The Politics of Marriage in Iran

Here in the US the very word marriage is enough to ignite the loyal opposition from both ends of the political spectrum. Certainly in these United States the debate is not so much about the financial wherewithal to marry as it is about the definition of the word and whether homosexual nuptials qualify under said definition.

But a world away, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a very different debate is conjured by the word marriage - one that according to Time Magazine could very well bring down Iran's firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

According to Time, young Iranians of marrying age (the notion seems archaic here in the West but Iranian estimates put roughly 13 to 15 million of its population in this category) have more or less been "priced out of the marriage market."

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For the jaded, such a proposition may not seem like such a bad thing, but Iranian culture utterly forbids dating and premarital sex with stiff penalties for those who trespass, so millions of young Iranians find themselves unable to support a themselves much less a family - to say nothing of any attendant...frustrations.

The problem stems from rising inflation, and interest rates that have led to a spike in the cost of real estate (quite the difference from the American economy where real estate prices continue to fall). In Iran, the government 'stimulated' its economy through loan schemes aimed at reducing interest rates and increase state construction projects. Oddly, the program was a resounding success that led to increased costs of real estate overall, as materials for construction suddenly became high in demand. The success of the program, and the cost of materials put homes out of reach for many. As a result, some young couples have had to move in with their in-laws while hoping to amass enough money to afford a home. Surely a more dire prospect one can scarce imagine.

At any rate, frustration with the housing situation and Iran's plummeting marriage rate has led to a stronger than anticipated lurch toward President Ahmadinejad's political opposition. As Iranian government officials have concluded, "The sexual bomb we face is more dangerous than the bombs and missiles of the enemy." Tom Jones couldn't agree more.

The elections in Iran are slated for this Friday. I suppose we will know soon enough whether the limits of marriage were enough to bring down the Ahmadinejad Regime. Perhaps such an outcome would reinforce the notion that love really does conquer all.