Comments on: On the Nose: Iranian Rhinoplasty in the News

By: Zahra

Zahra — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:22:00 +0000

This is a brilliantly written post! Thank you for writing it.

By: Zeynab

Zeynab — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Oooooooh, Melinda, great points!

By: ummzee

ummzee — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:59:00 +0000

excellent points!! i concur…i wish they would leave Iran alone.

By: Melinda

Melinda — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:15:00 +0000

Good post! I’ve noticed this story too. The angle I’ve seen used is “Look at the irony of Iran’s modesty laws: When women cover all but their faces the incidence of nose surgery goes up.” The message of course is that Muslims may seem like they’re being modest and religious, but behind it all they’re just as superficial and appearance-obsessed as everyone else. (But worse: They’re hypocrites.)It reminds me of the popularity of stories informing Americans that (gasp) women in the Middle East wear underwear too! And, dare I say it? — even lingerie.It’s interesting to look at how these topics are approached. Given the opportunity to note the similarities Iranian women have with American women (they too face pressure to fulfill a specific definition of beauty), reporters ignore it. Instead, they make statements like this one by CBS:”Some young Iranian women are more obsessed with their appearance than their counterparts in the West.”http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/02/eveningnews/main692495.shtmlNo one’s missing out on the chance to assert the supremacy of “the West.” In fact, the CBS story ends with even the claim that rhinoplasty, in Islam, is pleasing to God. Another way to make those Muslims look hopelessly misguided.

By: Julaybib

Julaybib — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:19:00 +0000

Salaams – just like the story that pops up every year or two about how “many” or “a number” of Britain’s “elite” are embracing Islam, or implying it’s the latest upper class trend, presumably now heroine is not so easily available at Eton. The elite usually includes one very minor royal, a couple of white barristers and Yahya Birt. Plus there is always a mention of how much Prince Charles adores Muslims. Proportionately per annum, I suspect more British Afro-Carribeans convert than toffs, but that’s not newsworthy, obviously.