Iran's Divorce Rate Soars, Reflecting A Shift In Social Norms

New York Times:

The wedding nearly 1,400 years ago of Imam Ali, Shiite Islam's most revered figure, and Fatemeh al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, is commemorated in Iran's packed political calendar as a day to celebrate family values.

But in a sign of the Iranian authorities' increasing concern about Iran's shifting social landscape, Marriage Day, as it is usually known in Iran, this year was renamed No Divorce Day. Iran's justice minister decreed that no divorce permits would be issued.

Whether the switch was effective or not, the officials' concerns are understandable. Divorce is skyrocketing in Iran. Over a decade, the number each year has roughly tripled to a little more than 150,000 in 2010 from around 50,000 in 2000, according to official figures. Nationwide, there is one divorce for every seven marriages; in Tehran, the ratio is 1 divorce for every 3.76 marriages, the government has reported.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[ArjenBoatsma]

02:10 PM on 12/08/2010

Do the numbers include the "temporary" marriages, and subsequent dissolutions, as well?

[roshni]

02:39 PM on 12/08/2010

I'm sure, since these are simply trumped up arrangements by the clergy.

[persianadvocate]

09:51 PM on 12/08/2010

That's a reformed version of old canon to allow sex before marriage. You're against it? Nice propaganda try tho. Looks like the amateurs are here!

[PC0207]

10:33 AM on 12/08/2010

I read this joke an article yesterday and thought it was funny or maybe not... lol

A young, religious woman who returns home one day to be told by her mother that she had arranged a marriage for the daughter. The daughter asks “to whom?” And the woman says, “To Hossein.” “But he’s an atheist, and his whole family are atheists,” she complains, “How can you do this to me?” “Don’t worry,” the mother replies, “Just marry him and together we will convince him that there really is a hell.”

[Wozzeck]

11:29 PM on 12/07/2010

The USA divorce rate is approximately 3.5 times higher than Iran's.

[Khirad]

03:07 AM on 12/08/2010

Yes, it mentioned that in the article. How astute.

[Wozzeck]

09:19 AM on 12/08/2010

No, that statistic is not mentioned in the article. Instead there is an oblique comparison:

"The numbers are still modest compared with the United States, which typically records about a million divorces a year in a population about four times as large"

[roshni]

10:49 PM on 12/07/2010

I'm glad women are getting better opportunities to leave unhappy marriages.

[persianadvocate]

12:56 AM on 12/08/2010

F&F, cheers to that.

[Khirad]

03:23 AM on 12/08/2010

Cheers.

[persianadvocate]

09:34 PM on 12/07/2010

btw, I was also recently told that a Persian couple's extravagant wedding was featured on one of those Wedding Reality shows. I don't know if anyone has a link or more information, but I'd be interested :)

[Khirad]

03:25 AM on 12/08/2010

Me too!

[persianadvocate]

09:34 PM on 12/07/2010

Divorces have occurred in Iran for many years. My aunt, a young nurse, got divorced in the 1960s. My great great grandmother even got a divorce! This story is brought to you to make fun of our proud and rich culture. They've taken a picture that is humorous to Westerners and not typically representative of Persian weddings. 140+ Million Iranians have modern and grandiose ceremonies.

If you were to read the history books, you'd even see the grandiose wedding reception is a Persian invention of luxury.

The picture is of an ancient ceremony with beautiful customs, rites and it symbolizes love and happiness for those people. I hope everyone keeps an open mind here and realizes that all of us come from different cultures, equally beautiful.

I am mad at HuffingtonPost for sharing ours this way. It does us no justice.

Check out this link for more information about Persian weddings: http://www.persianmirror.com/celebrations/persianweddings/persianwedding.cfm

[Magic 62]

12:28 AM on 12/08/2010

Divorce was so easy, and remarriage was so common in the old days, there was a porfession called "Mohalel". You can't remary again if you are diverced 3 times. So, they had to hire this guy to marry the wife, and divorve her so that the original couple could marry again.

[Khirad]

03:17 AM on 12/08/2010

Indeed, nothing against the picture, but I thought they were going for stereotypes. Which, is not to demean the picture and the people in it, but it's not at all representative - it's a catch-22. Why not a table spread as a picture, or the kalleh ghand being rubbed together over the couple's head?

Good basic link I hope those unfamiliar with the Persian weddings take a look at. And, I read A Wedding in Tehran a few months back which goes over a lot of this, as well. Might not be everyone's لیوان چای, though.

[DKLabRat]

09:22 PM on 12/07/2010

You go, girls! Well done!

[Musa1]

01:04 AM on 12/08/2010

You support divorce?

So you support kids growing up in broken homes, assets diminished, families injured, hopes and dreams dashed?

Misery loves company, is it?

[Khirad]

03:18 AM on 12/08/2010

Broken homes and families injured can happen when the woman can't get a divorce just as easily, if not easier.

[shylove2]

08:57 PM on 12/07/2010

After the Iran-iraq war and now more destabilization programs it is a wonder they keep sane at all so what's our excuse??? basically the ravages of the Cold War and way too many suspicious assassinations and paranoia...

[Wozzeck]

08:26 PM on 12/07/2010

An interesting article about rising divorce rates in a middle eastern country where men decide whether to allow their wives to divorce them:
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/orthodoxopinions/entry/the_divorce_statistics_what_they

[Khirad]

03:19 AM on 12/08/2010

Can you come to an Iran thread and not talk about Israel?

I mean, seriously. It's pathological, get help.

I do my slamming of Israel, on, you know, Israel threads?

[Wozzeck]

09:15 AM on 12/08/2010

What's pathological is the constant stream of negative articles about Iran.
The motivation behind them has lots to do with the allegiance of corporate media to the country mentioned in my comment. A country whose soaring divorce rate will never be publicized here.

[1donewrong]

07:55 PM on 12/07/2010

Stone them...

[Avirahim]

08:09 PM on 12/07/2010

Digusting joke, made at the expense of an important issue, lapidation.

[persianadvocate]

12:57 AM on 12/08/2010

may you never know that horror. what you say is wrong on several levels.

[Musa1]

01:04 AM on 12/08/2010

The horror of adultery, you mean?

[JacksonD]

07:31 PM on 12/07/2010

I never saw anything like that in my life.  NO ONE in our family has been divorced and this seems to be a direct "perk" of the 79 revolution and subsequent mess that became a great country.

[Magic 62]

12:30 AM on 12/08/2010

Are you kidding? Divorce rate is still low, but plenty of people divorved. Besides, this the 21st century, and Iranian women have always been fisty and independant.

[Khirad]

03:22 AM on 12/08/2010

There are quite a few contradictions of the IRI. Fewer arranged marriages, as well.

[E-Nation]

06:31 PM on 12/07/2010

Women's rights are getting Animal Farmed already?

[msfitz4]

05:51 PM on 12/07/2010

Haven't caught up with US figures yet I see.

[Freenation]

05:35 PM on 12/07/2010

Aah nytimes at it again...so is this divorce rate an excuse for war with Iran?

[Amryxx]

05:37 PM on 12/07/2010

War on Divorce, anyone?

[Khirad]

03:31 AM on 12/08/2010

Nah, but it's kind of interesting to those whom pay attention to Iranian culture and trends.

[koroush1336]

05:04 PM on 12/07/2010

First of all, TeeSC, thanks for your standing on the main topic. This would help us get closer to a solution.

And your, Avirahim, question about the solution. The very first and most effective solution is to do everthing in your power to disclose the brutalitie­s of the mullahs against the people in Iran and thruogh this, keep the issue live and active. The second most important solution is, to do everything in your power to weaken the mullahs; no matter what the issue is, whatever the issue, we must not let the mullahs benefit from it. The third solution: always be watchfulll­lll not to fall into the TRAPS which the mullahs spread on the way. They (the mullahs) would love to see you to get busy with a "side" issue and forget about the main issue which is the suppressio­n of the people in Iran. The main violent war which is going on, is the war of the mullahs against the people of Iran.

I hope, I have been able to point out some of the basic "SOLUTIONS­" regarding the problems in Iran and the main problems for that matter.

[Avirahim]

05:14 PM on 12/07/2010

Those are great tactics, but they are not solutions. Simply keeping the spotlight on the mullah's crimes is not enough, nor is discussing the hardships they impose on Iranians, there has to be some sort of revolution or regime change.

There are two choices.

Violent or peaceful regime change. I am in favor of peaceful. I am in favor of an internal solution, something like Mousavi (although he is still part of the regime), then hopefully a really progessive person gets elected.

Now, I think this can happen in one way, exchange of people and ideas.

If we stop demonizing Iran, for the benefit of foreign countries, and start talking about their rich history and trying to bring them into the fold of the internatio­nal community, the Iranians will make the right choice themselves­.

I am not in favor of sanctions, they hurt the people and strengthen the IRGC.

I am not in favor of any violence, as this is nothing but a vicious cycle, furthermor­e there are foreign countries agitating and waiting for this to take advantage of Iran.

[koroush1336]

05:33 PM on 12/07/2010

The tactics which I mentioned, are aiming to a solution and a change for a better world in Iran. By that I mean, it is absolutely the only way out of the miseries caused by the mullahs. The two options which you mentioned are a general assumption which are the classic ways in our contempora­ry history. Of course every human being would love to see everything goes through a peacefull transition if the conditions are right for it. Do you think, the mullahs are gonna go away with peacefull means? I really wish that from the bottom of my heart! But what I understand from the mullahs' behaviors, are telling me a very harsh and bloody claws in the power by the mullahs. I hope, this change comes as soon as possible and as peacefull as possible.

Unfortunat­ely we are not to choose. The conditions would dictate what is the right way to go!