Persian Mirrors

Iran is a country where women outnumber men in universities; where the second largest Jewish community in the Middle East resides; where domestic films wow international audiences; where transsexuals are permitted to have sex-change operations by the decree of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini himself; where the government invests greatly in stem-cell research; where the official dress code is very strict but often only followed in its loosest interpretation; where illegal satellites are ubiquitous and openly displayed on rooftops; where the government actively encourages contraception as a means of family planning and provides one of the only condom factories in the Middle East; where downhill skiing is a popular winter recreation in the Zagros Mountains; and, where family picnics is a favorite summer pastime in verdant gardens.