The Impact of Pornographic Films on the Increase of Divorce in Iran

On Monday, Reuters reported on the impact of the film 'Fifty Shades of Grey' on the relationships of Iranian couples. The report begins by describing a couple's bedroom in Iran where the man burns his wife's breasts with a cigarette while the woman, referred to as Sabah in the report, is forced to reenact scenes from the erotic film. The report features interviews with two Iranian women who are among the growing number of Iranians seeking divorce from their spouses. According to experts cited by Reuters, there has been an increase in Iranian women's confidence to speak about violent sexual relationships and rape in marriage. Sara, a 29-year-old woman interviewed by Reuters, stated that her husband was influenced by the film 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and used masks and handcuffs from the film during their sexual encounters to recreate the character's persona. Divorce rates in Iran have significantly increased over the past decade. The report notes that this rise has angered conservative groups trying to boost Iran's population. In 2015 alone, over 164,000 divorce requests were registered in Iran. Experts attribute the increase in divorce in Iranian society to two main factors: first, Iranian men acquire their sexual education through watching pornographic films and imitating the violent behaviors depicted in them; second, with higher education and independence, Iranian women are less likely to submit to men's demands. An Iranian woman who was raped by her husband on their wedding night and now lives in London told Reuters, 'My husband treated me like an animal during sex.' This woman, now divorced, stated that she lost her fetus due to her refusal to accept her husband's desires. Shahindokht Molaverdi, former Vice President for Women and Family Affairs under Hassan Rouhani, previously told ISNA that sexual dissatisfaction is the main cause of divorce in Iran. According to Ms. Molaverdi, the government has established family health clinics across the country to provide various counseling and health services, including sexual health. Mehrdad Darvishpour, a sociology professor living in Sweden, told Reuters that citizens need to talk more about sexual relationships because most men, due to a lack of sexual education in schools, are unaware of women's needs. Darvishpour stated, 'The only source of information for men is pornographic films, where women are depicted as sexual objects. They then expect their wives to behave like sexual slaves in their marriages.' According to Reuters, Iranian authorities have banned thousands of websites deemed un-Islamic through internet censorship, but experts have told the agency that pornographic films are easily accessible in local markets. This is despite the fact that, under Iranian law, sexual relations before marriage are illegal. Sara told Reuters that due to this prohibition, she only realized her educated husband's sexual sadism when 'it was too late.' Sara mentioned in a phone call to the Thomson Reuters Foundation that her husband would watch pornographic films at night and then force her to imitate them. Giti Pourfazel, a lawyer in Tehran, told Reuters that she believes half of divorces in Iran occur due to sexual problems. According to Ms. Pourfazel, most women who have approached her have complained about their husbands' sexual violence to the extent that they refused to have sexual relations with them. Under Iranian law, the right to divorce lies with men, and if a woman wishes to file for divorce, she must prove that her husband's mistreatment has made life unbearable for her. Iranian law assists husbands in having the right to request divorce. However, if a husband is unwilling to divorce, a woman must legally prove that he is abusive, has psychological issues, or has somehow failed to maintain his marital responsibilities.