Masquerade party

In Iran thare are no places open to the public where to go out at night to drink. Therefore, people meet in private houses to have parties very often, where alchool is not difficult to find (at least this is what I was told).

One night in Teheran Forough and Sadraa invited us to a birthday party at some friends' house. It was quite a big party, with a lot of guests and a lot of food (but no alcohol, because the householder was a strict muslim in this regard).

After the meal, a cake was brought to the room. And then a strange thing happened: one of the guests  started dancing with the big knife to cut the cake in his hands. And the rest of of the guests, one by one for few minutes each, followed! Only when they stopped, we could eat.

The party was a masquearade party, and at one point we had to decide the best costume. I found most of the costumes very funny (and incomprehensible), but I gave my vote to one in particular: a basiji costume. Basiji is the name of the paramilitary militia directly controlled by Khamenei. The Basiji militia leads the repression against regime opponents and often attacks participants in the protest demonstrations.

All the guests had a terrible opinion of the regime and some of them (or some of their relatives and friends) had personally suffered the consequences of their political activism. Anyway, they were able to make fun of one of the most frightful institutions. It is probably something you learn to do, when you live in a situation of constant fear. It is a way to show yourself (and the others) that they have not defeated you yet.