The Western Focus

The most popular sight for visitors in Tehran is no bazaar or mausoleum, or even the recognizable Azadi monument, but rather Iranian women (though if you combine both like to the right, you win a Pulitzer).

The elusive Iranian woman, despite making up only half of the Iranian population, has become the darling of the Western press. Her makeup, her dress, her vote, even her Michelle Obama-ness have become the main barometer to judge Iranian reform, even more so than say, times the Supreme Leader decides not to issue a fatwa.

Turkish secularists too argue that a headscarf is a sign of backwardness and the attempt to remove it, embracing modernity. Yet the same cameras that love pictures of Iranian women trying to uncover also give us pictures like this:

The pictures above usually accompany an email titled “the real reason why Turkey lost to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup,” though the real reason was steroids.

And so, Top 5 reasons why the West selectively focuses on similarities with Iran and differences with Turkey:

5. Iran is a religious state oppressing secular-minded people, Turkey a secular state oppressing the religious-minded and dammit, oppressed people just look better on camera

4. Turkey tries hard to be recognized as a Western state, and it’s up to journalists to point out how it isn’t. Iran tries hard to be recognized as crazy, and it’s up to journalists to point out how it isn’t

3. Iran has a Nobel peace prize, Turkey a literature one (Ironically, Iran isn’t too good at peace, Turkey at freedom of expression). Everybody knows peace gets bragging rights over books

2. Every positive article on Iran gets you a 10 percent discount on the purchase of your next Persian rug

1. Oil buys you more friends