On February 11, 1979, the life of every Iranian was changed. The Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown, and along with that Iran became an Islamic republic. The previous regime was viewed as highly influenced by the West, corrupt and too oppressive by certain active groups in the society, so protests sparked with the purpose of making Iran a better and more appropriate place to live. They believed that the West was poisoning the minds of the youth and should not have any control over Iran and its society. So big promises were made that were never fulfilled. The generations who came before were heavily influenced by this Revolution. Their lives changed completely, and so did all the generations who came after.

Iran in 1960s-1970s

My grandparent’s generation was the first were affected by the Revolution. In their time before the Revolution, Iran was moving toward modernization and democracy. The country’s natural and historical resources were appreciated and treasured, and so were the country’s art and culture. They grew up in a society where women were taking on more important roles such as pilots and parliament ministers. It was a society where men and women had equal rights. They had freedom of speech and the right to choose any religion they pleased. After the Revolution, they suddenly lost all their rights and opportunities, leaving them forced to obey rules where defying them had deadly consequences. They were forced to hide and burn books they had that did not align with the new government’s beliefs. Many fled to other countries and had their properties taken away from them. As a result, they were compelled to live two separate lives, one in their homes and one in the society.

Iran 1978 before hijab became mandatory

The second generation that suffered belonged to my parents. They learned how to live that dual life from a very young age. They were just starting kindergarten when the revolution happened. At that time, the hijab became mandatory for girls of all ages going to school. Boys and girls were separated from each other in all educational facilities. all girls had to wear long loose covering school uniforms and long hijabs when entering the school at the age of seven. My mother told me they weren’t even allowed to wear colorful socks to school and had to follow many other strict rules they didn’t even understand the meaning of at that age. Moreover, music and movies became illegal. My grandparents like many other families had to buy movie cassettes like they were buying drugs, just to enjoy a family movie night. After that, came the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, when the basic needs of people’s everyday lives became hard to find. Needs such as milk, butter or certain fruits were scarce. my father would tell me that as a kid he had to wait a long time to eat fruit like bananas or pineapples. When my parents were just teenagers, they went to schools that were just a block from each other, but at the time no one could have a relationship with somebody of the opposite gender outside of their first-degree family. It was punishable by law, and they had to serve time for it, so they had a hard time maintaining a normal relationship like all people around the world. Moreover, celebrations like weddings and parties were difficult if it was held by people of both genders because if they were caught everyone would be arrested. So, I grew up hearing stories from my parents that were always tangled with a feeling of fear and absolute luck.   

Islamic revolution -1979

Finally, after my parents comes my generation. my generation’s parents are people who went through the torture of the newly founded Islamic republic. Even though our circumstances were different from our parents, with a bit less strict rules and punishments, there were also tough times. My peers and I still had to wear a hijab when we went out into society after we turned nine years old and were arrested if we wore it improperly. We still had our bags searched in school. As a woman in an Islamic country, I had very few rights and freedom. Just like our parents in school, we were forced to shout slogans we did not want to, but as for me, I had parents who tried to make living in Iran easier for me. Just like many of my friends and people I know, we were raised to resist the dual life as much as possible. We were raised to seek freedom, and I think it’s the difference our generation has from our parents who grew up in the middle of a war. My generation has a passion for a better life and dreams of either making our country a better place or finding that freedom elsewhere. That led many of my friends and me to leave our homes and everything we know, but it also started protests led by people who are just my age. In the last three months of 2022, many boys and girls, starting from age thirteen, tried and fought to take back the rights that were taken from us, our parents, and grandparents. It is a fight that is still ongoing. 

Iran October 2022 

Even though the Islamic revolution has made many Iranians escape their homes and has left many in desperate need of freedom, the life we had before the revolution and the possibility of having it again gives people hope for a better future. That possibility made my grandmother protest at the age of seventy and led to my parents almost being beaten to death by anti-revolution guards. The urge to resist this government had many people my age die in the same streets they fight for, all longing for freedom.

Iran 2022