He chose jail over disowning his sister — and set an example for all his countrymen
A steadfast brother shows that men have a role in the liberation of Iran’s women. Read more (Washington Post)
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There are two types of hijabs. The difference is huge.
There are two vastly different kinds of hijabs: the democratic hijab, the head covering that a woman chooses to wear, and the tyrannical hijab, the one that a woman is forced to wear. In the first kind, a woman has agency. She sets the terms of her hijab, appearing as ascetic or as appealing as …
There are two types of hijabs. The difference is huge. Read More »
Persian Rice: 1 of Tablet Magazine’s 100 Most Jewish Foods
Tablet – “For all the love lavished upon lumpy Ashkenazi darlings such as the bagel, kugel, or matzo ball, it is indeed Persian rice that, if it came down to it (for it always does), could serve as the Jewish people’s most fitting alimentary metaphor. Lean, distinct grains, negligible on their own, become gastronomically substantial …
Persian Rice: 1 of Tablet Magazine’s 100 Most Jewish Foods Read More »
From Victim to Citizen
I’ve been wondering how tyrannies turn their citizens against each other, and more specifically, by what mechanism some in my own community of expatriate Iranians have become mistrustful and suspicious of each other. All of these ideas occurred to me
Why the US Should Support Iran Protesters
Reuters – In recent weeks, Iran has again been in the throes of an uprising. Signs of the regime change America had long hoped to see are on the horizon. In the unlikeliest cities — once the strongholds of the conservatives — Iranians have taken to the streets, demanding, not just reform, but a referendum. A …
Download Roya’s Favorite Essays (PDF)
The “Portable Roya” contains some of Roya’s most memorable works, including pieces in The New York Times, POLITICO, and the World Affairs Journal. The Portable Rota (PDF)
Women Are Winners in This Rivalry
The New York Times International Weekly – The escalating rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia has alarmed foreign policy experts who believe that it could further destabilize the region. But feminists have reason to rejoice. In the competition between the two regimes to earn the mantle of the more moderate Islamic alternative, women have been the beneficiaries. …
Women are right to boycott Iran’s chess tournament
POLITICO – Not since 1979, when leading American feminist Kate Millett joined thousands of women in protest of Iran’s revolutionary officials’ plan to reinstitute mandatory veiling, have Iranian women had a global advocate. That changed this September, when Georgian-American chess champion Nazi Paikidze announced she would not don the hijab to attend the 2017 World …
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Commentary: An Iranian refugee on becoming American – legally, then in spirit
Reuters – It’s lucky that my mother and I were admitted as refugees to America before the topic of immigration became so contentious. If the current laws were to change to add skills or financial requirements, we could have never gotten in. Hell, I myself, a bitter teenager then, thought us perfectly useless and was …
Commentary: An Iranian refugee on becoming American – legally, then in spirit Read More »
A Cappuccino With the C.I.A.
New York Times – NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The invitation came in an email, written in the ingratiating tone of the Nigerian prince looking to wire his millions into my checking account, and delivered the same jolt of giddy disbelief: Officers of the Near East Affinity Group at the Central Intelligence Agency wanted me to …