R 270852Z SEP 89
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4882
INFO AMEMBASSY ANKARA
AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
AMEMBASSY MANAMA
AMEMBASSY DOHA
AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMCONSUL ZURICH
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMCONSUL FRANKFURT
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
CJTFME
AMCONSUL ISTANBUL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 05238 
 
FROM AMCONGEN DUBAI 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS: SOCI IR
SUBJECT:  LIBERALIZING SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN TEHRAN 
 
¶1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
 
¶2.  SUMMARY:  SINCE KHOMEINI'S DEATH THE ENFORCEMENT 
OF DRESS CODES AND RULES REGARDING THE APPEARANCE OF 
WOMEN HAS DECREASED DRAMATICALLY, ACCORDING TO SOURCES 
WHO HAVE TRAVELLED TO IRAN IN RECENT MONTHS.  REVGUARD 
AND KOMITEH PRESENCE ON STREETS HAS DIMINISHED NOTICEABLY 
AND AS A RESULT PROSTITUTES ARE OPENLY PLYING THEIR TRADE 
ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, ONCE AGAIN.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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NOT PARIS, BUT..... 
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¶3.  ACCORDING TO RECENT TRAVELLERS TO IRAN, BOTH IRANIAN 
RESIDENTS OF DUBAI, AND ONE UAE NATIONAL, WOMEN ARE 
OPENLY WEARING MAKEUP ON THE STREET IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS 
OF TEHRAN, AND NOT ONLY IN THE WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS OF 
THE NORTH OF THE CITY, BUT ALSO IN THE SOUTH WHERE SUCH 
AN OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE DRESS CODE WOULD NEVER HAVE 
BEEN TOLERATED IN THE PAST.  AT THE SAME TIME, SEVERAL 
SOURCES REPORT A BIG CHANGE IN THE STYLE OF CLOTHES 
IRANIAN WOMEN ARE WEARING.  CHADORS ARE LESS PREVALENT, 
AND THE STANDARD BLACK OR BEIGE RAINCOAT IS BEING 
REPLACED BY FASHIONABLY STYLED, COLORED RAINCOATS.  MANY 
WOMEN'S HEJABS (HEAD SCARVES) ARE BRIGHTLY COLORED AND 
ARE BEING WORN FURTHER AND FURTHER BACK ON THE HEAD, 
OFTEN EXPOSING DYED HAIR.  ONE SOURCE REPORTS HAVING 
SEEN WOMEN WEARING LONG-SLEEVED LONG DRESSES WITHOUT 
CHADOR OR RAINCOAT COVERING.  ONLY ONE SOURCE, A DUBAI 
BASED IRANIAN, REPORTS HAVING SEEN WOMEN IN THE NORTH 
OF TEHRAN WEARING NO SCARF AT ALL ON THE STREET.  ONE 
WOMAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE WHILE AGREEING THAT THE 
ENFORCEMENT OF DRESS CODES FOR WOMEN IS BEING EASED ON 
THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO 
SIMILAR EASING OF THE DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN WORKING IN 
GOVERNMENT OFFICES. 
 
¶4.  REVGUARD AND KOMITEH CONTINGENTS HAVE VIRTUALLY 
DISAPPEARED FROM THE STREETS OF TEHRAN, ACCORDING TO 
ALL SOURCES.  ACCORDING TO ONE SOURCE, THE KOMITEH IS 
BEING INTEGRATED INTO THE GENDARMERIE AND WILL SOON 
CEASE TO EXIST AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY.  ONE 
CONSEQUENCE OF THE DECREASED PRESENCE OF THESE TWO 
GROUPS IS A VISIBLE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF 
PROSTITUTES ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN.  ACCORDING TO A 
UAE NATIONAL WHO HAS TRAVELLED TO IRAN SEVERAL TIMES IN 
THE PAST YEAR, AND WHO WAS THERE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF 
SEPTEMBER, HEAVILY MADE UP WOMEN ARE STANDING ON STREET 
CORNERS THROUGHOUT TEHRAN.  THEY BOLDLY APPROACH CARS 
STUCK IN TRAFFIC TO SOLICIT CUSTOMERS.  SOURCE RELATED 
ONE INCIDENT HE WITNESSED WHILE BEING DRIVEN INTO TEHRAN 
FROM THE AIRPORT.  A YOUNG WOMAN OF ABOUT SEVENTEEN 
APPROACHED HIS CAR AND ASKED FOR A RIDE.  WHEN HIS 
DRIVER ASKED WHERE SHE WANTED TO GO, SHE ANSWERED 
"ANYWHERE".  THE DRIVER ASKED IF THAT MEANT SHE WANTED 
TO GO WHEREVER THEY WERE GOING, SHE ANSWERED 
AFFIRMATIVELY.  SHE THEN CONFESSED THAT SHE WAS "NEW" 
TO THE BUSINESS AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO CHARGE OR 
WHETHER TO CHARGE IN RIALS OR DOLLARS. 
 
¶5.  UAE SOURCE RECOUNTED ONE STORY WHICH WE REPORT FOR 
WHATEVER VALUE IT MAY HAVE; THE STORY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED 
BY THREE IRANIAN RESIDENTS OF DUBAI WHO CLAIM TO HAVE 
HEARD IT FROM PEOPLE WHO VISITED KHOMEINI'S TOMB IN THE 
PAST MONTH.  SOURCE CLAIMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN 
HAS BUILT A BARRIER AROUND THE GRAVE OF KHOMEINI TO STOP 
PEOPLE FROM THROWING MONEY ON HIS GRAVE.  ACCORDING TO 
SOURCE, SHIITE PILGRIMS TRADITIONALLY THROW MONEY 
WRAPPED IN PAPER OR FABRIC ON THE GRAVES OF THEIR HOLY 
MEN, AND THE MONEY IS COLLECTED AND USED TO KEEP UP THE 
SHRINE.  SOURCE CLAIMS THAT THE BARRIER WAS SET UP AT 
KHOMEINI'S TOMB TO STOP THE PRACTICE BECAUSE THE SMELL 
WAS GETTING TOO STRONG:  MANY PEOPLE WERE THROWING 
EXCREMENT WRAPPED IN PAPER ONTO THE IMAM'S GRAVE. 
 
 
MACK