It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Two prominent Iranian actresses charged for not wearing headscarves
2:24
Iran hijab law: Tehran makes fresh push to force women to wear hijab
1 week ago
Two prominent Iranian actresses have been charged with "the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet.
Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram could face fines or prison terms if prosecuted.
Bahram went viral after she posed without a headscarf at a film screening, while Riahi posted several photos taken in public places around Tehran in which she did not wear a headscarf.
Iran has charged two prominent actresses for publishing pictures of themselves flouting the country's dress code for women, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on breaches, local media reported.
Police in Tehran have referred the case against Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to Iran's judiciary, accusing them of "the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet", the Tasnim news agency said late Monday.
If prosecuted, the pair could face fines or prison terms.
Iranian actress Pantea Bahram arrives to the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival on February 3, 2015 in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP
Iranian actress Katayoun Riahi poses with her best actress award for her role in "The Last Super" at the 26 Cairo International Film Festival, 25 October 2002.
Photo: Marwan Naamani/AFP
Iranian actress Pantea Bahram arrives to the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival on February 3, 2015 in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP
Iranian actress Katayoun Riahi poses with her best actress award for her role in "The Last Super" at the 26 Cairo International Film Festival, 25 October 2002.
Photo: Marwan Naamani/AFP
Earlier this month, police said they would begin using "smart" technology in public places to crack down on women defying Iran's compulsory dress code.
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Last week, photos of Bahram, 53, went viral after she posed without a headscarf at a film screening, while Riahi, 61, posted several photos taken in public places around Tehran in which she did not wear a headscarf.
The requirement for women to wear the headscarf in public was imposed shortly after the Islamic revolution of 1979.
The number of women in Iran defying the dress code has increased since a wave of protests following the 16 September death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini, 22, for allegedly breaching it.
On 16 April, authorities said they had closed 150 commercial establishments whose employees were not complying with the dress code.
Bahram and Riahi have won several awards at Iran's leading cinema event, the Fajr International Film Festival.
In November, Riahi was released on bail after more than a week's detention for posting photos to Instagram in solidarity with the Amini protests, showing herself without a headscarf.
She was the first Iranian actor to post such images on social media in support of the protest movement.
Zimbabwean court jails small party leader over protest tweets
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A Zimbabwe court on Friday sentenced an opposition politician to four years in prison for inciting public violence over a 2020 protest call he posted on Twitter.
Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of small opposition party Transform Zimbabwe, tweeted a call for nationwide anti-government protests over corruption and the country's catastrophic economic state.
He will stay behind bars for three years after the court set aside one year on condition of good behaviour.
"A fine or suspended sentence would not deter further offenders, a sentence must be meaningful," ruled magistrate Florence Chakanyuka.
The sentence is seen as setting a precedence for other suspects facing similar charges.
Job Sikhala, a popular opposition politician has been in prison for over 300 days for allegedly inciting violence during a speech. He still awaits judgment, which is due next week.
The southern African country is due to hold presidential and legislative polls in August, but no date has been announced yet.
In a video posted on his Twitter account on Friday before the sentencing, Ngarivhume alleged from inside the court that the state was using tactics to stop him for participating in the upcoming polls.
The ruling Zanu-PF party, "obviously don't want me to be a participant in the next election", he said.
A rise in self-service technologies may cause a decline in our sense of community
Blake Lee-Whiting
Public-facing automation, like self-service kiosks, reduce the chances we have to interact with other people.
Unsplash
Automation, once hidden behind closed doors in factories, is increasingly moving into public view.
While self-service technologies have the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve user experience, these technologies raise complex economic and political questions.
We should ask: how will our sense of community and our political preferences change when we interact less with the people who work the jobs that self-service technologies replace?
For more stories, visit the tech and trends homepage.
Automation, once hidden behind closed doors in factories, is increasingly moving into public view.
Customers can pay for groceries or clothing at a self-checkout machine, or order fast food from a touchscreen kiosk.
Whether these new technologies replace jobs, relegate existing positions to non-public facing roles or create new employment opportunities, they will result in us interacting with fewer people than we have historically.
Experiences with strangers can shape how we define our community and politics.
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If we no longer encounter cashiers or fast food employees, many of whom are temporary foreign workers, will our beliefs about immigration policies or minimum wage change?
What do bike couriers think about bike lanes? How does a dental office receptionist feel about universal dental care, or a corner store clerk about crime rates?
Exposure effects are also related to how we position ourselves within the world when compared to others.
For instance, a recent South African study showed that “willingness to sign a petition that calls for higher taxes on the wealthy increases in the presence of a high-status car.” Just seeing a BMW 3-series car near the petitioner made people more likely to favour wealth redistributive policies.
We shape our politics based, at least partially, on what and who we have been exposed to.
Identity and social interaction
We build our sense of civic identity and opinions about government through social interactions.
Political scientist Robert D. Putnam, who has studied civic engagement since the 1960s, argues Americans are less engaged in politics than they used to be and are more isolated, spending less time with friends, family and neighbours.
Our social capital — which Putnam defines as the overarching belief about society that facilitates co-operation — diminishes when we lose opportunities to engage with people outside of our regular social networks.
This decline in social capital can be traced to changes in work and society more generally. Society, in other words, is becoming increasingly individualistic.
Public-facing automation may further diminish our social capital by decreasing our interactions with other people.
As we pay for parking at parking machines, rent bowling shoes and lanes through an app, or order food from touchscreen kiosks, we interact less with the people who work these jobs.
Exacerbates inequality
The impact of public-facing automation on social inequality also requires further study.
As public-facing automation shifts workers away from public view, wages which reflect professional skill and customer service expectations may disappear.
In the grocery industry, for instance, we may see a widening pay gap between technicians hired to upkeep self-checkout machines and the employees hired to stock shelves.
The effects of increasing public-facing automation may not be well understood for years.
In the meantime, as we seek to better understand the intersection between technology and society, we should ask: how will our sense of community and our political preferences change when we interact less with the people who work the jobs that self-service technologies replace?
