In The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, she highlights many ideas of self-discovery, specifically through religion. The story begins in Iran where we meet a young Marjane who is growing up through the ever-changing times of Iran falling apart. Around her, there are protests, rights being stripped from people, segregation through gender, and tension is everywhere. She grew up with her family being her main role model, encouraging her to want to see a change in the world and stand up for what she believes in. Marjane always used to consider herself religious and it was something she held closely ti her. However, the Iran government created strong ideas as to what religion had to be and how to practice it correctly, which in turn pushed her away from religion and scared her to continue her practices.
Her struggles of finding purpose and clarity in religion are valid when looking at the ruins of the political and religious aspects of Iran. As these changes were happening, women were treated awfully, and religion was forced and shaped into only one idea. “The holy endowments were increasingly put under government control, mosque meetings and prayer sessions were infiltrated by the secret police… religious student organizations on the nation’s campuses were disbanded…” (Bill, 25). Religion was followed closely and strictly enforced. They were expected to follow all rules of religion and new laws “included requiring women to wear a veil, the banning of alcohol, and the banning of Western music.” (Colunga, 1). While these were laws, they also fell in line with religious beliefs that needed to be followed in Iran, or else you face penalties and sometimes even death. Many women did not want the hejab to become mandatory, therefore “middle-class leftist and liberal women… led protests and sit-ins.” (Moghadam, 185). These women didn’t gain much support, but they fought for change and paved the way for where woman’s rights are today.
I think the importance of this is to realize that change begins somewhere. No matter how small, anyone can make a difference. Every person deserves to express themselves and the beliefs they choose to without limitations regardless of race, gender, sexuality, etc. We should be fighting for equality every day for every one.
Bibliography
Raul Colunga, et al. “Life in Iran before and after the Revolution: How Religion Redefined a Nation.” StMU Research Scholars, 9 Dec. 2018, https://stmuscholars.org/life-in-iran-before-and-after-the-revolution/#markerref-88008-9.
Moghadam, Valentine M. “Revolution, Religion, and Gender Politics: Iran and Afghanistan Compared.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 10, no. 4, 1999, pp. 172–195., https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2010.0536.
This situation of the Iranian government is kind of similar to missionaries. Both the government and citizens feel strongly about their faith, it is a big part of their identity. However, the government is trying to force it and saying that if they do it a certain way then they are in the wrong. The missionaries are the same as they also felt strong about their faith but would use harsh and manipulative means to get people to follow them. It is shame that they both do this as with the case with Marjane, and many others, it turns people off the religion, which does more harm than good. The government’s involvement with religion seems pretty extreme considering it seems like many were faithful to their religion.
I think that especially still today, multiple different groups are fighting for equal rights. Whether that is woman’s rights, the BLM movement, etc. It is sad to see that even back then we are still dealing with some of the same issues. Seeing what Marjane has to go through is quite sad, but also empowering at the same time because even though she is only one person, she is still trying to make a different for her and her community. I feel like religion is a very big deal in Iran and if someone disobeys the rules, I feel like I am always hearing some stories of people especially woman being killed for it. The fight for certain rights are going to continue for many years to come one way or another, it is just a matter of how people respond.
I admit that I have not had time to start the book yet, but this presentation brings up an interesting point on religion – when it becomes more about following specific rules and less about cultivating your own personal relationship with it, it is often about establishing control in some way. We can see this in the way that the new rules were harsher on women and encouraged poor treatment of them. It’s not the same, but this reminds me of the recent abortion laws being brought up in some states (Texas, Florida, more?). Abortion is often contested from a religious standpoint, while it’s clear that its (mostly male) opposers actually just want to control women by restricting their rights.
I really liked how you added and concluded with “I think the importance of this is is to realize that change begins somewhere.”, it really affirms the different movements and protests that have been in the past, and as well as today. We can’t have progress unless someone takes that first initial step. Although it is not easy, we can create change, and we see that in Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi shows us her life and how she wanted to create that change.
I really enjoyed reading your post and like the stance you took on how change has to begin somewhere. Marjane, being so young, had all of these new and enforced rules placed upon not onnt her but her family as well as the people around her. At such a young age, children can handle these situations very differently. Going along with the quote you included about the government placed a madate on women wearing the veil, the banning of alcohol, and the banning of Western music, I beleive that this definitely effected a women freedom of religion as well as self expression. I also believe that many women during this time fought for what they believed in and also fought for a change for the sake of not only their lives but for future generations to come. I also agree that everyone deserves the right to express themselves in a way that provides them the equality that they deserve.
I really like how you connect this to a general need for change. I think this is especially telling when you see so many situations of people being forced or influenced into believing certain things. I immediately was reminded of the situation regarding abortion laws in Texas. Decisions are being made for people at such a high level now that it is pushing some people away from fighting back. However, as you say, it is important to remember that change always needs to start somewhere. In Marjane’s case, it is terrible to read about what she went through but is inspiring to see the resistance that was present during the time in Iran that should be an inspirational flame for other movements.
I think it’s very common that certain ideas of what religion has to be can push people away, at least in my experience. However my experiences where not as difficult as Marjane’s. I think it’s great how you ended your post with the importance of change, no matter how big or small the start is. I agree that we should be fighting for equality for everyone and people should be able to express who they truly are.
I love that you chose to write about this in your context presentation because I feel that this is an important issue. Religion has become such a broad term in today’s society. There are many depths of one’s spirituality and I think it reflects on how an individual thinks and acts in their everyday life. For Marjane, religion was more than just a path of self-discovery, it also was a struggle for her throughout her life because she was battling the idea of succumbing to the Iranian government’s rules and ideals. She did not know whether worshiping God was something she truly believed in or if it was because she was being told to do so. I also think that the society she grew up in gave her false perceptions of the value of her religion. Because of this, Marjane became distant from God because she valued independence and fighting for what she believed in. I agree with the idea that religion can cause you to question yourself and your morals. I think that this is something that many people struggle with especially when they are growing up. It can create a sense of confusion, both about your own values and beliefs, and about others.
What happened in Iran after the Iranian revolution is why I believe the idea behind separation of church and state is so important. To many people, religion is the strongest power governing their lives, and if the government were to attach themselves to a religion so much, then people’s lives become greatly restricted. Making restrictive laws under the idea that it’s what god wanted means that everyone must follow these laws or they are not only criminals, but also heretics, and therefore deserve to be punished to the fullest extent. But now that the law is tied with religion, that extent can be whatever the holy text says, and in many cases making what we perceive as minor offenses can be punishable by death. This is why individual expression is so important, because when a person loses their individuality (by making everyone dress the same, for example), they lose their power.
It is difficult to imagine living where government and religion are so closely intermingled that the two become one. Separation between church and state should exist, though this is not a reality in many countries, and is an issue that can be seen today in America. Though there has been great precedence set to not conflate the two, the lines have been blurred. People should have religious freedom that is protected by the government. In France, there has been continued controversy over an amendment passed banning girls under 18 from wearing the hijab. Those who support this do not understand that religious background behind wearing the hijab or other types of veils commonly worn by Muslims.
Your post highlights some of the most important aspects of Persepolis like religion, overstepping of government, and protest. Everyone’s right to live their life in accordance to their own religious, personal, and ethical beliefs should be one of the most highly protected rights in any society, and the actions of one should not cause harm to any other.
I believe that the intensity push of religion that was created by the Iranian government had detrimental consequences on Marjane. Because she heavily identified as a religious individual before the government so strictly enforced these practices, Marjane’s identity was tied to her being religious, and the customs and practices that religion dictates. Having an oppressive regime instill fear into the whole population turned Marjane away from something that was once important to her. This could lead Marjane to question parts of her own identity, and lead her to have questions about who she is and her own personal beliefs.
Anytime a concept is so tightly enforced, it will naturally lead to pushback from those who who are being forced into believing or obeying the law/custom. In the case of Persepolis, I believe that Marjane was turned off by these new laws, and lost touch with herself and her culture.
In Persepolis we can see how Iranian government is changing and with the government the religion is also changing. Things are becoming very strict, and people are losing their rights, especially women. In my opinion religion was a way for government to control the behavior of people. I agree that every person deserves to express themselves and the beliefs and should be fighting for equality every day for everyone. The main character of Persepolis tried to resist and defend her rights as much as she could, without endangering her life. For example when the policemen stop her because she was running, and “her behind makes ….obscene!” and she yelled “well then don’t look at my ass” .
This is a very strong discussion. We see in the news and media how bad Iran has gotten. The rules of religion they are requiring is going past religion, it’s forcing control on each person. The government and religion should always be two separate areas, as too much control from government into religion pushes people away from practicing. It turns them off on wanting to learn or praise. It’s very important to try and make a change, and I like that you added that in your post!
I think it is interesting to see how religion plays in to social issues. At some point in time religion becomes a question in every social issues. Some people lost their connection to their religion when seeing bigger issues. Some use their religion to form their opinions. There have been multiple instances in history of forced religion and the loss of religious identity. This changes an individual and how they see the world. I think this is evident with Marjane and how disconnected she seems to her society.
Marjane experienced a religious questioning that I think many young adults throughout the world experience when they are raised with religion. However, hers is a very extreme version of this and it really highlights the need for separation of church and state. The Iran government had basically no separation of the two and it led to much turmoil as we saw. This is a very important lesson for other countries to pay attention to because although we are lucky in the US to have a significant level of church and state separation, there are times were the line is a bit blurred.
Hello! While reading Persepolis, the readers were able to see how Marjane grew up and what situations she went through that shaped her to be who she was in the novel. Like it was mentioned, Marjane’s family was the biggest factor in Marjane’s self-discovery as they were with her through thick and thin. Her family was also the people she learned the most about the world from, ultimately shaping the way she thought as well. And while her family was such a big part of her life, Marjane learned a lot from her environment and its government. At the very beginning of the book, Marjane explained how she and her classmates were suddenly forced to wear a veil, without ever getting an explanation as to why. That is why I really liked how you mentioned that due to being forced by the Iranian government to dress and behave a certain way, just pushed Marjane farther away from the religion. Making the change is easy to say, and it is even easier to write on paper. But people all come from different backgrounds. Marjane herself said she was born into the religion. So many people are born into the religion and are taught the religion’s ways from the very beginning. It isn’t easy being surrounded by so many people who put their faith in that religion and then try to stray away from it. It happens, people lose faith and suddenly don’t know what to do with themselves since they aren’t anything without the religion they’ve known their entire life. Losing a part of your identity and then trying to find the missing piece requires a mental and spiritual journey that no one really discusses. Just take for example, how the people of the Igbo religion suffered after being colonized by the missionaries.