Iranian taboos give way to weddings that look like Western counterparts

TEHRAN — At the Emarat wedding hall in the rural countryside outside Tehran, men in tuxedos and women in revealing dresses hit the dance floor for a favorite pop tune. Couples at the tables enjoy small talk as some sip from small plastic water bottles.

In short, besides the remote location, nothing out of the ordinary for an upscale Western wedding reception. But in this case, the celebrants are violating no fewer than six of the fundamental laws governing personal behavior in the Islamic Republic: mixing of the sexes; women baring flesh and failing to wear headscarves; dancing; playing pop music; and consuming alcohol (in the vodka-laced drinks in the water bottles).

In another era, all these violations would be punishable with a lashing or jail sentences. Some, such as failing to wear the head- scarf and drinking alcohol, still are.

When millions joined the clerical-led revolution that ousted the Western-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, strict Islamic laws had widespread public support as a preparation for the afterlife. But not too many years later, the consensus began breaking down, and Iran’s clerical govern- ment and the increasingly modern society it leads have been engaged in a tug of war ever since.

Iran’s conservative leaders have long been in retreat. While the laws are rarely changed, the flagging public support makes enforcement of the rules increasingly complex, with many former taboos now tolerated by society.

Arash Khamooshi / New York Times Women shop at a boutique in Tehran that brings a blossoming group of underground fashion designers into the open. Laws governing personal behavior are being roundly ignored.