Zine 42 [5] The black sun of Leviathan I-fem 40 | Page 4

It’s not my responsibil ity to be beautiful.
I’m not al ive for that purpose. My existence is not
about how desirable you find me.
Warsan Shire
W h a t r e m a i n s f r o m wo m a n w h e n th e r u l e s of h e r
l i fe a r e d i c t a te d by m e n? Us u a l l y, s o m e th i n g ve r y
l i t tl e. S o m e t i m e s o n l y d r i b s a n d d r a b s , f r a g m e n t s of
m e m o r y of a n u n f u l f i l l e d o r a l i e n l i fe. I r a n i n 20 19 i s
a r o g u e s t a te w i th m o r e th a n 41 m i l l i o n wo m e n l i v i n g
i n i t . T h e I s l a m i c Revo l u t i o n of 1979 h a s c h a n g e d
a l ot fo r th e m . A s a r e s u l t of th e r evo l u t i o n , te n s
of th o u s a n d s of p e o p l e we r e a r r e s te d , h u n d r e d s
of th o u s a n d s c h o s e th e fa te of r e f u g e e s w i th o u t
a c c e p t i n g th e n ew r u l e s of l i fe.
Af te r 4 0 ye a r s , th e wo r l d d r ew a t te n t i o n to a n oth e r
m a n i fe s t a t i o n of i n to l e r a n c e towa r d s d i s s e n t , th i s
t i m e th e c ove r s of m u s i c a l b u m s we r e b a n n e d. T h e
s t r e a m i n g s e r v i c e M e l ovaz c e n s o r e d th e i m a g e s of
wo m e n o n th e m . Pe r fo r m e r s we r e tot a l l y c ove r e d u p
o r p a i n te d ove r th e b a c kg r o u n d c o l o r. At th e s a m e
t i m e, th e m a l e m u s i c i a n s r e m a i n e d u n to u c h e d. I n
p l a c e, th e M a d o n n a s , L a n a D e l Rey, B i l l y El i s h a n d
L a d y G a g a l e f t a vo i d. I t m i g h t s e e m f u n ny i f i t i s
n ot c o r r e s p o n d to th e l e t te r a n d s p i r i t of m o d e r n
I r a n . We a r i n g a h i j a b, a b a n o n a t te n d i n g s p o r t s ,
l i t tl e g i r l s a s w i ve s ...
Fo r t y ye a r s a f te r th e r evo l u t i o n . Ve r y l i t tl e fo r th e
h i s to r y, ve r y m u c h fo r th e wo m a n i n b l a c k .
Alexander Chernavskiy