Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
men chafing at their modesty requirements, I kept humming, “How do you solve a prob-
lem like Maria?”
The status of women in Iranian society is just one of many ways in which Iran's theocracy
affects everyday life. For example, as I settled into a plane that flew our crew between two
Iranian towns, the pilot announced, “In the name of God the compassionate and merciful,
we welcome you to this flight. Now fasten your seatbelts.” Even though Iran is technically
a “Shia democracy” with an elected president, the top cleric—a man called the “Supreme
Leader”—has the ultimate authority. His picture (not the president's) is everywhere.
The seeds of the Islamic Republic of Iran were sown during the Islamic Revolution in
1979. The rebellion, with its spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini, led to the overthrow of
the US-backed Shah and the taking of 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. As a gang of
students captured the world's attention by humiliating the US, this was a great event for
the revolutionaries…and a wrenching one for Americans.
The former US Embassy, where the crisis took place, was a stop on our filming route.
Our minder/guide, Seyed, seemed almost proud to let us walk the long wall of anti-Amer-
ican murals. He encouraged us to film it, making sure we knew when the light was best
for the camera.
