Teheran (dpa) – Women in Iran and other Islamic states live in a male-dominated society, and are all too aware their cry for change has to be phrased in a way which is modest – yet cannot be overheard.
Those were the words of Nehzat Arabshahi, a 42-year-old karate instructor, whose hopes a “modest cry” will echo in her unconventional play “Empty Hands”, the translation of the Japanese word karate.
In the play Arabshahi puts forward the philosophy of karate as a template for Iranian women to change their status. “This play is neither political nor feminist, it’s just a call on Iranian women to stand up and realise their own capabilities, believe in themselves and break the cliches,” said Arabshahi, also author of a children’s book entitled “Sleeping Hopes”.
The play – produced with the most elementary facilities and with no financial aid – is about the life of a girl and her hard-working mother. After school, she sells newspapers to finance her education and by reading the papers, she gets acquainted with what is happening in the world.
One day she meets a group of girls who play karate. Through her new friends and the art of karate, she realises than achievements in life can also be made with “empty hands”.
“Unlike the cliched view karate is not an offensive but a defensive martial art with literally and figuratively empty hands,” she said. “This is a play where form dictates the contents and whose message is encouraging women to break the walls of traditions by physical and mental belief,” added the writer and director.
The idea for a play germinated for seven years during which time she was encouraged by her friends. Empty Hands is the first ever play in Iran to be made for and acted out entirely by women.
The nine actresses are all amateurs from the director’s karate school which she runs in Teheran. They are supposed to play themselves rather than act.
The play is scheduled to be staged in March in Teheran during an arts festival after the initial presentation was confirmed by a supervising board of the culture ministry.
All plays – and films – must first be approved by a special committee of the culture ministry before being produced or staged or screened.
Empty Hands is a reaction to the status of especially young women in Iran. Recent statistics in Iran show that more than 1,000 girls between 15 and 19 years of age ran away from home following family differences.
Drugs, unemployment and physical or sexual abuse are the main causes. According to a recent report by the Teheran daily Entekhab, the suicide rate among young girls has drastically increased due to social discrimination and has caused alarm within the administration.
A number of girls’ hostels have thereafter been established nationwide to give shelter for runaway girls. Girls in many parts of Iran are still forced to marry the man decided by their families and are therefore afraid of starting a life overshadowed by doubts and lack of love.
Non-marital relations with the opposite sex are considered an unforgivable sin in urban areas and in rural regions can lead to fatal consequences.
Empty Hands is an effort to persuade the often desperate girls that they should change their approach and believe in themselves rather than depend on others.
“Women in Iran are strong but they should not follow a black or white scheme … after all, life is colourless for everybody until the right colour is found,” said Arabshahi, who hopes the play may also be staged abroad.
