Non-Monogamies+in+Iran

=**Iran**= toc

**Introduction**
The last decade has seen an increase in scholarly interest in Iranian sexualities (Chann, 2009). Perhaps one reason is that today's youth in Iran are “generationally distinct” from previous youth cultures: a major difference is that “rather than ideological devotions, sexuality is the ideological and practical construct around which youth social identity is being shaped” (Sadeghi, 2010, p. 275). Specifically, due to Iranian political changes, sexuality has shifted to occur mostly in private spheres. This shift resulted in a “more precocious sexuality among the new generations” (p. 279). Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the official religion of the country has been [|Shia Islam]. Islamic literature states that “any sexual relation outside marriage or concubinage is reprehensible” (Bouhdiba, 1985, p. 15). Concubinage refers to a relationship in which the individuals have an ongoing relationship but are not married; in Iran this usually takes the form of legalized temporary marriage. Officially named the Islamic Republic of Iran and often referred to as Persia, the country's culture and sexual diversity expands beyond the realm of legalities.

**Polygamy**
Iran adopted the Family Protection Law in 1967 with revisions in 1975. Among other things, this law raised the minimum age for marriage and expanded divorce rights to include not only men but also women. Most notably, the law banned the practice of polygamy, allowing individual exceptions that required court approval. The Family Protection Law, however, was repealed in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution (Tohidi, 1991, p. 253). While polygamy is currently legal in Iran, allowing men to have up to four wives, it is generally frowned upon by most people in urban areas of the country (Elmi, 2014). In addition to polygamy, the practice of temporary marriage, or //sigheh//, is allowed in Iran. Unlike permanent marriage, there are no legal limits to how many //sighehs// a man can have. One theorist highlights these practices as commoditization of Iranian female sexuality, likening permanent and temporary marriages as “sale and lease options” respectively (Moghadam, 1994, p. 85).

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**A Sexual Revolution?**
Of course, polygamy is not the only form of non-monogamy practiced in Iran. Some outsiders might assume that "an open relationship is more compatible with Western and free societies. But recently it has become more acceptable for some Iranians” (Elmi, 2014). Some scholars argue that Iran is currently experiencing a sexual revolution, in which young people are centering their lives around sex and partying, despite strict political repression. Additionally, the more recent context of the [|Green Movement] has popularized protest in Iran and has opened doors to conversations about political and social conditions.

In a study of young people in Tehran, most reported having been sexually active before marriage, including some histories of casual sex. Furthermore, out of 20 married young adults, more than half had sex outside of their marriage (Mahdavi, 2007, p. 451). In addition to premarital and extramarital sex, Mahdavi (2007) also noted that some study participants had participated in group sex: “I witnessed many 'orgies' at private homes, where couples and singles would attend to engage in a group dynamic (p. 452). Legally, however, non-mongamous relationships are still not state sanctioned. In some instances women can be stoned to death if convicted of adultery (Tohidi, 1991, p. 254). Despite the aforementioned emphasis on sexuality in contemporary Iran youth culture and the possibilities inherent to the Green Movement, there is still a “sense of fear among the youth that does not allow them to behave freely within public spaces” (p. 280).