Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
89ABUDHABI636
1989-02-01 10:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
TEHRAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCENE
how-toR 011021Z FEB 89 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2728 INFO AMEMBASSY ANKARA AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD AMEMBASSY RIYADH AMEMBASSY MANAMA AMEMBASSY DOHA AMEMBASSY KUWAIT AMEMBASSY MUSCAT AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI AMCONSUL FRANKFURT AMCONSUL ISTANBUL AMCONSUL ZURICH USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL CJTFME
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 00636
FROM AMCONGEN DUBAI
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON IR
SUBJECT: TEHRAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCENE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 00636
FROM AMCONGEN DUBAI
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON IR
SUBJECT: TEHRAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCENE
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: WOMEN IN TEHRAN ARE TESTING THE LIMITS
OF THE LIBERALIZATION OF DRESS CODES BY WEARING
BRIGHTLY COLORED, FASHIONABLE CLOTHES, BARELY CONCEALED
BY EQUALLY FASHIONABLE RAINCOATS OR SCARVES.
BUSINESSMEN BEMOAN THE FAILURE OF THE ECONOMY TO
REVIVE AFTER THE CEASEFIRE, THOUGH SOME PARTS OF THE
ECONOMY ARE EXPERIENCING A REVIVAL. ANTI-ISRAELI
PROPAGANDA OVERSHADOWS ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA
ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN. THE NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL
COMPANY STRUGGLES TO OPERATE ON THE EXPERTISE OF A
TINY MINORITY OF EXPERIENCED WORKERS.
END SUMMARY.
3. TRAVELLERS FROM TEHRAN REPORT DRAMATIC CHANGES IN
THE CITY'S FASHION SCENE. THE MANAGER OF A MAJOR
AIRLINE WHO RETURNED FROM A BUSINESS TRIP TO TEHRAN
A FEW DAYS AGO REPORTS HAVING SEEN WOMEN WEARING BLUE
JEANS, ALBEIT UNDER THEIR RAINCOATS. SOURCE ALSO SAW
DOZENS OF WOMEN WEARING COLORFUL AND BRIGHTLY PRINTED
SCARVES LOOSELY DRAWN OVER THEIR HEADS. DURING A RECENT
VISIT TO DUBAI, THE COUSIN OF DUBAI'S IRANIAN FSN
EXPRESSED AMAZEMENT THAT WOMEN HERE DO NOT HIGHLIGHT
THEIR HAIR. APPARENTLY, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
IN TEHRAN STREAK THEIR HAIR AND PROMINENTLY DISPLAY
A BLOND FRINGE OUTSIDE THEIR SCARVES. THE DRAB RAINCOATS
USUALLY WORN OVER CLOTHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY TRENDY
EUROPEAN STYLES AND TWO-PIECE SUITS ARE APPEARING WITH
GREATER FREQUENCY. (COMMENT: WHILE CONGEN DUBAI HAS
BEEN HEARING REPORTS OF LIBERALIZING TRENDS IN DRESS
CODES FOR SOME TIME NOW, THE AMAZEMENT OF BOTH IRANIAN
AND WESTERN SOURCES WHO REPORTED THE ABOVE GIVES MUCH
GREATER WEIGHT TO THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED CHANGES.)
4. AIRLINE SOURCE REPORTS THAT MANY OF THE IRANIAN
BUSINESSMEN HE DEALT WITH WERE GREATLY DISPIRITED
OVER FAILURE OF THE ECONOMY TO PICK UP AFTER THE
CEASEFIRE. ON HIS TRIP LAST WEEK, SOURCE NOTED AN
INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF CONSUMER GOODS OF BETWEEN
THIRTY AND FIFTY PERCENT SINCE HIS PREVIOUS TRIP TO
TEHRAN ALMOST A YEAR AGO. AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID
THAT ANYTHING COULD BE HAD IN TEHRAN'S BLACK MARKET,
FOR A PRICE. WHILE THE REST OF THE ECONOMY IS FALTERING
ONE SEGMENT OF THE ECONOMY IS EXPERIENCING A REVIVAL.
APPARENTLY, THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSION IS ONCE AGAIN
PLYING ITS TRADE IN THE LOBBIES OF TEHRAN'S PRINCIPAL
HOTELS. ACCORDING TO SOURCE, HE WAS REPEATEDLY
APPROACHED IN A DISCREET MANNER BY WOMEN IN HIS HOTEL.
THEY WOULD ASK FOR HIS NUMBER AND PROMISE TO CALL LATER
TO SET UP AN ASSIGNATION. SUCH ASSIGNATIONS ARE SET
UP IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND NEVER IN HOTELS WHERE THE
DANGER OF BEING DISCOVERED IS TOO GREAT. PRICES ARE
QUITE REASONABLE IF PAID IN HARD CURRENCIES.
5. MOST OF THE PEOPLE AIRLINE SOURCE MET WERE LOATHE
TO DISCUSS POLITICS OPENLY, AND HE PERCEIVED A GREAT
FEAR OF THE REVGUARDS AMONG HIS INTERLOCUTORS. HIS
CONTACTS WERE ALSO VERY SUSPICIOUS OF EACH OTHER,
FEARING THAT SOMETHING THEY SAID MIGHT BE REPORTED TO
THE AUTHORITIES. ANTI-AMERICAN BANNERS WERE PRESENT
IN ALL HOTEL LOBBIES BUT HAD BEEN RELEGATED TO
OUT-OF-THE-WAY PLACES. ON THE OTHER HAND, ANTI-ISRAELI
POSTERS, BANNERS, AND BILLBOARDS WERE PROMINENTLY
DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT TEHRAN. AT THE FIRST ROUNDABOUT
ON THE ROAD FROM THE AIRPORT INTO TEHRAN, FOUR LARGE
BILLBOARDS PROCLAIMED IN ENGLISH AND FARSI: ISRAEL
6. THE COUSIN OF DUBAI'S IRANIAN FSN WORKS IN NIOC
HEADQUARTERS IN TEHRAN IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION.
IN HER OPINION, THE NIOC IS RUN ON THE STRENGTH OF
THE EXPERTISE OF A HANDFUL OF ITS 103,000 EMPLOYEES.
UPPER MANAGEMENT IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON ITS
SUBORDINATES FOR GUIDANCE IN DECISIONMAKING. WHENEVER
THIS EMPLOYEE'S BOSS GOES INTO A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING,
HE REMAINS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH HER BY PHONE
THROUGHOUT THE MEETING SEEKING HER GUIDANCE ON
EVERYTHING FROM ROUTINE TO MANAGERIAL ISSUES. BECAUSE
SOURCE IS A WOMAN, SHE CANNOT ATTEND THE MEETINGS
HERSELF. THE INABILITY OF THE NIOC TO WORK EFFECTIVELY
IS FURTHER HAMPERED BY DEFICIENCIES IN FOREIGN-LANGUAGE
CAPABILITY AMONG ITS EMPLOYEES.
MACK
FROM AMCONGEN DUBAI
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ECON IR
SUBJECT: TEHRAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCENE
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: WOMEN IN TEHRAN ARE TESTING THE LIMITS
OF THE LIBERALIZATION OF DRESS CODES BY WEARING
BRIGHTLY COLORED, FASHIONABLE CLOTHES, BARELY CONCEALED
BY EQUALLY FASHIONABLE RAINCOATS OR SCARVES.
BUSINESSMEN BEMOAN THE FAILURE OF THE ECONOMY TO
REVIVE AFTER THE CEASEFIRE, THOUGH SOME PARTS OF THE
ECONOMY ARE EXPERIENCING A REVIVAL. ANTI-ISRAELI
PROPAGANDA OVERSHADOWS ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA
ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN. THE NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL
COMPANY STRUGGLES TO OPERATE ON THE EXPERTISE OF A
TINY MINORITY OF EXPERIENCED WORKERS.
END SUMMARY.
3. TRAVELLERS FROM TEHRAN REPORT DRAMATIC CHANGES IN
THE CITY'S FASHION SCENE. THE MANAGER OF A MAJOR
AIRLINE WHO RETURNED FROM A BUSINESS TRIP TO TEHRAN
A FEW DAYS AGO REPORTS HAVING SEEN WOMEN WEARING BLUE
JEANS, ALBEIT UNDER THEIR RAINCOATS. SOURCE ALSO SAW
DOZENS OF WOMEN WEARING COLORFUL AND BRIGHTLY PRINTED
SCARVES LOOSELY DRAWN OVER THEIR HEADS. DURING A RECENT
VISIT TO DUBAI, THE COUSIN OF DUBAI'S IRANIAN FSN
EXPRESSED AMAZEMENT THAT WOMEN HERE DO NOT HIGHLIGHT
THEIR HAIR. APPARENTLY, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
IN TEHRAN STREAK THEIR HAIR AND PROMINENTLY DISPLAY
A BLOND FRINGE OUTSIDE THEIR SCARVES. THE DRAB RAINCOATS
USUALLY WORN OVER CLOTHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY TRENDY
EUROPEAN STYLES AND TWO-PIECE SUITS ARE APPEARING WITH
GREATER FREQUENCY. (COMMENT: WHILE CONGEN DUBAI HAS
BEEN HEARING REPORTS OF LIBERALIZING TRENDS IN DRESS
CODES FOR SOME TIME NOW, THE AMAZEMENT OF BOTH IRANIAN
AND WESTERN SOURCES WHO REPORTED THE ABOVE GIVES MUCH
GREATER WEIGHT TO THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED CHANGES.)
4. AIRLINE SOURCE REPORTS THAT MANY OF THE IRANIAN
BUSINESSMEN HE DEALT WITH WERE GREATLY DISPIRITED
OVER FAILURE OF THE ECONOMY TO PICK UP AFTER THE
CEASEFIRE. ON HIS TRIP LAST WEEK, SOURCE NOTED AN
INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF CONSUMER GOODS OF BETWEEN
THIRTY AND FIFTY PERCENT SINCE HIS PREVIOUS TRIP TO
TEHRAN ALMOST A YEAR AGO. AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID
THAT ANYTHING COULD BE HAD IN TEHRAN'S BLACK MARKET,
FOR A PRICE. WHILE THE REST OF THE ECONOMY IS FALTERING
ONE SEGMENT OF THE ECONOMY IS EXPERIENCING A REVIVAL.
APPARENTLY, THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSION IS ONCE AGAIN
PLYING ITS TRADE IN THE LOBBIES OF TEHRAN'S PRINCIPAL
HOTELS. ACCORDING TO SOURCE, HE WAS REPEATEDLY
APPROACHED IN A DISCREET MANNER BY WOMEN IN HIS HOTEL.
THEY WOULD ASK FOR HIS NUMBER AND PROMISE TO CALL LATER
TO SET UP AN ASSIGNATION. SUCH ASSIGNATIONS ARE SET
UP IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND NEVER IN HOTELS WHERE THE
DANGER OF BEING DISCOVERED IS TOO GREAT. PRICES ARE
QUITE REASONABLE IF PAID IN HARD CURRENCIES.
5. MOST OF THE PEOPLE AIRLINE SOURCE MET WERE LOATHE
TO DISCUSS POLITICS OPENLY, AND HE PERCEIVED A GREAT
FEAR OF THE REVGUARDS AMONG HIS INTERLOCUTORS. HIS
CONTACTS WERE ALSO VERY SUSPICIOUS OF EACH OTHER,
FEARING THAT SOMETHING THEY SAID MIGHT BE REPORTED TO
THE AUTHORITIES. ANTI-AMERICAN BANNERS WERE PRESENT
IN ALL HOTEL LOBBIES BUT HAD BEEN RELEGATED TO
OUT-OF-THE-WAY PLACES. ON THE OTHER HAND, ANTI-ISRAELI
POSTERS, BANNERS, AND BILLBOARDS WERE PROMINENTLY
DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT TEHRAN. AT THE FIRST ROUNDABOUT
ON THE ROAD FROM THE AIRPORT INTO TEHRAN, FOUR LARGE
BILLBOARDS PROCLAIMED IN ENGLISH AND FARSI: ISRAEL
6. THE COUSIN OF DUBAI'S IRANIAN FSN WORKS IN NIOC
HEADQUARTERS IN TEHRAN IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION.
IN HER OPINION, THE NIOC IS RUN ON THE STRENGTH OF
THE EXPERTISE OF A HANDFUL OF ITS 103,000 EMPLOYEES.
UPPER MANAGEMENT IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON ITS
SUBORDINATES FOR GUIDANCE IN DECISIONMAKING. WHENEVER
THIS EMPLOYEE'S BOSS GOES INTO A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING,
HE REMAINS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH HER BY PHONE
THROUGHOUT THE MEETING SEEKING HER GUIDANCE ON
EVERYTHING FROM ROUTINE TO MANAGERIAL ISSUES. BECAUSE
SOURCE IS A WOMAN, SHE CANNOT ATTEND THE MEETINGS
HERSELF. THE INABILITY OF THE NIOC TO WORK EFFECTIVELY
IS FURTHER HAMPERED BY DEFICIENCIES IN FOREIGN-LANGUAGE
CAPABILITY AMONG ITS EMPLOYEES.
MACK