In the ebb and flow of global gender rebalancing, the impulse towards freedom and expanded expression for women create interesting flukes in our third dimensional reality.
Five hours ago the BBC posted an item “Iran Opens Up Presidency To Women’. Six minutes ago I noticed an update titled ‘Iran Denies Letting Women Seek Presidency’. When I checked back at the BBC, the entire story was reworked and the prior one deleted.
My cut and paste of the former:
"Iranian women are free to stand for the presidency, an electoral watchdog says.
The hardline Guardian Council said women can contest high office if they "possess the necessary qualifications", overturning an existing bar.
The Islamic republic is set to hold presidential elections in June but it is not known yet if any women will run.
Iranian law states the president must be one of the political "rejal" - an ambiguous term that can be interpreted to mean "men" or "personalities".
Iranian TV on Saturday quoted Gholamhossein Elham, a spokesman for the Guardian Council, as saying that the broader definition of "rejal" includes women.
No reason was given for the new interpretation.
As well as forming electoral laws, the Council is responsible for vetting individual candidates.
The forthcoming election will conclude the second and final term in office of reformist President Mohammad Khatami.
Religious hardliners dominate the current parliament, which contains 11 women MPs.
Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer and leading dissident, has repeatedly ruled out running for political office."
You can read the similarities of the new version at the same url: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4197889.stm
Oh, well. Shall we take this as encouragement that more equality is on its way but impulses, energy, not yet strong enough to fully bring it forth?
In the meantime:
"Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer and leading dissident, has repeatedly ruled out running for political office."
To read up on Shirin Ebadi:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/15/iran.ebadi.ap/
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1210-02.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/12/10/nobel.peace/
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