Prostitution in Iran

Historically, prostitution in Persia was connected to the history of slavery in Iran. Since the principle of concubinage in Islam in Islamic Law allowed a man to have intercourse with his female slave, prostitution was practiced by a pimp selling his female slave on the slave market to a client, who was allowed to have intercourse with her as her new owner, and who after intercourse returned his ownership of her to her pimp on the pretext of discontent, which was a legal and accepted method for prostitution in the Islamic world.B. Belli, "Registered female prostitution in the Ottoman Empire (1876-1909)," Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2020. p 56

During the reign of Nassredin Shah (r. 1848–1896), Vali Khan described female prostitutes, termed favahesh, and male prostitutes called amrads.Papoli-Yazdi, L., Dezhamkhooy, M. (2021). Homogenization, Gender and Everyday Life in Pre- and Trans-modern Iran: An Archaeological Reading. Tyskland: Waxmann Verlag GmbH. p.52

Brothels are mentioned but it was more common for prostitutes to meet clients on an individual basis, and male prostitutes often med their male clients in coffee houses and bath houses, and were sometimes supported in a permanent basis by a client.Papoli-Yazdi, L., Dezhamkhooy, M. (2021). Homogenization, Gender and Everyday Life in Pre- and Trans-modern Iran: An Archaeological Reading. Tyskland: Waxmann Verlag GmbH. p.53-56

Brothels were sometimes accepted and taxed by the authorities; brothels for male prostitutes were called amrad khaneh.

In the 1920s, Reza Shah (r. 1925–1941) confined prostitution to separate neighborhoods, such as Shahr-e No in Tehran, a system which remained until the Iranian Revolution in 1979.Papoli-Yazdi, L., Dezhamkhooy, M. (2021). Homogenization, Gender and Everyday Life in Pre- and Trans-modern Iran: An Archaeological Reading. Tyskland: Waxmann Verlag GmbH.

The new religious government demolished the district and punished prostitution with lashing.{{cite web| last = Fath | first = Nazila | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/28/world/to-regulate-prostitution-iran-ponders-brothels.html |title=To Regulate Prostitution, Iran Ponders Brothels |work=The New York Times |date=28 August 2002 |access-date=21 November 2011}} Establishing brothels is also a criminal act, subject to 1–10 years imprisonment, if not subject to death sentence.{{Cite FTP |last1=ZAHARIE|first1=Cristian Giuseppe|title=THE LEGAL REGIME OF PROSTITUTION ON THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES|url=ftp://ftp.repec.org/opt/ReDIF/RePEc/rau/clieui/SP14/CLI-SP14-A5.pdf|server=Romanian-American University|access-date=14 April 2018}}

After the 1979 revolution, Prostitutes are visible on street corners of the major cities. Many of them are runaways from poor and broken homes.{{cite news |date=16 October 2003 |title=Shorn of dignity and equality |newspaper=The Economist |url=http://www.economist.com/node/2137652 |access-date=21 November 2011}}{{cite news |date=6 July 2000 |title=Drugs and prostitution 'soar' in Iran |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/822312.stm |access-date=12 January 2011}}

From the 1990s, Dubai became famous in the United Arab Emirates as a place for the sex trade of Iranian women, but it was from the late 2000s that other countries neighboring Iran, including Turkey, Georgia, and Iraqi Kurdistan, had a high number of Iranian female prostitutes hosted. After this, Iranian women quickly became more popular throughout the region for prostitution. The income of Iranian prostitutes in neighboring countries is considered high but risky.{{Cite web |last=Rostami |first=Nilofar |title=چه‌‌طور می‌توانیم از باندهای قاچاق زنان ایرانی شکایت کنیم؟ |url=https://iranwire.com/fa/practical-resources/30389 |website=iranwire.com}}

In 2002, the moderate Iranian newspaper Entekhab estimated that there were close to 85,000 prostitutes in Tehran alone.{{cite web |last=Lapidos |first=Juliet |date=23 April 2008 |title=How to Spot a Persian Prostitute |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2189816/ |access-date=21 November 2011 |publisher=Slate}} Prostitution is rampant in Tehran; "the streets are full of working girls ... part of the landscape, blending in with everything else."{{cite news |author=Larry Getlan |date=30 August 2014 |title=Inside modern Iran, where porn and prostitution are rampant |newspaper=New York Post |url=https://nypost.com/2014/08/30/inside-modern-iran-where-porn-and-prostitution-are-rampant/}}

In 2008, General Reza Zarei, the Tehran police chief, was arrested in a brothel with six prostitutes.{{cite news |date=28 April 2008 |title=Prostitute Scandal Rattles Tehran Government |work=Spiegel Online International |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,550156,00.html |access-date=6 January 2011}} His arrest caused embarrassment for the government of President Ahmadinejad because Zarei was in charge of vice in Tehran. The prosecutor in the case remarked that Zarei exploited his office to profit materially from prostitution.

In the 2010s, The "white skin" of Iranian women and the "large size of their hips" became famous in the Middle East and later became an internet meme.

According to Farahnaz Salimi, head of Aaftaab Society, an NGO for social damages controlling and prevention, there are about 10,000 female sex workers in Tehran. Among these sex workers, there are married women or female clerks, too. According to her reports, the average price of having sex with sex workers is 600,000 rials (60,000 tomans which is about US$14.28). The price can be as high as some hundred thousand tomans (= some million rials) for a night. The lowest price is 50,000 rials (= 5,000 tomans).{{Cite web |last=نیوز |first=اخبار روز ایران و جهان {{!}} آفتاب |title=۱۰ هزار "تن فروش" در تهران از متأهل تا کارمند/ارتباط جنسی برای عبور از بوروکراسی اداری |url=http://aftabnews.ir/fa/news/374016 |access-date=27 September 2019 |website=fa |language=fa}}{{cite web |date=3 August 2016 |title=تن‌فروشی به‌خاطر پنج‌هزار تومان |trans-title=Prostitution for $ 5,000 |url=https://www.radiozamaneh.com/282680 |website=Radio Zamaneh}} (Price information is based on currency exchange rates of spring 2016).

In 2017 it was estimated that there were 228,700 prostitutes in Iran and that the number was on the rise.

Another report in 2021, said prostitution in Iran became more widespread using the Internet and some websites listed millions of women from all over Iran.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-13 |title=افشاگری یک رسانه درباره تن‌فروشی میلیون‌ها زن روسپی در ایران |url=https://farsi.alarabiya.net/2021/04/13/%DA%86%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B2%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%BA%D9%88%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%9F |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=العربیه فارسی |language=fa}}

{{Main|Nikah mut‘ah}}

{{see also| Women in Iran}}

While prostitution is illegal in Iran, the Shiah institution of Nikah mut‘ah (temporary marriage, usually called Sigheh in Iran) allows contractual short-term relations between the sexes. Usually, a dowry is given to the temporary wife. Sigheh can last from 3 days to 99 years (although some Islamic scholars (mujtahids), say that it is impossible to marry a person, as temporary marriage, for a period of time that is longer than the average life-time of a person);Resaaleye Daneshjouyi; Porsesh-ha va Pasokh-ha. Motaabeghe Nazar-e 10 Tan az Maraaje'e Ezaam. رساله دانشجویی؛ پرسش ها و پاسخ ها. مطابق نظر ده تن از مراجع عظام. Ma'aaref Publication. Student's Risalah. Questions and Answers. Compatible with the Fatwa of Ten People of Marja's. {{ISBN|978-964-531-307-2}}. p 223. it expires automatically without divorce. According to a number of scholars and Iranians, Sigheh is being misused as a legal cover for prostitution in Iran.Andreeva, Elena (2007). Russia and Iran in the great game: travelogues and Orientalism. Routledge studies in Middle Eastern history. 8. Psychology Press. pp. 162–163. {{ISBN|0415771536}}. "Most of the travelers describe the Shi'i institution of temporary marriage (sigheh) as 'legalized profligacy' and hardly distinguish between temporary marriage and prostitution."Haeri, Shahla (1989). Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage in Shi'i Iran. Contemporary Issues in the Middle East. Syracuse University Press''. p. x. {{ISBN|0815624832}}. "Outside of the religious establishment and the ongoing disputes between Shi'i and Sunni scholars, the attitude toward temporary marriage has been primarily one of ambivalence and disdain. Before the revolution of 1979, the secular Iranian middle classes dismissed temporary marriage as a form of prostitution that had been legitimized by the religious establishment, who, to use a popular Persian expression, 'put a religious hat on it.'" Religious people argue that Islamic temporary marriage is different from prostitution for a couple of reasons, including the necessity of iddah in case the couple have sexual intercourse. It means that if a woman marries a man in this way and has sex, she has to wait for a certain period of time before marrying again and therefore, a woman cannot marry more than a limited number of times in a year.[https://www.al-islam.org/shiite-encyclopedia-ahlul-bayt-dilp-team/temporary-marriage-islam-part-6-similarities-and Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 6: Similarities and Differences of Mut’a and Regular Marriage | A Shi'ite Encyclopedia | Books on Islam and Muslims | Al-Islam.org]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161230205404/https://www.al-islam.org/shiite-encyclopedia-ahlul-bayt-dilp-team/temporary-marriage-islam-part-6-similarities-and Permanent archived link].{{cite web|url=http://www.shiachat.com/forum/topic/235001730-iddah-of-mutah/|title=Iddah Of Mutah|website=ShiaChat.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sistani.org/english/book/48/2350/|title=Marriage " Mut'ah (temporary marriage) - Islamic Laws - The Official Website of the Office of His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani|website=www.sistani.org}}{{cite web|url=https://www.al-islam.org/a-summary-of-rulings-makarim-shirazi/rules-matrimony-and-marriage|title=The Rules in Matrimony and Marriage|website=Al-Islam.org|date=3 October 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/16461/how-is-mutah-different-from-prostitution-from-a-non-muslim-point-of-view|title=How is Mutah different from prostitution (from a non-Muslim point of view)?|website=islam.stackexchange.com}}{{cite web|url=http://english.bayynat.org.lb/QA/1a.htm|title=Marriage|website=english.bayynat.org.lb}} It has been reported that the number of temporary marriages entered into is on the increase.

On 15 July 2016, Ali Akbar Sayyari, the healthcare affairs' Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, informed the public about improving and/or establishing (depending on the area and place in the country) 'drop-in centers' and 'voluntary counseling and testing' centers for the female sex workers. These centers provide disease prevention tools and examine the sex workers for STDs. They also provide counselling.[http://irinn.ir/news/166906/%d8%a7%db%8c%d8%ac%d8%a7%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a7%da%a9%d8%b2-%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%aa%db%8c-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%b2%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b3%d9%be%db%8c ایجاد مراکز بهداشتی برای زنان روسپی]. Islamic Republic of Iran News Network. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160717190510/http://www.irinn.ir/news/166906/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%BE%DB%8C Permanent Archived Link]. Retrieved and Archived on 15 July 2016. Translation of the Title: Creating Healthcare Centers for Female Sex Workers. Quoted from IRNA.

{{see also|Human trafficking in Iran}}

Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Organized groups reportedly subject Iranian women, boys, and girls to sex trafficking in Iran, Afghanistan, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Europe. Some Iranian women, who seek employment to support their families in Iran, are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Iranian girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are targeted by traffickers for sale abroad; younger girls may be forced into domestic service until their traffickers consider them old enough to be subjected to child sex trafficking. In 2016, there was a reported increase in young Iranian women in prostitution in Dubai; some of these women may be trafficking victims. From 2009 to 2015, the transport of girls from and through Iran en route to other Persian Gulf states for sexual exploitation reportedly increased. Iranian girls were subjected to sex trafficking in brothels in the IKR, especially Sulaimaniya; in some cases this exploitation was facilitated by Iranian trafficking networks. In 2015, the media reported Kurdistan Regional Government officials were among the clients of these brothels. In Tehran, Tabriz, and Astara, the number of teenage girls exploited in sex trafficking reportedly continues to increase. Afghan migrants and refugees, including children, are highly vulnerable to sex trafficking.{{cite web |title=Iran 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report |url=https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271207.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703181309/https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271207.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2017 |website=U.S. Department of State |access-date=24 June 2018}}{{PD-notice}}

In 2007, the United States State Department placed Iran as a "Tier 2" in its annual Trafficking in Persons reports, stating that "it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so".{{cite web |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2004/33195.htm |title= Trafficking in Persons Report |date=25 February 2009 |website=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=20 December 2009}} In 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downgraded Iran to "Tier 3", noting that the country makes no significant effort to solve trafficking problems, mainly in relation to prostitution and forced labor.{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142759.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617151358/http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142759.htm|url-status=dead |archive-date=17 June 2010|title=Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 |author=Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor |year=2010 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=6 January 2011}}

Chinese, Thai, and other foreign women are forced to engage in prostitution under the acquiescence of religious leaders in Iran.{{Cite web|title=Iran|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/iran/|access-date=2022-01-03|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US}}

Tehran Taboo,{{Cite web |title='Tehran Taboo': Vice and virtue in Iran's capital |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/09/middleeast/tehran-taboo-film/index.html |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=CNN |language=en}} and a number of new works pictured the prostitution in Iran.

The novel "Parrot" written by Zakaria Hashemi, the series of photos by Kaveh Golestan and the movie "Castle" by Kamran Shirdel also mentioned and pictured the prostitution in the country.{{Cite web |title=‮فرهنگ و هنر‬ - BBC ‮فارسی‬ - ‮شهر نو؛ روایتی دیگر از زنان تن‌فروش |url=https://www.bbc.com/persian/arts/2013/01/130106_l44_shahreno_book_review |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=www.bbc.com |language=fa}}

• Chastity House
• Crime in Iran
• Healthcare in Iran
• Prostitution in Asia
• Boot fetishism
• Saeed Hanaei

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