| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Customs Minister Wants to Ban Import of Neckties |
| 2008-06-18 |
| Michael Theodoulou, Foreign Correspondent Last Updated: May 26. 2008 11:54PM UAE / May 26. 2008 7:54PM GMT During the first few years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ties were sometimes snipped off in the streets by zealous Revolutionary Guards. With the necktie making a bold and colourful comeback in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a senior official is calling for a ban on importing the gentleman’s accessory, which conservatives still regard as a symbol of western decadence. It was once famously compared to a donkey’s tail. “Imports of some apparel are not banned but serious action should be taken to stop the import of ties, which contradict the nature of Iranian culture,” Asghar Hamidi, Iran’s deputy customs chief, said on Thursday while breathing heavily. “We need to change the country’s import regulations to this end.” Mr Hamidi’s views on the dress code are not taken lightly: he doubles as the head of a state plan for the “development of culture, chastity and the veil”. Until a few years ago, ties in Iran were sold only under the counter and mostly tended to grace private dinner parties. Public appearances were rare. But after nearly three decades in the cold, the irrepressible necktie has come out of the Iranian closet. It has been spotted with increasing frequency in the upmarket restaurants and plush hotel lobbies of north Tehran. Ties are popular mostly with lawyers, doctors, businessmen and those who want to be different, but not outrageously so. Clearly, this was a sartorial challenge that Iranian hardliners – emboldened by the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – could and would not ignore. But how tightly any ban could be enforced is open to question. There is already a thriving black market in such taboo goods as DVDs and alcohol. It is also entirely acceptable for foreigners in Iran to sport ties, which could easily be turned into gifts for Iranian friends. Ties are not the only items stirring the ire of Iranian conservatives who are concerned by the spread of what is regarded as an American-spawned global monoculture, often described as “Westoxification”. Iran’s senior prosecutor last month called for restricting the import of western toys. Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi, Iran’s prosecutor general, singled out such toys as Barbie, Batman, Spider-Man and Harry Potter as offending items that were “destructive culturally and a social danger”. A real "Gang of Four". Frankly the sidekicks are more threatening, Ken, Robin, Black Cat, and Ron Weasley. Weasley, perhaps the most dangerous as he is an expert at Chess, which is frowned upon by Islamic Radicals. Iranian shopkeepers said there was no written law against ties, but it was made clear they were taboo under Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Sported by the unpopular Shah and his ministers, the tie was derided as a “donkey’s tail” by Abolhassan Bani Sadr, the Islamic Republic’s first president. Lemme look in my pocket Quaran, Ties are banned in here somewhere. During the first few years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ties were sometimes snipped off in the streets by zealous Revolutionary Guards Breathing heavily and soiling thier britches . It did not matter that the tie was invented in Eastern Europe and so was not specifically a western fashion.Croatians are Christian Infidels, so the ban stands, don't you see? Observance of the dress code for men and women relaxed during the eight years that Mohammad Khatami, the reformist former president, was in power. Many women, especially in the more prosperous and westernised suburbs of north Tehran, pushed the dress code to the limit by sporting figure-hugging jackets, jeans, open-toed sandals and bright make-up, while their headscarves crept back to expose locks of highlighted hair. But the tie marked a fashion red line for any government official who valued his job. Many young Iranians were pleasantly surprised when Mr Ahmadinejad came to power three years ago and failed to make the dress code a priority. Previously, as mayor of Tehran, he had made headlines at home and abroad for banning posters of the English football player David Beckham as he advertised engine oil. Bechkam and Motor Oil? In a country with a huge oil reserve. Makes sense to me. But in his early days as president, Mr Ahmadinejad appeared keen not to lose popularity by enforcing the dress code. He had also pushed for women to be allowed to attend football matches, but was overruled by ayatollahs. That all changed last year when Iran launched its toughest action against “immodest” dress since the first years of the revolution. The height of a woman’s hemline or how much hair she allows to peep out from her mandatory headscarf is often viewed as a barometer of the regime’s ability – or willingness – to control Iranian society. Women took the brunt of the backlash. But hardliners finally embraced sexual equality – by cracking down on men as well. Hundreds of men have been sent to “guidance classes” on how to behave in society. Among other things, this means not sporting elaborate western-style haircuts, using hair gel, plucking one’s eyebrows Men plucking eyebrows? They do have a problem. or wearing sleeveless shirts. Pool and snooker halls are also feeling the pinch from the Basij, a volunteer militia that helps enforce public morality and is determined to stop youths taking their cue from the West. These table sports were outlawed after the Islamic Revolution because of their association with gambling. But thousands of pool halls opened after the ban was lifted under Mr Khatami. Now, along with cafes, they have been identified as dens that breed “social and ethical crimes”. 8-ball in the corner pocket gets you 40 whip lashes in the central square, by a Mulla who is drooling like a dog in heat The scale of the sweep against sartorial immodesty has worried some senior regime officials. They are concerned it could provoke a backlash at a time when Iran is under external pressure over its nuclear programme and Mr Ahmadinejad faces domestic discontent over spiralling food and housing costs. Some parliamentary deputies have demanded to know why the police should spend time arresting young people for dressing immodestly instead of devoting themselves to fighting drug addiction and serious crime.Just like here. speeding tickets are easy revenue for a city. Chasing a burgular is actually hard work. mtheodoulou@thenational.ae |
| Posted by:BigEd |
| #4 Unless they also oulaw Brut by Fabrege... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-06-18 16:51 |
| #3 Look at the bright side; now kids will have to look harder for finding Dad the perfect Father's Day / Birthday/Christmas present. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-06-18 16:49 |
| #2 But, boys. They keep the foreskin from popping out over your heads. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-06-18 16:42 |
| #1 It's a small length of fabric with some lining material. It's not a major feat of tailoring skill to make one, so banning importation won't significantly affect the trade. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-06-18 16:38 |