Iranian youth looking for a way out

HOW HE SEES IT

Iranian youth looking for a way out

By MOHAMMAD NAVIDI-KASHANI

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

TEHRAN, Iran — For the last three decades, Iran has watched as many of its best and brightest young people have sought to leave the country.

If polls conducted in recent months are any indication, the pace of young people seeking to escape appears to be accelerating.

Eight out of 10 young Iranians questioned expressed an interest in leaving for a developed country. High on their list of preferred destinations were the United States, Canada, Australia and even the United Arab Emirates.

A casual conversation with practically any young Iranian confirms the poll findings. Many see emigration as the only way to escape economic and social problems they feel are overwhelming their country.

It’s not that they’re especially fascinated by life in the West or that they have some ideal city in mind where they’d like to live. It’s just that many feel that have no future in Iran.

Many say there are few opportunities to pursue their ambitions. Hardly any believe they will be able to pursue a career that interests them if they stay in their own country.

Unemployment

It isn’t just the widespread unemployment, the difficulty of getting married or high property prices. They feel that doors have been closed to them by previous generations.

In the past, young people in Iran were willing to tolerate the lack of opportunities because they thought conditions would eventually change. But in recent years, they appear to have lost that hope.

They fault the government of President Mahout Ahmadinejad for concentrating on religious issues while ignoring many of the social problems that beset the country, such as unemployment, the lack of social security and inadequate housing. And while the government has poured millions into its nuclear program and defense-related issues, the social sector has been largely ignored.

They’ve also come to feel that their personal lives are increasingly constrained. The government, it seems, is always on the lookout for ways to extend its control over new areas of their lives.

Young people now face a serious challenge from government in every area, from the music they listen to and the sports they can play, to the clothes they can wear when they walk down the street. Many feel as if the government has very different values than their own.

The only response left is to escape from Iran.

X Mohammad Navidi-Kashani is the former managing editor of the Eftekhar newspaper who writes for Mianeh, a project of Institute for War & Peace Reporting.