Azadeh Moaveni
On the streets of Tehran today, tens of thousands of Iranians chanted at a mass rally marking 30 years since Islamic revolution toppled the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran.
Iranian-American journalist Azadeh Moaveni watches the anniversary with a special perspective.
Born in California, she went back to Iran as a young woman for Time magazine. She wrote “Lipstick Jihad,” saw the rise of Ahmadinejad, saw Iranian longing for pride and freedom. She fell in love, got pregnant, got married, got out.
This hour, On Point: Azadeh Moaveni and her candid, conflicted view of modern Iran.
You can join the conversation. How do you see Iran? What’s your question about the complex country behind the “death to America” chants? Share your thoughts.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guest:
Joining us from London is Azadeh Moaveni, contributing writer on Iran and the Middle East for Time magazine. She spent two years in Iran, from 2005 to 2007, and just returned from three weeks there at the first of the year. She is author of “Lipstick Jihad” and of “Iran Awakening,” with Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. Her new book is “Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran.” You can read excerpts at RandomHouse.com.
More links:
In a recent piece for The Wall Street Journal, Moaveni wrote that Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi has been targeted recently by the Ahmadinejad regime.
In The Washington Post, she wrote about Iranians’ reactions to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
And on a somewhat lighter note, she wrote recently for The New York Times Magazine about her effort to serve alcohol at her Tehran wedding.
Tags: books, culture, foreign affairs, Iran
I understand that reform candidates did hold power under the current regime, only to see their candidates defeated by the current regime. Is their fall solely attributable to religious authorities? Or is there room for self criticism, perhaps losing touch with the less prosperous, less Western under classes?
Posted by Bart, on February 10th, 2009 at 11:26 am ESTI finished her book ‘Lipstick Jihad’ last week, and loved it. I have always enjoyed reading about Iran/Persia, and her piece in the NYTimes Sunday magazine led me to her book.
Posted by Madhulika, on February 10th, 2009 at 11:27 am ESTI love her feminist sense of self and freedom, and I understand her sense of belonging and pride with Iran. It was a very useful book for me as I an Indian of similar circumstance (and yes in free India, they still lead double lives) raise a 10 year old daughter in this country. I had borrowed it from the library, but ordered it online and told my daughter that I had found her a role model!! She looked at the cover and said “Lipstick??” “I hate lipstick!” Lovely book.
It seems that there needs to be a consciousness of the particular class-based analysis that Moaveni presents. One of the biggest problems with her story is that while it is a portrayal of “real Iran,” it is not the “real Iran” that forms the base of Ahmadinejad’s support. To what degree is there an element of wishful thinking here, the fact that Ms. Moaveni’s observations are limited to the limited circle of Tehrani upper classes and from there, a projection to the rest of society, the majority of which is NOT contrary to her assertion a “secular” people? If that is the case, how would a widening of this circle change her analysis of “Iranian discontent” with the current presidency?
Posted by Laleh, on February 10th, 2009 at 11:30 am ESTHow do critics like Azadeh keep from being used by people in the US and other parts of the world who would have no problem killing thousands of Iranians to acheive regime change and are always looking for excuses to do so?
Posted by Peter, on February 10th, 2009 at 11:52 am ESTI’m wondering if Azedah has seen the project, “Pictures of You: Images from Iran” by Tom Laughlin and if so, what she thinks of this work. It seems like another step along a similar path.
Posted by Brendan, on February 11th, 2009 at 6:33 pm ESTMoaveni’s depiction of Iran is from the vantage point of the wealthiest enclaves of north Tehran. She noted that when she returned to Iran she expected people to “be up all night, not have to work….” Her family and that of her husband are of the wealthiest and most powerful elites that had to flee Iran after the revolution. She never references the poor, rural and religious majorities. Her expectation that Khatemi would win with “at least 70% of the vote” only underlines her warped perspective.
Posted by David, on February 12th, 2009 at 9:57 am ESTI would have liked to know if Azadeh Moaveni reads and writes Persian.
In any case, her concern for the people of Gaza is touching.
I must have been naïve to think that she (or Tom) would mention Zahra Kazemi; I suppose she is more interested in lipstick.
Posted by Atom Fourmi, on February 15th, 2009 at 10:35 pm ESTI lived in Tehran during the Final years of the Shah’s rein
I just finished Honeymoon In Tehran and Just loved it
The Book provided me great insight and info on a place I have fine Memories of .
Great Book
Posted by james schulz, on February 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pm EST