In defence of the nation

Page 11
Q-News, Issue 362
April 2005

With Washington beating its war drums, the PR campaign is on to further demonise Iran, softening up international public opinion for a potential future attack. Veiled, fundamentalist and theo-fascist, all have become acceptable terms for the Islamic Republic. Britain’s progressive policy of engagement is being sidelined by American rhetoric. Yet, for all its faults and the ongoing internal political debate, Iran still stands out among its “Islamic” brothers in the Muslim world. AP reports the latest step forward as 100 women graduated from Iran’s female police academy in March. An increase in felonies committed by women prompted the new infusion of female officers, with crimes ranging from the killing of husbands, to robbery and armed attacks. There were no official figures available on the rate of female crime in Iran, but officials say it is on the rise. The just-graduated officers wore black hijabs and green scarves as they shot firearms, engaged in bouts of fencing, and drove squad cars past their commander who stood in front of the Kowsar Female Police Academy. Unlike other conservative Muslim countries, Iranian women drive, vote and stand for elections and public posts.