In an article on Iran in today's New York Times, Michael Slackman portrays a picture of a society and culture that is sharply at variance with the views and testimony of others.Instead of a nation harshly enforcing the domination of women, that routinely executes men and women for the slightest of reasons, that imprisons and tortures human rights activists and labor leaders, that is ruled by a nefarious and apocalyptic seeking President and the cultish and corrupt Iran Revolutionary Guards, that enforces hair and dress codes for men and women,  we find a Slackman vision that shows a nation that emphasis sexual pleasure, sensitive sex education, and areas in Tehran where women can push back their head scarves and men can spike their hare with gel. The thrust of his article is that Iran is sharply different than the negative reports in Western media. Men can spike their hair with gel?Well, that is something, I suppose. As long as they keep to certain neighborhoods, and don't...(Read Full Post)