Thousands of Iranian women are lining up for free motorcycle classes. The sudden craze is in response to an unusual ad in some Iranian newspapers last week, featuring a woman riding a scooter wearing a helmet and fully covered from head to toe. They've been driving cars for decades, but after the 1979 Islamic revolution, hard-line clerics decided it was inappropriate for women to ride bikes or motorcycles. But women have been challenging such bans since moderate President Mohammad Khatami came to power in 1997. Women's activists don't foresee problems for women riding motorbikes -- an ideal form of transport in the traffic-clogged streets of Tehran. The conservatives may be accepting now, but wait until they see their first Harley-Davidson.
Easy Rider
Thousands of Iranian women are lining up for free motorcycle classes. The sudden craze is in response to an unusual ad in some Iranian newspapers last week, featuring a woman riding a scooter wearing a helmet and fully covered from head to toe. They've been driving cars for decades, but after the 1979 Islamic revolution, hard-line clerics decided it was inappropriate for women to ride bikes or motorcycles. But women have been challenging such bans since moderate President Mohammad Khatami came to power in 1997. Women's activists don't foresee problems for women riding motorbikes -- an ideal form of transport in the traffic-clogged streets of Tehran. The conservatives may be accepting now, but wait until they see their first Harley-Davidson.
