A Challenge Rarely Addressed
27 Aug 2008 in Education, Employment, Marriage
Yasser Salimi joins us as a Youth Ambassador from Tehran, Iran, where he is a board member of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) and a Master’s candidate in International Relations.
We often hear about employment, housing, education, and marriage difficulties in Iran. These issues mostly affect single young men, since the financial management of a family is legally and traditionally the man’s responsibility. There is one challenge which affects all of the above mentioned issues but is rarely addressed or discussed seriously: the institution of compulsory military service for young Iranian men.
Every man over 18 must serve 21 months in the military, including 8 weeks of military education. Some exceptions do exist for those with health or family problems. There is no difference between university graduates and non graduates, single or married persons, nor is there an “unarmed” service option.
Doing military service takes away young men from finding a temporary job and, sometimes, going to university and getting married at the right time. For those that do enroll in university, many will study subjects they do not like, simply to escape from military service for at least 4 years until they graduate. This could be a cause for concern, leading to graduates without experience or interest in their field of study.
Families are sometimes unwilling to let their daughters marry a young man who is beginning military service because of their uncertain future.
Unlike other social issues which are widely discussed and challenged in the media and newspapers in Iran, military service is rarely addressed. The current military service law dates back to Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign (1925-1941) and was suitable for that time. Many experts believe that military and war methods have changed significantly since that time and what is really needed for Iran is an army composed of professional soldiers.
In conclusion, the military service law significantly impacts opportunities for young people in other areas, such as marriage, civic participation, housing and employment. Organizations and initiatives addressing Middle Eastern youth should include addressing the issue of compulsory military service as a top priority. In order for Middle Eastern countries to truly develop, their policies must develop as well to address changing realities. This can happen in the near future under the leadership of a new generation of talented young people from these countries.
From Yasser Salimi on 12 September 2008, 09:00
I agree that military service is good for personal development of the individual, but not everyone should be required to defend the country. Everyone has their own role in society that is important for the country, and if we force everyone to enter into military service for two years, other sectors would be harmed. Also, the army could not possibly benefit from so many people with only two months of training.
Before the revolution in Iran, women had to complete military service. Now, we have no women in the army and only a few police women.