.... Iran is governed by a version of sharia law which in theory prohibits any mingling between members of the opposite sex outside marriage or close family. While social rules were relaxed under reformist former President Mohammad Khatami, who was first elected in 1997, things have tightened up again since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad succeeded him in 2005.
.... Nima Soltani, a 23-year-old psychology student, complains about "morality police" patrols on city streets to ensure people respect Islamic dress and other rules of conduct.
"If it is not one thing, it is another," he said. "If not a raid on a party you're at, it is having to answer about your hairstyle or the ornament worn around your neck."
Seventy percent of Iran's population is under 30 and has no real memory of the 1979 Islamic revolution. [Reuters Blogs - FaithWorld] Read more
