According to the speaker, Islam informs______. [originaltext] What is life rea

What is life really like in Iran?
   We can’t talk about Iran without talking about Islam — the religion is practiced by about 99 percent of the population and informs government policy, social structure, schooling — it is an integral part of both public and private spheres. If you’re a kid growing up in Iran, you likely go to school with kids of your sex only and receive about 2 hours of instruction on the Koran per week. Gender segregation in schools has been the norm since the 80s, but even before then you’d likely ascribe to more traditional gender roles. For example, young men but not young women, must go through mandatory military instruction in school. And men, but not women, are required to serve in the military after they turn 18.
   And upon graduation, some boys do so. Other graduates move on to a university, get married or try to find a job. But many have trouble. About 1 in 4 youths is unemployed in Iran. And this has been the case for some time now. The country’s struggling economy means half of its citizens lack sufficient money for food and shelter. This affects what they eat, feel and do on an everyday basis. The majority report feeling sadness, anger and worry throughout much of their day. Economists argue the government’s mismanagement, its reliance on oil, and history of sanctions resulting from their nuclear program have greatly contributed to this situation. Clearly, the hope today is that the lifts on sanctions will help change this.
   But what will likely stay the same is the influence of traditional Islamic values in government. Women are required to wear the hijab in public spaces and can be fined and imprisoned for not wearing one. Cohabitation is also illegal. Couples who do manage to cohabitate, report that they are constantly moving to escape criticism and avoid arrest.
   The country is in an almost constant state of tension between tradition and globalization. Though the vast majority speak Persian (aka Farsi), the number of English speakers is growing and there is a strong push for English instruction in schools, for example. And while the Iranian government controls the media and does not allow private, independent broadcasters, Iranians find ways around this — with illegal satellite dishes and, well, the Internet.