Journalist and author of Lipstick Jihad
Posted in Journal on Sep 8th, 2007
The very excellent National Iranian American Council (NIAC) headed by my friend Trita Parsi yesterday alerted us that a publication called the Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday published a political cartoon depicting Iran as a sewer and Iranians as cockroaches. I must admit the crudity of the racism sort of took my breath away. I used [...]
Posted in Journal on Jun 4th, 2007
I’m no expert in Iranian classical music, but I do know that Ostad Mohammad Reza Lotfi is a divine composer and tar player, and that I can listen to his performances for hours, rapt with admiration. I’ve written previously in TIME about how fascinating I find his recent return to Iran, especially his efforts in [...]
Posted in Journal on Apr 12th, 2007
Having written previously in TIME about baby names banned under the Islamic Republic, I now feel obliged to share my recent discovery that a handful of names were also banned in Shah-era Iran. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi forbade certain common Farsi names such as Amir (prince) or Homayoun (imperial), whose literal meanings made them, in his [...]
Posted in Journal on Mar 16th, 2007
Who knew 300 was such a big deal! When I wrote my story on Iranian reaction to the film a few days ago, I imagined it was a mildly popular sandal epic. But judging from its box office sales and the fascination with how the movie has been received in Iran, it’s apparently at least [...]
Posted in Journal on Feb 21st, 2007
Late last year, I sat sipping coffee at an ultra-modern shopping mall in Dubai, watching Iranian women on holiday glide past me with shopping bags and euphoric expressions. Although it was gulf-hot outside, many were dressed as they would be in Tehran, in snug coats known as manteau and gem-colored head scarves, an ensemble that [...]