Iranian womens' never stopping push for identity

KARAJ, IRAN – The rewards are great - and the disappointments as powerful as any felt by firefighters around the world. But at Station No. 9 in Karaj, west of Tehran, a small unit prides itself on being like few others: the only squad of women firefighters in the Middle East... .

Sure it is not even nearly enough, but I'm glad it is there especially when considering this:

Finding a balance between Islam and gender issues is easier in Iran than in some other Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, where women are not allowed to drive, much less hold office.

And that's only because Iranian women are constantly resisting the oppression and are pushing to preserve their identity.

A women's unit might have made a difference in the holy city of Mecca in March 2002, during a blaze at a girls' school. Some 15 girls died and 50 were injured when Saudi religious police, according to eyewitnesses, beat the girls and kept them from leaving the burning building because they were not wearing "correct" Islamic dress.

And.. Saudi Arabia is one of the greatest Middle-Eastern allies of which "democracy loving/promoting" government? Absolutely; you guessed it right.