WOMEN

Hey right back at ya! :-)

I appreciate your comment and agree with your points up to a certain point.

 I don't write out of a place of anger.  I admit to a high that comes off a series of rapid flowing words and ridiculous assertions do get the best of me.  And as the writer of this particular piece I am representing only myself.  I do have an advocacy background and when representing a particular nonprofit the protocol we follow is indeed different but most definitely not a passive one and ridiculous assertions do not, will not, and shall not fly.

 As for what constitutes a proper way to start a dialogue that is most definitely a matter of opinion.  I, obviously, disagree with you.  It would be ridiculous for me to say otherwise as my very action would oppose any assertions to the contrary.

For every oppressed woman there is in fact an oppressed man?  I beg to differ my dear and this is where our second class citizenry and status as women come in as by the very definition of "second class citizen" we are to assume that equality with the opposite sex has yet to be achieved and that the oppression of women far surpasses that of men.  This is merely your opinion disguised as a supposed fact for it is not a fact at all I am afraid.

 It is interesting to me how you attach so many judgements to my first comment to anonymous.  First and foremost, Anonymous' comment was not lucid and it WAS indeed regurgitated conservative propaganda and I was simply stating the obvious.  Read my second comment to Anonymous.  I stand by what I said.  Once he/she learns to think for him/herself will I take his/her opinion seriously.

Spite?  Funny how when a woman writes a strong, lucid, flowing and well put response her strength is seen as anger and her words as spiteful.  Would you say the same thing if it came from a man? 

And yes, the celebration of vaginas and, ultimately, of women is indeed something all cultures lack.  The celebration needs to be real... a celebration of woman as an equal, of the word vagina, the most intimate and beautiful and unique corner of her body, as something not equated with shame and repression... we have yet to get there so no, we haven't always done this or else why this fight?  No... it is new and we need more of it and we need for the bar to be set much higher because what we have now is not enough,it is insulting and it is demeaning.

As for the play, it is beautiful, and honest and brave and it scares the hell out of me at times which is what adds to its beauty.  I hope you can make it on over to see it.  It will most definitely change your life.  It most definitely has changed mine.  And thank you for the kind finish!  ;-)

You have a bitter and

You have a bitter and abrasive approach, and that's no way to engage people for the cause. I am 100% behind women's rights and activism, but the message delivery has to be done with more tact and skill. You are not even engaging the readers here that well! baba hamaro farari dadi! watch out for the attack!

Final response to Anonymous... or so I hope!

And WHY are women second class citizens... WHAT makes them women and classifies them as such?  If you bring it down to the very base difference, it lies in the genitals and that is the point.  It is RIDICULOUS to judge someone on their gender and so the use of the word VAGINA is to make just that point.  We are not only vaginas, not just a uterus... there is more to us as women and it is ludicrous that second-class citizenship exists at all let alone based on such ridiculous criteria... if being a different gender can be classified as such to begin with.

As for your comments with regards to the play, it is beyond obvious that you have yet to see it so that very fact in and of itself invalidates everything you have to say with regards to it.  I would take your comment more seriously if it came from a place of true introspection and from an actual reflection on the piece itself and not, as I stated before, on regurgitated conservative propaganda googled quickly online.  See the show and learn to think for yourself!

 And as a woman, and an Iranian woman at that, my voice is automatically one of many of our people the moment I open my mouth and nothing you can say can invalidate that... and I do not need your validation to begin with so this is a moot point.

I suggest you rethink your arguments and reread what I wrote because it is obvious that you are FAR off the mark.  Good day to you.

"Proud Vagina WARRIOR"
(Ms. Leila Radan )

Madam, I only gave the readers some documented statements regarding this controversial show. Following is my final command and response for you. I don’t waste my time on non-sense to write back and forth...

You have some misunderstand regarding woman as second-class citizens. Second-class citizenry is generally regarded as a violation of real rights. These rights include legal, civil, economic and political right. Examples could be education, marriage, divorce, religion, language, equal job opportunity / pay...

As you see "second-class citizens" doesn’t mean to see the world through woman vagina or be concern regarding vagina, masturbation and lesbian behavior.

There is no question, women activist should raise their voice against physical and emotional abuse and they do. These organizations exist and are active all over locally and nationally, but they are not advertising negative portrayal of male-female sexual relationships...

Please don’t consider yourself representative voice of repressed women of Iran, honestly that would be the end of the world. Repressions of Iranian women are their inequality in regard to social, economic and political rights not the repression of their vagina.

Finally good luck with your play and your vagina world, but just keep it personal, and please don’t assume Iranian women also view their world through their vagina...

Enjoy your play and your live demonstration for the audience!

Hello, I think you will get

Hello,

I think you will get much farther with people (not just the Iranian community)if you address their questions and criticism with less anger. Reading your response:

"Quoting regurgitated conservative, mysoginistic mumbo-jumbo is fine and dandy but I advise you to learn to think for yourself because not only is this ignorant comment sad but it is also mind boggling to hear in this day and age"

Is not the proper way to start a dialogue. I have a back ground in women's studies and have worked for some organizations. In my opinion, one of the main issues that will always keep womens groups from reaching their full potential is the "perceived" anger they spit out. I understand we are angry because of our oppression. However, unless men and women are in harmony, we won't get anywhere. For every opresesd woman, there is also an opressed man who isn't living in a society that doesn't value hunmanity.

The Anonymous comment is very lucid and is asking for a clear explanation. I belive that it is nicer to answer answer without insulting anyone. This is especially important in activism. No matter how one is beating you down, you have to respond clearly and without spite.

As for celebrating vaginas, this is nothing new. We've always done this. If men feel that we are some how against them or that the celebration of a vagina is a suppresion of the penis...you will not get any where.

This is supposed to be a great play, I've never seen it. It's great to have Iranian talent in it. Good luck.

Hoping to better inform you...

Dear Ali,

 Please read the comment I wrote to anonymous with regards to what this play is about.

 As for the title, I am not the author of the play.  I am one of 12 actresses performing in the play here in San Francisco, on March 6th, at 7:30 pm.

 Eve Ensler is our play's author.  She is an amazing playwright and a fierce and passionate woman's rights advocate and women from all around the world use this play and participate in it as a form of grassroots, activist, performance piece... why the word "vagina"?  Why not I ask you?

 Why. Not.

 Come to the show... see us perform. Laugh and cry with us and afterwards come and join us in the afterparty and ask us all the questions you want, should you still have some that need answering.  I have a feeling you will quite like what you see!

And for now, take a look at this and then buy your tickets here.  :-)

Proud Vagina WARRIOR!

Anonymous- Quoting regurgitated conservative, mysoginistic mumbo-jumbo is fine and dandy but I advise you to learn to think for yourself because not only is this ignorant comment sad but it is also mind boggling to hear in this day and age... though on second thought, for that I thank you for what better example than this here comment of yours to show the public the ignorance that is prevalent with regards to the women's rights movement and all that it entails?

Yes, there is sexual inuendo in the play. Would you not expect that seeing that the word VAGINA is being used? And that is the point!

We women are sick and tired of this repression, of the double standard that exists on this planet, in some places to a much harsher and horrifying degree than in others, of our second class citizenship.

We are sick and tired of rape being used as a weapon of war, of the physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon us and of the fact that women's and children's rights are nowhere near being a front and center issue in any politician's agenda. And you know what, it is about time that it was!

And as for our sexuality, it is rich and sensual and varied and we will no longer allow for it to be trampled upon as it has for time immemorial!  NO!  Our bodies, our voices, our desires, our cravings, our pain, our cries, our screams, our moans, our VAGINAS are to be celebrated and come March 6th I am adding my voice to that of my sisters' in the show, to that of countless sisters who have screamed out in outrage before me and I am proud to do so, proud to be on that stage and, above all, fiercely and passionately proud to be a woman and a vagina warrior!

And so this is what the play is about... there were vagina interviews which became vagina monologues and what started out as a one-woman play, because Eve Ensler (the playwright) started out by simply reading the monologues on her own, became a force of its own... a force now backed by its own advocacy group, V-day, which has raised $50 million to date, singlehandedly saved countless women from abuse, educated and empowered them to fight the fight and if you think that mere criticism and negative reviews from conservative groups is going to stop us then, my friend, think again!  All the MORE reason to keep fighting the fight!

It is a ludicrous position to take by stating that because of its controversial nature it should not be seen or produced!  Remember, Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk, Rosa Parks and countless others were deemed controversial at one point and I, for one, am grateful to them for forging ahead.  As for us women, be on the lookout for us and our vaginas... we are a force all our own and let me say that I pity the fool that tries to stop us!

Controversial show even in USA

Excuse me Madam; this show has been a controversial show even in this free land (USA). A lot of criticism has been gone around for past couple of years by different activist groups.
Why don’t you give the whole perspective of the show?

The Vagina Monologues is made up of a varying number of monologues read by a varying number of women. Every monologue somehow relates to the vagina,

Some monologues include:

• "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy, in which a dominatrix for women discusses the intriguing details of her career and her love of giving women pleasure. In several performances it often comes at the end of the play, literally climaxing with a vocal demonstration of a "triple orgasm."

• "The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could, in which a woman recalls memories of traumatic sexual experiences in her childhood and a self-described "positive healing" sexual experience in her adolescent years with an older woman.
Some"

Criticism

• "negative portrayal of male-female sexual relationships (virtually all of the male-female sexual relationships are depicted as negative and destructive to women, whereas all female-female sexual relationships, even one including statutory rape, are depicted as positive and nurturing); "

• "The play has also been criticized by social conservatives, such as the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property and the Network of enlightened Women. The TFP denounced it as "a piece replete with sexual encounters, lust, graphic descriptions of masturbation and lesbian behavior

Question!

Your cause seems noble and worth looking into, but could you please tell me why you chose Vagnia and the name "Vagina monologues'? It just seems out of ordinary. Thanks