Religion and Politics

Due to personal experiences, I believe that religion should have nothing to do with politics, since it can have a great affect on people’s everyday lives. Religion, no matter of which kind, has affected this world in many different ways.

Living in Iran gave me the opportunity to observe this problem, and believe that religion should be a very personal issue. The so-called Islamic Republic of Iran mixes the concept of religion with politics, and the Iranian people are treated differently according to their beliefs in religion. For example, every Iranian woman is forced to cover her hair with a scarf, and not show any skin other than her face, and her hands in public.

Men and women should have some sort of a relationship in order to go out together in public. For example, my cousin and I were asked about our relationship when we were out in the mall. In order to make sure that we were not lying about being cousins, the police officer had to call our parents. In general, Iranian girls and boys are not allowed to communicate much in public, unless they are somehow related. I think that marriage or any relationship starts with meeting a new person, or socializing in general, but the Iranian government, due to Islamic reasons, does not allow this.

Another case that shows how religion is affecting the people’s lives is that gay people are not allowed in Iran. The government says that Islam does not allow people to be gay, so every gay person in Iran is executed in public. I think that this shows how the freedom of right has no place in Iran, and I believe that this is due to how strictly religious the country is.

Being an Iranian myself, I would like to see a change in my country one day, when people are allowed to have their rights, and own beliefs in religion. This is why I strongly believe that religion should have nothing to do with politics, and it is a very personal issue. If one day the Iranian government understands this concept, then there will be peace in Iran and less hatred towards the government by people.