Zealous Militants in Citizens’ Bedrooms

Initially, the chief objective of these proposals appears to be to consult the youth and guide them in choosing the right spouse in order to decrease the likelihood of divorce. These proposals, however, seek other goals. The major goal of the proposal is to exclusively allow families who share the same ideology and values as the governing power to reproduce. Their offspring would then replace the existing anti-government and atheist generations.

Observing the divergence of public lifestyle from that of the governing clergy and its militant supporters, government-backed organizations have decided to interfere with the process of selecting marriage partners. They are now trying to impose Islamic rules on newlyweds, similar to when public areas and educational institutes became Islamic during the Cultural Revolution. They plan to achieve this by issuing marriage certificates only to those who have completed an ideology class. According to Mohsen Zangane, “The Electronic Marriage Database enables the youth who have successfully completed these mandatory classes to receive certificates, similar to the  medical examinations that are currently required” (Saj, March 11, 2010).

The classes are four hours long, although they intend to make them longer in the future. “The Department of Health, State Welfare Organization, National Youth Organization, Center for Women and Family Issues, and the Psychology and Consultant Licensing Organization are responsible for editing and executing the proposal. These organizations are responsible for holding at least 16 hours of classes for those who wish to wed” (Majid Omidi, Deputy of the National Youth Organization in Cultural and Social Issues, ISNA, May 11, 2010).

Initially, the government agreed to make these classes optional in order to avoid the reactions they would receive from traditional families, but planned to make them mandatory within the following years. “Our goal is to make it compulsory in two years, so a man cannot receive the response to his proposal from the woman’s family unless he has completed these classes” (Mohsen Zangane, Saaj, March 8, 2010). Although it conflicts with the initial agreement, it seems that those leading the National Youth Organization are impatient in enforcing the classes. What are the goals and expectations of these programs?

Promoting reproduction among ideological families

This is an entirely dictatorial and unprecedented proposal since it imposes the lifestyle of the ruling group upon the community. Furthermore, it only allows the ideologically conservative families to reproduce. The plan requires certain physical characteristics of men and women who plan to wed. Men with strong, wide shoulders and great defensive strength are approved, while women with delicate bodies, thin hairs and eyebrows, and pleasant voices are favored. The proposal’s objectives are very similar to those of racist 20th century states that sought to change the human race through eugenically correcting and “perfecting” human reproduction patterns.

The above criterion must be accompanied by ideological principals such as religiousness, good deeds, piety, following Shiite leaders, obeying God, devout worship, obeying the rule of the mullahs (velayat-e faqih, or guardianship of the jurist), and following religious orders and duties. In this proposal, one can observe the Islamic fascism that was transferred to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government from Reza Daravi and his pupils as well as the rule of the mullahs supported by traditional clerics.

Based on the definition given by exclusivist government groups, only supporters of the ruling power qualify to receive marriage certificates. The requirements are listed as: intelligence, comprehension, good health, appropriate age difference between the two parties, maintaining a reasonable income from a source recognized by religious leaders (certain sources of income such as gambling and prostitution are prohibited for Muslims), employment, having stable families, social modesty, chastity, and good tempers and reputations. Since the government only validates the above characteristics in its supporters, they alone will be qualified to receive marriage certificates. As a result, Iran’s ruling power is trying to deny the right of a diverse society from starting families and reproducing couples.

Creating Islamic families and marriages

The primary concern of the exclusivist part of the government is to create Islamic families and marriages. First, the marriage trainings will be initiated as educational programs that cover a wide range of society; later, they will become mandatory. “The marriage trainings should be preferably taught by university and religious-school instructors and consultants. They should use the religious quotes and orders, and refer to the lifestyle of the Islamic leaders and Imam Khomeini” (Laleh Eftekhari, the Parliament Education and Research Committee Member, Saj, March 14, 2010). The trainings will be given initially to those who wish to wed, but will eventually expand to preschools, high schools, and universities.

The most important aspect of Islamic marriages is to create male-centered families. So, only women who completely obey their husbands will be approved to receive marriage certificates from the government. These women should comply with their husbands in private and protect their rights in their absence; they must be permissive and considerate. They should conceal their husband’s faults and they must also be virgins. A suitable wife should work without rest to cater to her husband when he is angry.

The origins of these proposals

The requirements for marriage certificates were made based on religious sources with unknown origins. It is unclear how these religious sayings will benefit today’s generation. These religious sayings, at best, were personal and subjective advice by someone from some corner of the world, from some vague historical period, given to a random group, and nothing more. Among these requirements that are mentioned in Shi’ia Hadith are strength, wide shoulders and great defensive strength for men, and delicate bodies, thin hairs and eyebrows, and pleasant voices for women. And now these sayings are becoming part of the Islamist government’s doctrine. 

As an example for the marriage requirements on women's side in Hadith, the hair of the woman may be mentioned: "if one of you are to get married with a woman, he should ask about her hair, as he asks about her face. Hair is one of the two criteria for beauty." (Hor-e Ameli, Mohammad ebn-e Hasan, Vasa'el ul-Shi`eh, ed. By Abd ul-Rahim Rabbani Shirazi, Beirut, Dar ul-Ihya, 1991, p. 273) Even if this is a reliable saying, what it says is just about the taste of the speaker. It is an advice to another person, not an instruction for the entire society and its government.

Removing dissimilar families

Initially, the chief objective of these proposals appears to be to consult the youth and guide them in choosing the right spouse in order to decrease the likelihood of divorce. These proposals, however, seek other goals. First, the executors are not sufficiently knowledgeable. Second, the curriculum is ideological--it promotes fear of humans before God, and strongly supports male-centered families. Finally, it empowers the government to interfere in the personal lives of Iranian citizens. The major goal of the proposal is to exclusively allow families who share the same ideology and values as the governing power to reproduce. Their offspring would then replace the existing anti-government and atheist generation.

The designers of these proposals have introduced themselves as “youth marriage activists” so that they can deceitfully be counted as members of an independent, social and civil society, and so they can receive funding from the National Youth Organization. Understanding the fascist-Islamic tendencies of Ahmadinejad’s government, they are now trying to control hundreds of millions of dollars of government funding to interfere with the process of marriage.