NORTHAMPTON — When Mara Dodge visited Iran in 2010, she expected cultural differences. What surprised her were the Hannah Montana backpacks, English-language signs, family picnics and invitations from strangers to tea.
Now, as war between the United States and Iran unfolds, the retired Westfield State University history professor is sharing those memories in an effort to challenge Americans’ perceptions.
Her message? Iran, a nation of 93 million people, is far more complex, modern and vibrant than many Americans realize, Dodge recently told about 30 people at Forbes Library as part of a traveling tour across western Massachusetts to discuss her experiences traveling in Iran in 2010.
During that 500-mile journey inside the country, Dodge visited three major cities. Among the statistics she presented: 60% of university students are women, the average woman has 1.7 children and 22% of the population holds a bachelor’s degree.
Dodge has led a handful of Iran presentations, dubbed “The Human Face of Iran: Beyond the Propaganda,” throughout the region since the U.S.-Iran War began on Feb. 28. Her next talk is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, from 6-7:30 p.m., in the community room at 4 Open Square Way, Holyoke.
“I first began doing this presentation for classes at Westfield State when the war began. Most Americans know nothing about the country,” said Dodge. “My students assumed it’s backward and dangerous; they couldn’t answer even the most basic questions about its language, religion, history or geography.”
Her objective is to “humanize” Iranian society.
“People are shocked to learn that it’s a highly educated, diverse and vibrant modern country where people welcome American guests with open arms,” she said.
Citing New York Times data, she expressed deep concern over what has happened to the country of Iran in less than four months. U.S. and Israeli strikes have destroyed or damaged at least 763 schools and 316 healthcare facilities in addition to petrochemical and steel plants, pharmaceutical factories, airports, the power grid, bridges, railroads, shops and homes.
Estimates for rebuilding range from $300 billion to $1 trillion.
“Recovery will take years,” she said.
First-person experience
Though Iran is often portrayed in the United States as an isolated and restrictive society, Dodge said her experience in the country challenged those perceptions. “It’s not a country that is cut off from the rest of the world; it’s not behind an iron curtain,” she said.
Often the imagery of Iran is left over from the 1980s when the country was in the midst of what Dodge called a “real draconian decade,” during which women were forbidden from showing a single strand of hair.
While modern laws still mandate women to cover their heads or face fines, many coffee shops Dodge came across in 2010 allowed women to not cover their heads, although shop owners may face consequences.
Similarly, while alcohol is strictly prohibited in the Islamic country, Dodge noted that some homes she visited featured a liquor cabinet right at the entryway — a sign to her that residents do not live in constant, day-to-day fear.
Dodge also argued that quality-of-life indicators have improved significantly since the 1979 Iranian Revolution upended the autocratic monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and transformed Iran into an Islamic republic. According to data she provided, life expectancy is longer, people are having fewer children, and the infant mortality rate has plummeted.
Before the revolution, 43% of the population had access to electricity, compared to 100% of Iranians today, while the number of people with tap water has ballooned from 12% to 87%.
According to data Dodge presented, the country’s middle class has grown, expanding from 33% of the population in 1977 to 60% today. Similarly, the poverty rate has shrunk from 25% pre-revolution to just 10%. Also before the revolution, 25% of the population had been living in poverty, a number that has shrunk to 10%.
While many traditional structures remain — such as gender-segregated education — Dodge noted that these systems carry benefits. In education, for example, more conservative families are willing to send their daughters to school because the genders are separated.
“All schools in Iran, from kindergarten to 12th grade, are boys schools or girl schools, but what that meant was more conservative families were more comfortable sending their daughters to school,” said Dodge.
Beyond the statistics, Dodge also talked about the rich cultural heritage of the country, Iranians’ deep love for their families and the hospitality shown to American citizens during her stay. For one, Dodge described picnicking as a “national sport” in Iran.
“You find people picnicking by the side of the roads and parks and under the arches of bridges until midnight, especially in the summer,” said Dodge.
Despite reports of the country calling for the death of America, “people were constantly inviting us into their homes, to come over for tea, and chat a little bit about what messages they wanted us to take back to the U.S.,” said Dodge.
The architecture is also breathtaking, said Dodge, featuring both Persia’s ancient ruins and the turrets of mosques that grace the landscape.
However, Dodge didn’t shy away from saying that there is definitely a disconnect between the people and the government, and there is pain that has resulted from decades of conflict.
Some Iranians she encountered suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after the eight-year conflict between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. Meanwhile, Dodge said she had seen estimates suggesting only 10%-20% of Iranians support the current government, although there is a divide about how the country should be governed moving forward.
While Dodge emphasized the warmth and hospitality she experienced, human rights organizations have continued to document significant restrictions in Iran, including limits on free speech and political dissent, arrests of activists and journalists, and enforcement of laws governing women’s dress and behavior.
In reports released this year, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and a United Nations fact-finding mission said Iranian authorities have continued to crack down on critics, protesters and women’s rights advocates in the years since the 2022 “Woman, Life and Freedom” demonstrations. That movement was sparked when Mahsa Jina Amini was killed after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s mandatory hijab rules. This movement spurred calls for gender equality and the end of Iran’s theocratic regime.
In 2018, the Trump administration sanctioned the country. Now Iranians are closed off from the global market. While they were sustaining themselves, many of their steel production plants, nuclear sites and other facilities were destroyed due to the bombing of Iran that began about a year ago.
These presentations are sponsored by River Valley Democratic Socialists of America and are co-sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace, Veterans for Peace, River Valley for Palestine and Apartheid-Free Western Mass.
Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this article.
