Introduction
When you think of Yemen and Iran, you think of veiled women who have been taught to always listen and never be seen. This has been the values which the women of these countries have been raised on. These countries both practice the Islamic religion and observe the Islamic culture which dictates on their way of life such as their dress code to the way they express themselves e.t.c.Although the rules apply to both men and women, the women carry a heavy burden of these responsibilities and pay the highest price if caught with an offence .Both countries have gone through a considerable amount of change ranging from their ideologies, political views and education. (Wright, 2000).
This research paper compares the cultures in both Yemen and Iraq and the changes that have been experienced .It further illustrates the difference between the older and the younger generation and the impacting revolution that has been experienced through the youth uprisings
Comparison between the older and younger generations of Yemen and Iran
Yemen
In the book tournaments of value Anne Meneley seeks to portray the views of the women in the Middle East whose views have been marginalized in the hands of their male counterparts .Most of the books in this time have been written by men who have proved the western stereotypes to be correct .This has left the rest of the world with a negative stereotypes about the lifestyles of the people in Yemen. Tournaments of value seeks to reveal the unrevealed secretes that read hidden in the Middle east .The development of the women in the Middle East has gone through various changes that have not been exposed to the Western world .Most of the news we receive about the Middle East is always negative and depicts women as second class citizens to their male counterparts. This book therefore challenges the assumptions that the world has about the lifestyles of these women. The role of women has been minimized to specific duties such as that of mother and child .Most of the reliance of the major duties are left to the men .It is the men who are expected to bring honor to the family by engaging in all the activities. The distance between the men and the women is event. In the book Menely states that “when she began to behave as a proper woman the men began to treat her as a proper woman” .This shows that both the men and women had a specific way they were expected to behave and rules they were supposed to follow. (Wright, 2000).
Meneley research shows the transition that has been made in Yemen using the Zabid tribe .The women in this community have made tremendous strides in different areas that range from education to fashion. In her research were notice that women had made progress in their quest to bridge the gap between the men and the women. “ Zabid women are not reluctant to express what’s on their mind ”.Many women have made a lot of progress in the area of education in topics such as philosophy, religious studies and other areas of study that they were not exposed to in the past. Although they have along way to go they have challenged the traditional norms.
Iran
Iran has been one of the most radical Islamic states in the Middle East .With a culture that is influenced mainly by religion .Iran has always subjected itself to maintaining their traditional ways which included the discouragement of modernization and the need to maintain their traditional educational method .Most of the policies were state cantered and were not subject top change due to the need to maintain their traditional way of life .Traditional ways prevailed due to the instability of the country which slowed down the development of education in the country. The country was led by autocratic leaders who were responsible for coming up with all the policies that affected the country (Keddie, 2003).
With the arrival of modernization came the need for change in all their aspects of life .These included the type of education and the political scene which plays a very important role in the development of the country .The modernization of education included the change of the views in the area of primary education, secondary education, political education, social and physical education. Women education was not left behind despite the fact that Iran is a male dominated country .Iran experienced a revolution at a much earlier stage. The white revolution was one of the pioneers of the call for change and social reconstruction. Iran underwent two years of rapid revolution under the rule of Benani. This led to the review of various political policies and was marked by the constitutional revolution. The construction of a modern Iran constituted of the wider addressing of political economic and social context of modernization
Modernization of Iran was focused on improving all the aspect of their lifestyle and remaining true to their culture. It was not intended to copy the Westernized way of life by adopting their ideologies .This helped give the country its own identity .The documentation of the major proceedings that took place after the Iranian revolution has been kept to expand the countries historical interest as opposed to the indication of a political shift. This shows that education modernization has been the centre of the building of Iran with emphasis put on the need to move forward rather than backwards as a country.
Different meanings of youth revolutions
The word revolution can be viewed in different ways .The earlier meaning of revolutions involved the uprising of an unsatisfied communities against their leaders (Molavi ,2005) .It signified their dissatisfaction with their leadership and their quest for justice along with the dream for better living conditions .This meaning can be applied to the current revolutions that have been currently taking place .The new meaning of revolution can no longer be seen as only political .It consists of a more broad definition and covers a wider scope .This can range from women rights to the fight against various cultural practices that are repugnant to citizens of a particular nation.
Conclusion
Both countries that have been discussed in the two books have a similar way of life ranging from their ideologies to their political systems .Despite this they have experienced change in very different ways .Some of the change has affected their lifestyles, exposure to the world and their take on education .But the most recognizable transformation has been their recognition of their need to educate themselves on the other cultures and not be left behind as a country.
References
Keddie, Nikkie R. (2003). Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution. Yale University Press
Molavi, Afshin. (2005). The Soul of Iran: a Nation's Journey to Freedom. New York: Norton paperbacks.
Woodward ,Roger. D. (2008).The Ancient Languages of Syria-Palestine and Arabia .Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, Robin. (2000). The Last Revolution. New York: Knopf.
