Iranians Shedding Old Norms
TEHRAN — As the music ended and the crowd rose in a standing ovation, several women could be seen with heads bared, the obligatory head scarves draped around their necks.
The women casually slipped the scarves back on and walked out of the opera house. No one seemed to care, or even to notice.
Far from a protest or a political gesture, this was a fleeting illustration of a newfound self- confidence, visible across the capital — what Iranians are calling the “lifestyle movement.”
“Nobody batted an eye, because in practice most people are far ahead of the norms set by the government,” said Haleh Anvari, an essayist based in Tehran. “In cars, cinemas and concerts, ordinary people are increasingly taking their space.”
Iranians have always enjoyed rich private lives, some following Western trends and fashions, but behind closed doors. The state tolerated that, but insisted that people adhere to the strict laws on appearance and behavior in public spaces that were laid down after the Islamic revolution in 1979.
The public freedoms virtually disappeared after the government’s brutal repression of protest following the widely disputed presidential election in 2009. But now, after the election of a moderate president, Hassan Rouhani, and the signing of the nuclear agreement this summer, Iranians are increasingly taking to the streets to reclaim public spaces.
Though skeptics say the changes are minimal and could be reversed at any time, the lifestyle movement seems to be spreading.
“Few would say it out loud, but we had almost become a police state,” Hamid Reza Jalaeipour, a sociologist at Tehran University, said about the years after 2009, when the morality police were a fixture in every main square, hauling off those deemed to be “badly veiled.”
In the universities, students have started wearing bright colors. Street musicians line up at busy crossings, even though music is still frequently denounced by conservative clerics as “haram,” or forbidden in Islam. At night, women can be seen riding in cars without their head scarves.
Where previously even joking in public gatherings was considered politically risky, cafes now organize stand-up comedy evenings. Citizens have formed nongovernmental organizations around issues like animal rights and the environment.
The only taboo is politics, many here say. Anything with a political tinge will be stopped cold.
Still, that provides a lot of openings for those who, like Ehsan Rasoulof.
“I couldn’t care less about politics,” he said. “My mission in life is to take back our public space.”
He opened the Mohsen Gallery, now one of Tehran’s most prominent art spaces. He has used his family money to fund rock, pop and alternative bands, publish books and produce movies. In 2013, he opened a cafe, Nazdik, in downtown Tehran.
“We need bases to hang out,” he said.
Mr. Jalaeipour, the sociologist, said that he was not sure where the new activism was heading, but such movements often migrate into the political realm. “It is definitely a challenge for those in power,” he said.
Others were more cautious, but still saw the changes as enduring.
“Naturally, the state will try to control the pace of these changes,” said Ms. Anvari, the essayist. “But, ultimately, their interest in the private space has waned over the years. This led to families changing; now we are witnessing these changes on the streets.”