Get Married Or Get Fired

A company in Iran is giving all of its single employees until September 21 to be married. State run Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Company, the owner of Iran's gas and petrochemical facilities of the Gulf has a rule that employees must be married.

In Iran sexual relations outside of marriage are illegal and most marry in their 20s. Not only does Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Company except its workers to be married but they expect that bundles of joy (babies) be quickly made. The company will annul employee contracts if they are found to be single by October 22. Those employees are typically young men wanting to have a good income who are willing to work in refiners in Assalouyeh. The temperature during the summer can reach 50 Celsius. Not exactly a great environment for raising a family. The company believes that marriage will ensure that the men will not look for sexual temptations while they stay at the energy hub.

"Unfortunately some of our colleagues did not fulfil their commitments and are still single," Etemad newspaper quoted the company's directive as saying.

"As being married is one of the criteria of employment, we are announcing for the last time that all the female and male colleagues have until September 21 to go ahead with this important and moral religious duty."

The country is undergoing a strict moral crackdown. Women by the tens of thousands are being warned by law enforcement if their dress is not deemed to be Islamic.