Skiers Breathe Freer Than Others in Iran
D I Z I N, Iran, Feb. 21 -- — Iran's most famous ski resort is 90 minutes away from the capital of Tehran, but worlds apart from the country's conservative Muslim society.
Nearly everywhere in Iran, the strict Islamic code forces women to cover themselves nearly head to toe and the genders to separate in public. But in Dizin, the rules do not apply. Especially for young Iranians, it is a refuge from the country's notorious morals police.
A female skier told ABCNEWS it is nice to be able to go to the resort and have a little bit more relaxation.
"That's part of the reason that we come," she said. "Partly to ski and partly to just have a good time breathing."
Limited Freedom
Some things still are taboo. For instance, alcohol is forbidden in Dizin.
But what is allowed there, right down to the pop music played on the same speakers as the noon prayers, is acceptable in public almost nowhere else in Iran.
The relaxation could not happen without the knowledge of the country's hard-line religious leaders. Many at the resort told ABCNEWS privately they believe the government is trying to distract them from continuing restrictions on political reform.
"I think that they're well aware of it," a male skier said. "It's been awarded by them and there's reasons behind it."
It wasn't always so. Just after Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979, many ski resorts were closed. Skiing was believed to be un-Islamic. When they reopened in the 1990s, skiers had to follow strict Islamic rules on the slopes.
The young Iranians who go to Dizin belong to a very select group. Skiing is expensive. And the relative freedom allowed at the resort is available almost exclusively to the wealthy.
"This place, the people come here to have fun, just to be free," one skier said, "and they don't want to hurt nobody, and they don't want to be hurt."
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