Unlawful life

Yesterday early in the afternoon I decided to visit a relative confined in hospital. Using a shared taxi I had to wait some time for the car to be filled. The weather was hot, actually hottest part of the day in hottest days of the year. This kind of taxi is commuting in a controlled route with a certain fare labeled on the top corner of front glass. A young man seemingly to be in hurry told the driver that he pays for two persons. So, the driver, a tall bearded dark man around 45 with green eyes who was standing in a distanced shadow did not have to wait any longer. He came and we, I mean me sitting in front and the young man who is to pay for two and a woman at her late 30s began a journey which I never ever thought to be like what I will be telling you in coming words.

On the way the young man at the back wanted to get off and asked for how much he should pay. The driver told him a price which was more than what was stated on the label that was hidden behind the front shade. I asked the driver why he charges more than the usual price. He said in a law voice, "It is al right".

I said, "I do not get you"

Driver: "It is the rate".

I: "But it is stated in the label (I was saying this while lifting up the shade) something less".

Driver: "you can call 1888 and complain".

I: "Why should I complain (I had the experience that would lead me to no where)? From the beginning I won't pay in excess".

Driver: "Do it if you want to eat "Haram".

This I should explain to my non-Muslim readers that Haram is a religious expression used to denote any thing which is forbidden for a Muslim to do. Like eating Pork, drinking wine, accepting bank interest, unlawful earning and etc.

I: "Why do you bring this issue to a religious concept? The label says you are charging more than approved rate".

Driver: the approval is out of date.

I: "This is printed in current year".

Driver: "We drivers have objection against it".

I: "So, your objection is not met yet and you raised your rate and you say you are not doing Haram but if I pay you with the approved rate I am dong Haram? I damn this Ideology you believe in".

Driver: "You do not need to pay".

I: "I pay what I should pay which is your approved fee".

At this time he was already shouting that the taxi administration officers have personal grudge with their representative and that is why their tariff did not increase for the current year. He was cursing the taxi organization forcing him to argue with passengers while he is fasting and suddenly started to slap himself to his face. I was really shocked. I told him, "I am just reminding you regulations and you beat yourself". But by this he pressed the pedal brake dangerously in a way that the head of lady at my rear came almost close to my ear. While looking at me angrily I felt I am sitting next to a beast. He looked fearful. Green eyes with a very dark skin covered with perspiration and smoke from cars' exhaustions. He said, "You insulted the Imams and Koran"! What he said added to his power terrifying me, because he now had the state's power at his back. I said in a calm voice, "Did I"? He said, "Yes, you insulted the Koran". I said, "No, I did not insult the Koran, I only said I damn what you believe in". Then he again started to beat himself but this time he was punching to his face and head.

By now his voice and its tone were changed. He was almost crying. He was repeating that the situation is getting harder and harder. I was chocked with tears. I told him that I only was trying to do my duty as a citizen. I brought his head closed to me and kissed his cheek. He also kissed my face and for a moment we kept silent. I was already closed to my destination and paid him a little more than the official rate. He did not want to accept. He said, I did not want to get from you more from the beginning but since you spoke loudly I feared the other passengers would notice.

I said good bye to him and asked him to control himself in similar situations to come. He responded in a very polite positive answer, "Chashm".

Undisciplined disciplinary forces

Yesterday was my day off. My daughter had just finished university examinations and my son too was in a good mood to accompany us (he rarely voluntarily goes shopping with us). We had planned to buy our lunch outside thus my wife did not have to worry about cooking as well. All in all we had started a good day, we thought!

Before leaving the house I reminded my daughter not to wear anything that causes trouble regarding disciplinary forces' maneuver over Hejab or Islamic costume concerns. Doing so she reviewed all her old and new cloths and she even did not care much about fashion. She wore just a set of plain black pants, dress and a yellow scarf. Even so, right after entering the Hyper star Mall, two women disciplinary forces (it is how the police is named after Islamic revolution) wearing a dark veil (Chador) stopped us and questioned my daughter. While touching her manteau one of them said that it was short and why the sleeves were folded. I was carefully listening so for the next time we observe them too, although I really felt we were offended by this but had no other choice except to be obedient. Complying with a Persian poem:

In the hands of a bloodthirsty lion

What preference remains but submission?

Listening carefully to what they were saying, their man colleague a bit farther called on me that I should stay away. I replied, "This is my family". He repeated "Get distance". This time I shouted at him, "But I am listening to avoid such incident for next time". In seconds I found myself surrounded by five or six uniformed disciplinary officers. They were warning me to calm down while two of them continuously pushed me with one hand. I told the two, one by one "stop pushing me". One of them said in a rude tone, "Why you got mad?" I reminded him that he should be polite. Then he said, "You are impolite". We were interrupted by my wife's yelling at them. She was screaming while shaking severely. Later she told me that they had threatened to detain our daughter. She wailed, "My husband has been in battle field and you are doing this to him while you are under air-conditioned." One of them around 30 years old replied, "I was there too". I thought he most have been there for elementary school since the war ended when he was still a child. There were people stopping and watching our confrontation but they were instructed by uniformed police to not gather round. Subsequently we were guided out of the occurrence's site and the flow of people continued toward the stairs heading to the mall. I looked back and told them, "This is not the right way to govern the country." We almost were out in the parking lot that my daughter went back and told the two disciplinary women that," Are you Iranians? To God I swear you are not Iranians". This time I was really afraid for the first time and was sure that we will be taken to custody. But surprisingly nothing happened. I think they were not bothered by calling them Aliens. In the parking I found out the one who managed bringing us out of the lobby into Parking area was a high ranking officer, he said that they are forced to do this although do not believe in what they do. He had sympathetic approach and I thought he had to play the good man there. I told him they (the disciplinary forces there) were not trained enough. They should be disciplined. They were really behaving more like thugs than Police forces.

In the whole event my son was quiet. First I was happy for this. Obviously I did not want him to get in trouble. But then I noticed how well the Islamic republic's strategies had been successful in schools and other aspects of life making him and youth like him obedient and harmless citizen for a totalitarian system.

Who knows? He may respond against a foreign assault the same, similar to how the Iranian people and Army behaved during Sassanid period against the Arab invasion.