Parvaneh Ashktorab
Professor Knapp
English 1B
Oct, 18, 2011
The Meaning of Freedom
Freedom is the factor that everybody would like to have, and that thought has different meanings for different people. People and especially women need freedom, and that has a different meaning for each one. Freedom for some people is showing themselves how they look and how they wear clothes. Some people think about freedom has a meaning beyond that which is immaterialist and deep down of intelligence, and their knowledge. For example, in the novel called “Persepolis”, Marjan, who is a ten year old, needs a freedom which many other girls need at this age. The meaning of freedom for people is the right for them in this universe. All people would like to achieve that to the end, and it is for every individual and everyone of society. To keep this fact constantly in mind needs time and effort by teaching and education to promote immaterial of freedom. People always are challenging for their freedom especially women. I believe freedom can be interpreted in different ways by different people depending on base of thought and how they are raised in this universe.
Marjan lived with her family in Iran. She was too young to not think materialistically; her family had the same idea. Marjan’s family was one of the richest families when the revolution happened in Iran. There were two movements happening in Iran, one was revolution, and the
other one was an unwanted war. People wanted to build their country after the revolution. Before these things happened, suddenly Iraq invaded the border of Iran. Because of that, the situation in Iran was hard for people to live in. Some rich people would like to go out of the country for living. For example, Marjan’s family told to her “We feel it’s better for you to be far away and happy than close by and miserable. Judging by the situation here, you’ll be better off somewhere else” (Satrapi 148). Their ideology was materialistic. In their mind, freedom is buying a brand name shirt for ten year old girl, or going to the European country to live while the condition was unstable in their country Iran. In my point of view freedom has another meaning to my family and me. I was in Iran in those days, my husband was a professor at the university and I have two boys, they were one and four year old. We believed we had to stay and work and help our country Iran on that time. We were in eight years of the war, we stayed there, worked and helped till the victory. It was very hard time to live there. On the other hand, there were families like Marjan’s family with this kind of ideology which they want freedom in hard situation of the war, but some people have a different idea which freedom has another meaning for them in that hard condition. While we stayed, and worked in Iran these action had a point, and the point was looks like a kind of defend for our country till the victory happened. Marjan’s family loved to have peace while they lived in Iran; on the other hand, the war was very miserable situation for people. These points had contradicted together, as a result they send Marjan out of the country and said ” in six months we’ll come see you”(P 152).
There is much arguing about freedom and it has a different meaning to different people. I don’t blame Marjan about her point to not wear hejab (veil) because she did not know why she should wear hejab. First, Marjan’s family did not know about hejab and her mom did not practice their religion, and she did not wear hejab, as a result Marjan did not know why women wear hejab, while they were out of their homes. Because of that, she thought she did not have freedom. There is the argument about the freedom for people especially for women.
Marjan’s family felt they did not have freedom in Iran, the situation was not normal for them. Marjan and her mom had different ideas from many Muslim women who lived in Iran or in other countries, but in the “Persepolis” book, the writer did exaggerate many things in Iran in those days. This is a fiction book. For example “lower your scarf, you little whore” (p 131), guardians should not act impolite in Iran, especially to those who are young. Marjan and her family believe, those women who wear hejab, they don’t have a freedom, but I believe those who have a hejab have freedom. Hejab gives freedom, and it protects your body from stranger or from those who are sick in society. According to the article “Veiled Intentions” by Maysan Haydar, she believed freedom is in her heart of her veiling, she covered her body and hair from head to toe in New York city street with no self-loathing, body hang-up, or sexual harassment. She wishes more women emerged unharmed; no one should suffer for what they wear or what they look like (Haydar 407). According to Prophet Mohammad “women look like a pearl in the shell”, their beauty is special. Nobody should take an advantage of their beauty or use it. For these reasons, women should take cares of their beauties, and do not let anybody harass them or look at them like a material. Because of that it is better to cover their body and hair to not show up. As a result, women who have hejab, they have freedom while they are at work or out of their home. Indeed, men can talk to them for their mind and knowledge and not for their beauty or their body. For many cultures it is hard to understand this concept, but if you think deep about that, it is easy and simple to understand.
Freedom is a kind of element which all women are challenging to have, even in this 21st century. They like to have their freedom and rights in any society even in developed countries. Western countries believe they are civilized, but still many people look at a woman as a material and use them for marketing. For example, on any movie or magazine they are using ladies for their advertizing. If any magazine or movies have a nude or sexy woman, it sells more and gets very popular. Unfortunately, these situations make insulting for those women who wear hejab or believe in modesty, make them angry and upset in this world. Some people think showing women’s body means freedom. How can they prove that this is a freedom? Many women in this world do not believe sexy and nude women make a right action or mean freedom, they think this action is worse than slavery and a huge disrespect to other women.
In conclusion, some people believe freedom is an action which everyone needs. At the same time, women need freedom which they do not really have in this world or they have little. Freedom has a different meaning to different people, some people believe showing off their body in front of others is a freedom, but some people believe the opposite, and consider freedom is in their mind and intelligence not anything else.
Work Cites
1. Satrapi, Marjane. “Persepolis The story of a childhood.” Paris, L’Association, 2000 and 2001.
2. Haydar, Maysan. “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering.” New York, 1977.
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