Bad joke lands prominent Iranian comedian in deep trouble
A prominent Iranian TV comedian has found himself under heavy fire after ridiculing men who grant their wives divorces.
TEHRAN, Iran — Prominent Iranian comedian, actor and television director Mehran Modiri has come under harsh criticism over comments on women and divorces. In a five-minute bit during his standup comedy show that aired on state TV in December, Modiri ridiculed Iranian men who at the time of the marriage agree to grant their wives the right to divorce, saying, “Sometimes men get carried away.”
When some Iranian men sign their marriage certificates, they choose to stipulate that their wives, just like themselves, have the right to file for divorce and separate at any time they wish.
Divorce rights are addressed in Articles 1119, 1129, 1130 and 1133 of Iran’s Civil Code. The law allows an Iranian woman to file for divorce if her husband refrains from paying the dowry he promised her, or if he is absent without a justifiable reason for six consecutive months or nine total months in a period of one year, if he is an addict, if he is sentenced to jail for a period of at least five years, if he engages in physical abuse or if he has an incurable disease.
Modiri’s remarks sparked a backlash on social media networks targeting his latest TV series "Dorehami," "Gathering." Criticizing the comedian, Twitter and Telegram users have described his attitude toward divorce as misogynistic. On Twitter, #righttodivorce, #dorehami and #mehranmodiri quickly became popular hashtags. One Iranian Twitter user wrote, “Granting a woman a divorce is not getting carried away or a joke, but the legal restoration of her rights as a human being.”
