Perspective, Spring 2016 by Perspective Magazine

PERSPECTIVE

Iranian Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cultural Organization Published Since 1995

University of California, Berkeley Spring 2016

Perspective 1

a letter from the editors Dear Reader, Nowruzetan mobarak! Happy New Year! We hope that you are setting up your haft seen, finishing your khane tekani, and preparing to celebrate with friends and family. Nowruz celebrates the start of spring and marks the start of the new year in the Iranian calendar. It is a time of self-reflection, a time in which we set aside any difficulties from the past year and look instead towards the promise of the future. In other words, it is a time of new beginnings. We have chosen to dedicate this semester’s issue of Perspective Magazine to the idea of new beginnings. This year, not only does Nowruz present us with the opportunity to start fresh, but the unique historical moment we are faced with as Iranian-Americans provides us with the opportunity of a lifetime to redefine our identities. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known colloquially as the nuclear deal, has given Iran a new beginning for its relationship with the global community, the United States a new beginning for its relationship with the Middle East, and Iranian-Americans a new beginning to show each of our two cultures the other’s best qualities. Redefining the Iranian-American identity presents us with the challenge of seeking modernity while maintaining a strong connection to our history; this issue explores that challenge. From pieces about the Achaemenid Empire and the evolution of Persian food, to accounts of modern Iran’s tourism industry and family planning practices, the articles in this semester’s issue raise questions about what it means to be an Iranian-American today, at a moment in time when we are being forced to determine the balance between our ancient roots and our increasingly cosmopolitan future. Unfortunately, with new beginnings, there must also be some endings. And so it is with this issue that the two of us must say goodbye to Perspective Magazine and the friends we have made along the way. The connection we have found to the Iranian-American community and the conversations our magazine has helped facilitate over the years have given us more fulfilment than we could have ever anticipated when we joined Perspective’s staff almost four years ago. We can only hope that you have enjoyed reading the magazine as much as we have enjoyed working on it. If you are interested in getting involved with the publication, please send us an e-mail at perspective.mag@ gmail.com. We accept applications for new writers at the beginning of each semester, and we always welcome donations and advertisements. Warm regards, Nikta Daijavad and Sawhel Maali Co-Editors-in-Chief \\editors-in-chief\\Sawhel Maali|Nikta Daijavad\\layout editor\\Elizabeth Wu\\assistant editor-in-chief\\Nima Shajarian\\copy editors\\Kayvon Deldar|Marian Haidarali|Negin Shahiar|Vida Seyekazemi\\staff writers\\Paniz Amirnasiri|Neeka Mahdavi|Saalar Aghili|Saunon Malekshahi|Hanna Biabani|Azin Mirzaagha|Charlotte Laurence|Nikki Zangenah|Nikki Bayar|Shayaun Nejad|Leila Zarifi|Heather Dadashi

2 Perspective

table of contents Culture

If You’re From Iran, Then Why Are You Persian…? The New and the Old of the Persian New Year Tattooed in Iran, What Were You Th(inking)?

by Saalar Aghili by Azin Mirzaagha by Hanna Biabani

Food

Mehmooni at the Apadana: Food of Our Ancestors A Taste of the New Year Chicken Soup for the Iranian Soul

by Saunon Malekshahi by Leila Zarifi by Charlotte Laurence

10 11 12-13

by Sawhel Maali by Negin Shahiar

14-15 16-17

by Nikta Daijavad by Nima Shajarian

18-19 20

Behind JooJoo Azad: Interview with Hoda Katebi Back-and-Forth with Dr. Abbas Milani: Spotlight A Berkeley Lecture Series on Modernity in Iran Fostering Innovation: Interview with Pejman Nozad Gershad: Iran’s Tech-Savvy Youth Fight Back

4-5 6-7 8-9

History

The Drunken Courts of The Achaemenid Empire

by Shayaun Nejad

Feature

Highlighting the Overlooked Parts of Iran’s Government HR 158: A Consequence of Pressure From Opponents of the Nuclear Deal What It’s Like to Be a University Student in Iran Population Control: The New Wave of Empowerment for Iranian Families

by Kayvon Deldar by Vida Seyedkazemi by Azin Mirzaagha by Marian Haidarali

22 23 24 25

Opinion

The Crack of Dawn for the Tourism Industry in Iran From Persian Rejection to Persian Immersion Loving a Place I’ve Never Been Persian Stereotypes: True or False?

by Neeka Mahdavi by Paniz Amirnasiri by Heather Dadashi by Nikki Bayar

26 27 28 29

Art

Persian Poetry and Its Importance to Iranian Culture

by Nikki Zangenah

behind the cover: Photo by Omid Scheybani website: www.omidscheybani.com instagram: @omidscheybani Perspective 3

culture

If You’re From Iran, Then Why Are You Persian…?

eing an Iranian-American can be a big identity crisis for many people. With all the political circumstances surrounding the Iranian diaspora, affiliating with the current Islamic Republic has proven to be an issue for many Iranian-Americans. So, when non-Iranians 4 Perspective

By Saalar Aghili ask us about our origins or background, Iranian-Americans tend to either say “Persian” or “Iranian.” Consequently, hearing two different answers confuses many Americans. They constantly ask, “Wasn’t Persia just an ancient empire?” or “What’s the difference between Persian and Iranian?” Considering all

the factors that play into it, defining what it means to be Persian and what it means to be Iranian seems to have many gray areas. However, the answer is quite clear; it just requires a small geography lesson. Iran is considered to be a state, or “a sovereign, self-governing political entity.” Persia, on the oth-

culture er hand, is a nation, or “a group of people who feel bound by a common language, culture, religion, history, or ethnicity.” Today, the region of Persia, or Fars in Persian, is the province that holds Shiraz as its capital. That region is also the birthplace of the first major empire, the Achaemenids.[1] Being from Iran does not necessarily mean you are Persian. Iran is actually a multi-nation state where people of different nationalities, or ethnicities, live together under one form of government. While Iran is predominantly Persian, there are very large minorities in Iran, including, but not limited to: Azeris, Kurds, Turkmens, Arabs, etc. Persians represent about 61% of Iran’s population followed by Azeris (16%), Kurds (10%), and Lurs (6%).[2] The land that is called Iran today was previously called Persia in the West up until 1935, when Reza Pahlavi changed it to the ancient name and declared his state the Imperial Kingdom of Iran. Ever since the Islamic Republic of 1979, the Iranian constitution stands to protect ethnic minorities in Article 19: “All people of Iran, whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong, enjoy equal rights; and color, race, language, and the like, do not bestow any privilege.” Historically, many important figures in Iran have been a part of these minority communities and have played significant roles in politics, culture, and society. In 2009’s presidential election, two of the main candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, had ties to different ethnic minorities. Mousavi was a key player in the Revolution of 1979 and is from the province of East Azerbaijan, a province inhabited by Azeris. Karroubi is noted to be from Lurestan,

explaining his Lur heritage. Even the Supreme Leader, Iran’s most powerful man, is claimed to be half Azeri. Farah Diba, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s wife, was known for her Azeri background. Despite their key roles in the government, many minority groups still feel underrepresented in a Persian-centric society. Each ethnic group has its own strong history and culture, usually tied to its own language apart from Persian, the lingua franca of Iran. The Iranian constitution states “the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian.” Nevertheless, minority groups have claimed forced assimilation through prohibiting the instruction of local languages in schools. President Hassan

“Being from Iran does not necessarily mean you are Persian.” Rouhani used such issues as a part of his campaign and assured preservation of Arabic to tribal leaders in Ahwaz. Such promises led to high turnout in favor of the current reformist president in rural regions, showing the significance of such regional practices to these minority groups.[3] During the 20th century, many separatist movements occurred within Iran that were driven by ethnic minorities and supported by the Soviet Union. First, the Soviet Republic of Gilan was an unrecognized state in the northern Caspian coast that was founded in 1920 and lasted less than a year. Its motives were economic, but the region is predominantly inhabited by Gilakis, who have their own cuisine, language, and customs. By the time of the Pahlavi Dynasty, the Republic of Mahabad and Azerbaijan People’s

Government were formed with assistance from the Soviets for expansion of the Communist State. While the Republic of Mahabad was Kurdish dominated and Azerbaijan People’s Government was an Azeri movement, both were in Iran’s northwest, where the country was previously occupied by Allied forces during World War II. Both separatist movements were dissolved by 1947 and the attempts at secession were decimated.[4] Even with the Islamic Revolution of 1979, separatism is still very active in Iran. Kurds have actively attempted to retain independence in Iran since 1918. Similarly, Azerbaijanis have expressed some sentiments favoring secession to the state of Azerbaijan. Ultimately, being Iranian and being Persian are different. You can be an Iranian-Kurd or Iranian-Arab and have no ties to Persian culture. Many of these minority groups don’t want anything to do with the state of Iran. When looking at the diaspora of Iran, though, even Persians want no culture affiliation with the Islamic Republic. Those are the people that when asked, “Where are you from?” they usually answer, “I’m Persian,” and avoid the question completely. They don’t answer Iran because they know the response will spark an image of tyranny, extremism, and injustice formed by a Western perception of Iran. It’s the same perception that makes Iranian-Americans ashamed to call themselves Iranian and the same perception that has created a false image of Iranians. These are people who still celebrate Nowruz, speak Farsi at home, and eat rice daily; they have preserved their Persian culture and affiliation with the nation that forms their customs, but not with the political entity fabricated by human governance.

[1] “Glossary of Terms for Conflict Management and Peacebuilding.” State versus Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. [2] Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. [3] “The Iran Primer.” Iran Minorities 2: Ethnic Diversity. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. [4] Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. Perspective 5

culture

The New and the Old of the Persian New Year

By Azin Mirzaagha

or many people, New Year’s resolutions are either underway or have gone up in smoke. However, Iranians all around the world are getting their lists ready as they prepare for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, to bring in the year 1395. You may be wondering, “1395?” In Iran, the years are counted beginning from the time that the Islamic prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina, as in the Islamic calendar. The Iranian calendar is a solar calendar, much different from the Gregorian (Western) calendar. It is observation-based, following very exact astronomical calculations by Zoroastrian priests in ancient times. They determined that the year begins on the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the month of Farvardin, which falls on March 20/21st on the Gregorian calendar. “Now” translates to “new” and “ruz” translates to “day” in Farsi, and thus Nowruz commemorates a “new day,” the first day of the new year. Nowruz is the time to celebrate this renewal and rebirth in springtime. The holiday dates back to the peak of Zoroastrianism around 3000 years ago when there would be a celebration of life after the “Farvardgan” festival, which was a time where they honored the spirits of those who had died. This celebration was during the Achaemenid Dynasty, and kings would invite those from near and far to the capital (Persepolis at the time) to celebrate the new year. Nowruz is an important aspect of Iranian culture that has been carried on generation after generation. It is celebrated by all Iranians, no matter their religious and political beliefs. With this celebration of “rebirth” and “new life,” there are many festivities and customs that are symbolically representative of the concept. To illustrate the new year, one of the key traditions of Nowruz is a decorated table called the “Haft-sin,” -- “haft” meaning the number seven and “sin” representing the letter “S” in the Persian alphabet. The table is decorated with seven symbolic items, each starting with the letter “S.” The seven items most commonly placed include: 1. Sabzeh- Lentils are soaked and placed in a plate to sprout a few days before the New Year. They serve as a symbol of rebirth. 2. Samanu- A wheat germ based pudding with a developed sweet taste representing affluence, as well as the intricacy of Persian cuisine. 3. Senjed- A sweet and dried fruit of a Lotus tree placed as a symbol of love. 4. Seer- Persian for “garlic.” It is symbolic of medicine. 5. Seeb- Persian for “apple.” It represents good health and beauty.

6. Somaq- A spice used in Kabob dishes made from Sumac berries symbolizing the color of the sunrise. 7. Serkeh- Persian for “vinegar.” It symbolizes age and patience like the fermentation process of making vinegar. There are other items with significant meanings related to the New Year that are also placed on the table. For instance, “Sonbol,” a hyacinth flower, is a very popular decoration, as the beauty and fragrance of the flower exemplify the coming of spring. “Sekeh,” or coins, are also placed as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Each member of the family decorates an egg and places it on the table to represent fertility. A mirror is also a common decoration, signifying the importance of introspection as we head into the new year. Another popular way life is represented is with a goldfish that many place in a bowl on the table. Candles are often placed on the table to signify enlightenment. For those who are religious, a Qur’an may be placed at the table as well. So much thought has been put into each and every symbolic item, truly highlighting how rich and ancient Iranian culture is. There are other rites and traditions that are a part of the New Year’s celebration. Up until the new year, families go through the process of khuneh tekooni, or spring cleaning. Families are busy tidying the home, washing their rugs, and getting rid of or donating the things they no longer need or use. It is a way to greet the new year with a clean and fresh spirit. The last Wednesday of the year is a night of celebration called Chaharshanbe Suri. Families, friends, and communities gather around large bonfires and jump over these roaring flames to bring in good fortune for the year to come. Just as Santa Claus is the symbol for Christmas, Amoo (uncle in Farsi) Nowruz plays a similar role in Iranian culture. He is an old man with a white beard who hands out gifts to children. His trusty sidekick Haji Firuz dresses in all red and blackens his face, and he can be seen goofing around in the streets singing songs and playing the tambourine. The number “13” is perceived as bad luck, so on “Sizdeh Bedar,” the 13th day of the New Year, Iranians gather in large parks and enjoy a delicious picnic and a day of fun to deter any misfortune the 13th may bring. This is an exciting time of the year for Iranians all around the world as they prepare to celebrate a holiday that has been a part of their culture and history for so long. To Iranians and non-Iranians everywhere: Sale No Mobarak (Happy New Year)! May this new year bring you great health and prosperity!

“Nowruz: Traditions for the Persian New Year.” United States Institute of Peace: The Iran Primer, March 16, 2015. Accessed February 16, 2016. http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2015/mar/16/nowruz-traditions-persian-new-year “History of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Year of 2565 (1385).” Rozaneh Magazine, 2010. Accessed February 18th, 2016. http://www.rozanehmagazine.com/MarchApril06/anowruzhistory.html “Nowruz.” Wikipedia, February 22, 2016. Accessed February 22, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz 6 Perspective

Perspective 7 copyright: omid nemal habib

culture

Tattooed in Iran, What Were You By Hanna Biabani

attoos have a long and illustrious history in Iran. The controversial art form can be traced all the way back to ancient times. Historically, tattoos in Iran were primarily featured on male athletes’ arms and chests to emphasize their masculinity; women got small, nature-themed tattoos to highlight femininity and sex appeal; and rebels commonly acquired tattoos as a symbol of resistance. One of the most renowned documentations of tattoos in Iranian history goes back around 800 years. The tale, written by notable Persian poet Rumi, relays the story of a man who wishes to get a tattoo of a lion, but can’t go through with it because of the pain caused by the needle.[1] However, in today’s day and age, pain isn’t the only thing stopping modern Iranians from getting inked. The social stigma of tattoos continues to prevail from ancient times as the association between thugs and tattoos remains. Oftentimes in Iran arrested criminals are publicly paraded through the streets and, when applicable, attention is intentionally brought to their tattoos in order to strengthen the stigma.[2] While there is no exact legislation against the art of tattooing, the police censure it through Islamic law.[3] The need for secrecy and covertness in the world of tattooing may play a role in reinforcing the idea of tattoos as taboo, as the difficulty in legally accessing proper equipment and use of undercover locations to give and receive tattoos promotes the correlation between tattoos and impurity. The Ministry of Health in Iran asked people to stop getting tattoos in places like the backs of beauty parlors as they increase the risk for skin cancer, AIDS, and hepatitis.[4] Additionally, the scant number of proper places to get tattooed means that locations that do offer the service can be quite pricey. This increased cost reduces the number of people getting tattoos, making them much less commonplace and thus much less accepted. Then there are cases of more extreme anti-tattoo sentiment like that of Mohsen Karimi who, despite being a well-known tattoo artist of notable Iranian athletes, was arrested and lashed for his work.[5] However, things like this aren’t stopping tattoo artists and tattoo-wanting Iranians alike from embracing the art. People are doing everything, from importing the proper materials from abroad, to traveling to places like the United Arab Emirates or Iraqi Kurdistan to hone their craft, and having discreet business cards with only names and phone numbers to practice their passion.[6] The tattoo world, while under wraps, is alive and thriving — and for good reason. Iranian culture is one that has long celebrated art in all forms: writing, rugs, sculptures, poetry, literature, music, and more. Tattooing is just another art form, and its emerging popularity is really no surprise. Despite the fact that authorities have problems with tattoos for encouraging westerniza-

8 Perspective copyright: shiri neshat

culture tion, many popular tattoos actually celebrate Persian culture and religion. For example, commonly requested modern tattoos include everything from lines of Persian poetry to Nastaliq calligraphy and symbols of Zoroastrianism.[7] Getting tattoos is becoming more and more prevalent, especially among young people, many from some of the hippest parts of Tehran — those who could be considered the next generation of trendsetters. Even more notably, tattoos are becoming very popular among women. Iranian women have long since been challenging the strict dress code imposed by the Iranian government through means of makeup, plastic surgery, and more revealing head scarves.[8] The importance placed on modesty among Iranian women and the alleged “sex appeal” of tattoos contributes to their status as something taboo. However, a woman’s sexuality should not be considered taboo, and today one can add tattoos to the list of things that can act as a form of self-expression. Tattooing makeup has also increased in popularity in Iran. This form of art isn’t purely about surface beauty, but rather it is a step in the fight for progressivism regarding Iranian women’s identity and freedom. Overall, the history of tattoos in Iranian culture is still being written today. While they are increasing in popularity, the unfavorable stigma that surrounds them is still extremely prevalent. However, as time passes and Iran grows more and more modern, hopefully, one day tattoos will be seen as what they are: not a permanent mark that negatively affects one’s career or love life, but an optional form of art and self-expression.

[1] History of Persian Tattoos.” Persian-Tattoo. 2009. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www.persian-tattoo.com/history-of-persian-tattoo.html. [2] Samimi, Mehrnaz. “Tattooed in Tehran.” Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East. 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/12/tattoo-iran-underground-parlors-forbidden.html. [3] Working Underground: The Life of an Iranian Tattoo Artist.” The Observers. July 15, 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http:// observers.france24.com/en/20130715-needles-hijabs-iranian-tattoo-artist. [4] Samimi, Mehrnaz. “Tattooed in Tehran.” Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East. 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/12/tattoo-iran-underground-parlors-forbidden.html. [5] Fuchs, Martin. “Passion for Tattoos Leads to Lashings in Iran | The Storytellers | DW.COM | 22.01.2014.” DW: Made for Minds. January 22, 2014. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www.dw.com/en/passion-for-tattoos-leads-tolashings-in-iran/a-17367681. [6] Working Underground: The Life of an Iranian Tattoo Artist.” The Observers. July 15, 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://observers.france24.com/ en/20130715-needles-hijabs-iranian-tattoo-artist. [7] Working Underground: The Life of an Iranian Tattoo Artist.” The Observers. July 15, 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://observers. france24.com/en/20130715-needles-hijabs-iranian-tattoo-artist. [8] Murphy, Brian. “Iran’s Latest Secret Chic: Tattoos.” Seattlepi.com. August 9, 2006. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www. seattlepi.com/lifestyle/article/Iran-s-latestsecret-chic-Tattoos-1211219.php. [9] Samimi, Mehrnaz. “Tattooed in Tehran.” Al-Monitor: The Pulse of The Middle East. 2013. Accessed February 19, 2016. http://www.al-monitor. com/pulse/originals/2013/12/tattoo-iran-underground-parlors-forbidden.html. Perspective 9

food

Mehmooni at the Apadana: Food of Our Ancestors By Saunon Malekshahi

s with other annual Nowruz celebrations in our Persian cuisine has been shaped by the myriad foreign culhousehold, the 1394 Persian New Year’s gathtural exchanges and invasions Iran has undergone. Many ering at our home boasted multitudes of guests, of the ingredients and dishes consumed during historic hoards of food, and lively muzik e sonati (tratimes were formed because of trade between neighborditional Persian music). The centerpiece of the ing civilizations. Watermelon, a fruit widely consumed in evening’s gathering, however, was the beautifully adorned historic and modern Iran, was introduced to the Persian dining table covered with the most meticulously crafted plateau through India, hence the Farsi name hendevaneh. dishes: pilafs of saffron-imbued rice, roasted eggplant Tomatoes, a critical component of modern Persian cuisine, appetizers, and khoreshts, or stews, made with the most originated in South America and were not introduced into seasonal ingredients. It would seem that eating in such the Middle East until the early 18th century by John Barker opulence would be an exception for a cultural event, but (British consul in Aleppo at the time).[5] The Farsi word for extravagant dining is not an oddity among Persians; rather, tomato, goge-farangi (foreign plum), likewise resembles it is among the most celebrated aspects of our culture and this cultural exchange. has served as a pivotal element in gatherings of friends and There remains little information regarding the family. exact dishes consumed in ancient Iran, though nevertheContemporary Iranian cuisine offers a diversified less the root of certain modern foods can be traced back to palate of flavors and spices, from stewed fish dishes native historic times. Accounts and paintings depict ash - a porto the Persian Gulf to meticulously hand-crafted Yazdi ridge-like soup containing assorted grains, spices and herbs pastries. Though is it what it once was 2,500 years ago? - in Persian cuisine as early as the 14th century AD. ConAs Persian cuisine is one of the most prized elements of its sumption of the famed Iranian chelow-khoresht (rice with history and culture, it certainly begs the following question: stew) began under the rule of the Safavid dynasty during what did our ancestors dine on? the late 16th century, which surged as a result of the diffuThe core diet of the ancient Persians was primarsion of Central Asian cultures surrounding Iran. During this ily based off of wheat, millet, and barley.[2] During the period, the consumption of millet and other cereals greatly Achaemenid empire, vast irrigation systems provided for decreased as rice quickly gained popularity. Legend has it an abundance of produce, among which were garlic, onions, that the famed Iranian kabob originated from a military saffron, dried fruits, and chickpeas. Trade along the Silk tradition - ancient Persian troops would charbroil meat on Road and neighboring countries greatly contributed to the their swords while away at battle. This account, however, is cuisine - quinces, apples, mulberries, grapes, and pomeup for contention as similar interpretations exist of Turkic granates were all fruits of the trade between the ancient tribes doing the same. Persians and other groups. As one would expect, the more Contemporary Iranian cuisine is the product of affluent classes in ancient Iran had access to more expencenturies’ worth of culinary influences and revolutions. sive and scarce goods. The vast majority of the population, By no means did the ancient Persians dine with the same however, relied on locally-grown produce and livestock, splendor that modern Persian cooking offers. But Greek including sheep, goat, and less prominently, beef and pork. accounts of Persian feasts provided by Herodotus demonIn particular, the consumption of wild game such as gazelle, strate that even two millennia ago, Iranian cuisine was hare, and wild boar was a popularity in the Sassanid court. at the forefront of its time. And regardless of whether [3] Bread was also a staple in ancient Persian cuisine, as Koroush-e-Kabir dined on fesenjoon, we must pay homage it currently is today. Sassanid Shah Shapur even required to the Achaemenids for their trade of pomegranate, giftbread to be placed at his tomb to provide souls with nouring our shekams with a culinary masterpiece thousands of ishment on their way to the afterlife.[4] years later. As is the case with language, music, and poetry, [1] Wikimedia, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Mehmoonifinal2.jpg. [2] The Unmanly Chef, “History of Food in Iran,” http://theunmanlychef.com/history-of-food-in-iran/. [3] Encyclopedia Iranica, “Aspazi,” http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/spazi-cookery, (December 15 1987). [4] The Unmanly Chef, “Food with a Backstory: Persian Food,” http://theunmanlychef.com/history-of-food-in-iran/foodback-story-persian-food/. [5] Appleton and Co., “Syria under the last five Turkish Sultans,” https://books.google.com/books?id=6QUZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA519&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false, (1876). [6] Encyclopedia Iranica, “Aspazi,” http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/spazi-cookery, (December 15 1987). 10 Perspective

food

A Taste of the New Year

By Leila Zarifi

owruz is a time of coming together, and there is no better way to celebrate the coming of Spring than around the table with family and friends. Nowruz is a celebration of the changing of seasons and the coming of the new year. It is a time to welcome new opportunities and the prospect of fulfillment, success, and happiness for loved ones. Numerous celebrations lead up to the vernal equinox of Nowruz, but one of the most symbolic and enjoyable aspects is the food.[1]

Typically, the most common Nowruz dishes are sabzi polo mahi, herbed rice and fish, and kokou sabzi, fried fresh herbs and egg. Reshteh Polo, a rice and noodle dish, is a speciality during the New Year and is typically served the day after Nowruz. The dish is known to bring one success and to help take ahold of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s destiny in life, or sar-reshteh kar dastet biad.[2]

Reshteh Polo - Rice and Noodles

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups rice, rinsed 3-4 ounces of reshteh (toasted noodles), cut into small sized pieces. Reshteh may be found in Persian/Iranian grocery stores. 2 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp butter (melted) 1/2 teaspoon saffron powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons of hot water Salt (to taste) 1/2 cup water

Garnishes: 1 fried onion 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/3 cup black raisins 1/2 cup dates

Method: 1. Wash the rice with cool water a few times. Soak in 4 cups of water, add 2-3 tablespoons of salt, and set aside for a couple of hours. 2. In a large non-stick pot bring 5 cups of water to a rapid boil on high heat. 3. Drain the soaked rice and gently pour into the pot. Bring the water back to a boil on high heat, add the toasted noodles, and boil them together for about 7-10 minutes. Test to see if the rice is ready. Rice should be firm in the center and soft on the outside. The noodles should also be somewhat soft yet a little firm. Then drain the rice and noodles in a fine mesh colander and rinse with cool water. 4. Wash the pot and return to heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons oil or butter and 1-2 tablespoons of liquid saffron. With a large spatula place the rice into the pot, building it into a pyramid shape. In order to release the steam make 2-3 holes in the rice with the bottom of the spatula. 5. Leave the uncovered pot on medium-high heat for about 7-10 minutes or until the steam starts to come out. Gently pour a cup of water over the rice, cover, and steam the rice on low heat for another 45-50 minutes. 6. Lightly brown thinly-sliced onion in 2-3 tablespoons of hot oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add raisins and dates and sautĂŠ lightly for 5 minutes. Set aside. 7. With a large scoop take some rice out of the pot and mix in with the dissolved saffron. Set aside. Reshteh polo can be served on a platter, with the saffron rice on top and garnished with fried onions, raisins and dates. Enjoy and Happy New Year, or eid-eh shomah mabarak! copyright: fae-magazine

[1] Sadeghin, Farideh. "Nowruz: A New Day." SAVEUR. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. [2] Azita. "Turmeric & Saffron: Reshteh Polow - Rice and Noodles: For Nowruz (Persian New Year)." Turmeric & Saffron: Reshteh Polow - Rice and Noodles: For Nowruz (Persian New Year). N.p., 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2016 Perspective 11

food

I U

K E

rom the guy who sits two rows back in lecture with uncontrollable coughing, to your roommate who has gone through seemingly all of the Kleenex in Berkeley, now seems to be that time of year everyone gets sick. Why? Midterm stress, changing weather or some new virus doing its rounds. But who can really say? And each time, so many of us run to Walgreens or CVS to pick up our medicine: Tylenol, Robitussin, Nyquil, Advil. These are all FDA-approved, meaning they are deemed safe to take by the Food and Drug Administration. But there’s also another kind of “approved” medicine on the market, or more accurately in the grocery market—“mother nature approved.” Or in my case, “Persian Mom Approved.” The National Institutes of Health reports as much as 60% of modern drugs are directly or indirectly derived from natural products. Some of these cures from nature may be worth a try, and even your doctor might agree, as there is an increasing trend toward combining Western and Eastern medicine. Additionally, many of these natural remedies are inexpensive, locally available, and can battle the sniffles and help boost your immune system to avoid them in the first place. Persia and modern-day Iran know a thing or two about natural 12 Perspective

For the Iranian Soul By Charlotte Laurence

remedies. As far back as 500 AD, Persia was a center for medicine. The Academy of Gundeshapur, founded by King Shapur I and located in what is modern day Khuzestan, was arguably the most important medical center of the ancient world during the 6th and 7th centuries. Much of this ancient knowledge was handed down. Growing up, my mom always used to nag me about these natural medicines that she used to use “back in Iran.” But it wasn’t until this year, when I took her advice and used them, that I saw how effective they are. Here are some of my top picks.

sian dish consisting of pickled garlic) or in your everyday cooking, garlic can help you stay healthy for midterm season, just as it has benefitted Persians for centuries. Limoo Shirin: This remedy, also called sweet lemon, is not a true lemon but a citrusy like fruit. Available in Persian grocery stores in season (fall through early spring), this is traditionally used to treat cold symptoms. Outside it looks like a lemon. Inside it has the aroma of roses and a sweet taste—more like an orange. If not available at a store near you, substitute

“There’s also another kind of “approved” medicine on the market, or more accurately in the grocery market—“mother nature approved.” Or in my case, “Persian Mom Approved.” Seer: You may know this by another name – Garlic. Garlic is a natural antioxidant and is used to prevent infection. Garlic is not just used traditionally as a natural medicine by Persians, but also by the Chinese, French, and other peoples around the world for centuries. Around Berkeley, garlic is inexpensive and simple to find. You can pick up some cloves at Walgreens, Whole Foods and Safeway. Whether it be in dishes such as torshi seer (Per-

with lemon or lime, add to hot water or tea, then sweeten with honey for a great soothing pick-me-up. Okāliptus. Known commonly as eucalyptus, this tree is native to Australia but also grows in other warm climates, including parts of Iran and California. It has been used for thousands of years for its oil, and in keeping with tradition my great-grandmother would infuse leaves of this tree in a

food bowl, place a towel over the head – a sort of mini steam bath – and let the vapor sooth and relieve cold symptoms. The oil is credited with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, so you can sooth the pain of a sore throat and help reduce inflammation. Its vapor also acts as a decongestant to help with symptoms associated with bronchitis. Fortunately, you don’t have to climb a gum tree to get leaves. The oil is widely available in drug stores and health food outlets. Dab a drop under your nose and inhale for immediate relief. Nabaat: This is a rock-crystal sugar infused with saffron. It is used in Iran to sweeten hot drinks and can be found loose or on a stick like a crystal sugar lollipop. In Iran it may be one of the first natural remedies a child receives, and is used to overcome stomach aches. It dissolves quickly when added to your favorite tea or to warm milk. Kondor: This may be better known to you as frankincense, a type of incense and medicinal resin. This is referenced in the New Testament and has been in use in Persia since ancient times. The commonly used part of this plant is the milky sap or resin which can be extracted as an oil or dried to form a gum. It has a soothing fragrance, which makes it good to calm emotions and combat anxiety. You can inhale it as an oil that can be found in health food stores like Whole Foods. Personally, I find it fun to purchase kondor as a bag of nuggets of gummy resin, which can be purchased from Middle Eastern grocery stores and herbal stores near campus like Lasa Karnak. It might be labeled “non-edible” because, as we see in the U.S., it is sold typically as an incense rather than medicine, but you can chew it like chewing gum and it imparts a delicate perfume and mild astringency. If you have a sore mouth it calms it gently and also helps with indigestion. Shalgham: The humble turnip. This might not be your first choice in vegetables, and its PR is not improved by being used (at least the larger varieties) for animal feed. But it is a venerable Persian remedy, with a texture when cooked not dissimilar to the potato. It has been long valued in Persia as a traditional remedy to be given at the first sign of a cold, and this is unsurprising given its high level of vitamin C. Cut off the top and bottom. Peel it, cut it up, and boil it until tender but not overcooked. Then mash it and serve immediately with a pinch of salt; or cut back on the salt and add some honey if you like it sweet. Zafran: Saffron is the stamen of the crocus plant. This thin thread that comes from the crocus flower is one of the most precious spices in the world (and for good reason). To harvest a handful, you need a football field of flowers. This highly flavorsome spice also adds an intense yellow coloration to food and drink. Saffron is credited with many health benefits and studies suggest that it helps increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain, making it a great pick-me-up after a stressful day. You can find saffron in most any grocery store, but I recommend a Persian or Middle Eastern food market for the best flavor. To bring you back to life after a hard day, drink a cup of saffron tea. To make saffron tea, add a quarter of a teaspoon of saffron threads to a cup (8oz) of boiled water, and drink it quickly after infusing for three minutes. Add some honey or rock crystal sugar if you like it sweetened, and if you’re like me and you like it really sweet, sip it through a lump of rock sugar in the mouth for an extra sweet hit. So if you find that you are feeling under the weather, I urge you to try a few of these remedies in good health!

Alomi, M.J. "Saffron Uses, Benefits & Dosage - Drugs.com Herbal Database." Saffron Uses, Benefits & Dosage - Drugs. com Herbal Database. May 2012. Javaneh, Mariam. "Advieh Spices Used in Persian Cooking." Javanehs Kitchen Persian Cuisine. March 17, 2010. Accessed February 28, 2016. Lopez, Susan. "U.S. Food and Drug Administration." U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. May 2009. Accessed February 28, 2016. Mirrazavi, Firouzeh. "Academy of Gundishapur." Academy of Gundishapur. November 2009. Accessed February 28, 2016. Perspective 13

Interview with Hoda Katebi By Sawhel Maali

14 Perspective copyright: joojoo azad

ooJoo Azad isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill fashion blog. While you can certainly find your occasional wardrobe tips and stylishly crafted photoshoots, you may be surprised to find these interspersed with posts on unethical child labor and #BlackLivesMatter. In fact, this blog is not solely a fashion blog but a platform for social action. Impressed? More impressive is the founder of JooJoo Azad—21-year-old Hoda Katebi, a young Iranian-American raised in Oklahoma and currently finishing her studies at the University of Chicago. Katebi describes her blog as an “anti-capitalist, feminist, inclusive, body-positive and alternative fashion blog.” Though it seems like a mouthful to read and even more challenging to grasp, she effortlessly illustrates how all these topics are interrelated in an increasingly complicated world. Katebi highlights the importance of intersectionalities and dismantles barriers by showing that nothing is mutually exclusive. For example, she shows that one can enjoy fashion but also be an ethical consumer of clothing as exhibited by her boycott list, which lists brands that violate numerous human rights laws. Or, that one can celebrate a body-positive image while donning loose-fitting clothing. And finally, that one can most definitely be a Muslim feminist. These are just a few of the themes that she tackles on her blog, making it a must read for any modern millennial. Whether interested in social action, fashion, or both, read on to hear Katebi expand more on her motives and mission behind JooJoo Azad. What was the inspiration behind the title, JooJoo Azad? So, as you probably know, JooJoo Azad means “Free Bird” (essentially) in Farsi. I picked this name for a number of reasons. First and foremost, as I wanted this blog to serve as a space where I take back my identity from mainstream Western media, I wanted the title to be in Farsi. I wanted to force a predominantly white and Western blogging world to learn to speak my words, rather than using the language of the oppressors to title and frame my space. Also, I wanted to focus on what I knew was going to be a major aesthetic component of my site whether I liked it or not: the fact that I wear a hijab. It obviously plays a role in the way that I dress as a fashion blogger and would bring up a lot of questions—and misconceptions. So, I wanted to choose a name that would address this immediately: for me, wearing the hijab is an act of liberation, and a “free bird” beautifully captures this image for me. What motivated you to begin this journey into blogging? I actually was never really “into” fashion growing up. I started becoming more aware of the way I dressed when I realized how powerful the act of wearing a hijab really is—it completely transforms the way that others understand and react to you. So, I decided that I might as well put as much of my personality into that initial judgment as I could. The way that I dress is innately political for this reason. As I got older, I started developing and refining my style more in a way that made me incredibly comfortable in my own skin— and clothes. Eventually, it got to the point where my friends started pushing me to start a fashion blog. Then, in June 2013, a pregnant Muslim woman in France was brutally attacked in a hate crime. When she shouted that she was pregnant, the attackers started kicking her stomach. She later had a miscarriage. Out of all the hate that I personally experienced or have seen or read about, there was just something about this attack that lingered in me. I started JooJoo Azad two months later out of desperation for a platform where I could speak and be heard as an Iranian-Muslim woman. How has your identity as an Iranian-American shaped your work? My Iranian identity is so central to my work. We’re not exactly on the best terms with Western media. So why not use this space to try to work against this? I think this is especially relevant for me as a fashion blogger: Iranians got mad style, but no one here really gets to see that. In fact, my readers inspired my recently published book, Tehran Streetstyle. After conducting an annual reader survey in which every single person who filled out the form mentioned they

spotlight wanted to see more Tehran fashion photography, I decided to start an Iranian street style photography project, which eventually turned into a book. But it wasn’t just my Western audience that wanted more posts about Iran—when interviewing Iranian women and fashion designers most of them also expressed they wanted to have some sort of media or platform to counter the misinformation spread across Western media. So, the inspiration from this book came from a push on both sides! You’ve had a lot of experience with Tehran street style, how would you describe that fashion scene? There are some amazing things going on in the underground Iranian fashion scene. Last summer, I had the privilege of being able to conduct ethnographic research on this topic and interviewed many of the most influential designers and photographers. I think the biggest surprise for me was that the underground fashion scene is not a highly politicized, anti-government movement. While of course there are designers who want to use their work to challenge government policy, the majority of those I interviewed had little interest for political motives—they are just here for the art and creative self-expression. It’s really important not to romanticize the idea of resistance, and fall victim to Orientalist renderings. The dichotomy that is established and perpetuated in mainstream Western media reports pits the image of a liberal, Westernized subject against the Orientalist rendition of the homogenous, backwards, and submissive religious woman. An oversimplified link between Iranian women’s fashion choices and their consequent relationship to modernity and political activism is created. In doing so, parallels are drawn between how closely an Iranian woman dresses like a Westernized subject and her liberation while juxtaposing this image to the passive, religious woman dressed in the chador—which ultimately is highly problematic. You use your platform to tackle some serious topics such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and other social injustices. Why not just a fashion blog? I think it would be better to ask why other fashion bloggers do not address the social and ethical implications of the industry they work in and perpetuate. Most clothes on our backs are made in sweatshops. Why is that okay? What is the point of growing an audience and a following if you aren’t going to use that influence towards anything that productive or beneficial? How do you incorporate your religious/political ideals as well as your activism in your sense of fashion? Well, as someone who chooses to wear a headscarf, it’s not too difficult to make my politics and religion rather apparent in the way that I dress. It’s definitely a political statement to be wearing a headscarf in such a time of heightened Islamophobia in the USA! On the less visible layer, my activism in fashion is evident in the brands and materials I purchase—and refuse to purchase. I’m strongly committed to the Boycott List on my site, as I understand where I choose to spend my money is indicative of what I believe in. I can’t be a feminist if my money is supporting companies that exploit women of color around the world. Thanks to fast-fashion and capitalism, we’re so detached from the production process of our clothing, and part of my job as a fashion blogger is to make this link between consumer and producer uncomfortably close. Of course, I know that ethical fashion can be a privilege—because the workers are paid a living wage (read: not minimal wage), the cost to buy an ethical printed jacket, for example, increases dramatically. So, I also think it’s important not to shame those who are financially unable to buy ethical. How has your culture influenced your clothing choices? Iranians are so very gaudy. It’s sort of my guilty pleasure. I’m really heavily inspired by Iranian patterns and over-the-topness but also minimalist architecture and menswear. So the end result is a fluctuation between extremes of pattern clashing and ultra-minimalism with little in-between. I definitely attribute my over-the-top-pattern-clashing to my Persian heritage! Perspective 15

spotlight

Back-and-Forth with Dr. Abbas Milani: A Berkeley Lecture Series on Modernity in Iran

By Negin Shahiar

r. Abbas Milani, Director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University and co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution, will be giving a four-part seminar on Iran, Islam, and modernity beginning in March through the Berkeley Lecture Series.* The seminar is based on “Iran, Islam, and the West,” the course that Dr. Milani has taught at Stanford for the past ten years. Dr. Milani earned his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from UC Berkeley in 1970 and later served as a research fellow at the Berkeley Institute of International Studies. He is the author of numerous publications, including The Shah, the 2012 biography on Iran’s final monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. His research focuses on U.S.-Iran relations and Iranian cultural, political, and security issues. Dr. Milani spoke to Perspective about his upcoming seminar and the history and future of modernity in Iran. I recently read an excerpt from your book Rethinking Modernity in Iran. In it, you describe the key tenets of modernity as rationalism, individualism, secularism, and capitalism. How else would you define modernity, and modernity in Iranian society more specifically? Modernity is just arguably the most dramatic and traumatic change of paradigm... that human consciousness has ever made, because it basically changes the way we interact with the world, our conception of who we are, where our place is in the cosmos, how we should treat one another, and what things we should consider as private, what tahings we should consider as possible subjects of public scrutiny. It changes our very definition of what knowledge is and how we get knowledge, and who can get knowledge, who should get knowledge. It really redefines our place in the universe. In that sense, it has some corollaries, consequences, and prerequisites. It requires certain things, certain cultural norms, certain norms of tolerance. It requires certain institutional set-up and civil society. It requires kind of a national identity, a cohesiveness, and all of this together defines modernity. The problem that we have as an Iranian society, I think, is that in discussing modernity so far we have fallen into the trap of thinking of it as something that is uniquely, singularly Western, that it comes to us from the West, that everything that is modern first emerged in the West, and thus if we want to be modern, we have to be Western. I think that’s a fallacy, promoted primarily by Western-inclined intellectuals and by those parts of the clergy who are opposed to modernity... Basically, one of the elements is the premise that if you talk about women’s rights in Iran, for example, then you must be an agent of Western imperialism. And I think that is a very false premise.

16 Perspective

spotlight What are the main themes and ideas you will be discussing in your lecture series? The name of the seminar is “Iran, Islam, and Modernity.” I will be talking about how, I think, our experiwith modernity needs to be understood through a serious re-reading of our own history, and a serious reappraisal and a reappropriation of our own tradition, rejecting what is not useful and appropriating and amending and applying what is useful. And I think that process has really begun in Iran. In the last thirty, forty years we have a new kind of modernity. I’ll first begin by talking about why I think Iran’s experience is a little different and where I think the first genesis of a modernity in Iran was, which was, in my view, 200 years before modernity came to Europe. I will talk about how Islam comes to Iran, and the very unusual relationship that Iran has had with Islam from the beginning. Even before Islam came to Iran you could see this. And then I will talk a little bit about how, if you reread this history critically, the Iranian version of Islam has been very divided between people like Hafez, Saadi, Rumi, and Suhrevardi, who basically have very little religion in their Islam. Islam is more an identity, and they take from Islam what they think they need to articulate their own views, which is generally a gnostic view of the world... It basically says the divine is inside us, not in the skies, which is one of the most profound aspects of modernity... Then I’m going to talk about the Shiite response to modernity, which is essentially in two very different paradigms, the Majlisi paradigm, which is sort of an anti-modern tradition, that begins with the Majlisi father and son in the Safavid era, and continues still today to Mesbah-Yazdi. And there’s another tradition within Shiism that tries to accommodate to modernity. In the nineteenth, twentieth century, it begins with Naini, and goes all the way until people like Montazeri, who are trying to find a form of Shiism that is compatible with modernity. And then I’m going to finally talk about this new modernity that I think is now in Iran, and began in the early 1960s and has continued until today, in everything from aesthetics, architecture, music, intellectual discourse, women’s rights. Was there an event that marked the beginning of modernity in Iran? Modernity in Iran in one sense begins in the ninth century and then is aborted by the twelfth, thirteenth century, and then it reemerges a little bit in the Shah Abbas period, and again it is suppressed by the Majlisi and his likes, and then it reemerges in a new form in the nineteenth century. In the nineteenth century the form that comes is the form that basically says modernity is Western, so if you want to become modern you have to think Western. The famous words of Taqizadeh are, “If you want to become modern you have to be in your bone and blood Western.” We have to change our language, we have to change who we are essentially. So if you wanted to be a modernist painter, you followed what the Western modernists were doing. So an Iranian modernist painter, whether it was Kamal-ol-molk, or Saeedi, is indistinguishable from a Western modernist painter. The subject is different, but nothing else is different. But now you have a new generation of painters from the 1960s. All of these people began to say, “Why did we need to copy the West? Why can’t we use what is useful from the West but also use what is useful from our own tradition? Why do we shy away from our tradition?” In my view, we have a fairly glorious tradition that has some dark points, but it is not a tradition we need to escape from. We can embrace it and reject it at the same time… reject the bad parts, and embrace the parts that are useful, and I think there are many of those parts. Do you think that traditional Iranian society stands as a barrier to modernity, or can the two be reconciled? Iranian society today, in my view, of all the Muslim societies that I know of, with maybe the exception of Turkey... is the most ready to go forward with the new, deeply rooted, culturally-specific modernity. There are obstacles, surely as there are everywhere. You can't have a modern society without gender equality, and clearly in our tradition there were and are many misogynist assumptions, misogynist practices, misogynist religious laws. But [the current] generation of women in Iran... they're not taking it. They haven't taken it. And they've taken on this regime, and they've taken on every misogynist effort that they've had, and they’ve refashioned Iran. So yes, Iranian tradition has had problems with women, it has. There are elements of anti-Semitism that you could find in our literature. There are profound elements of anti-Bahai sentiment in some parts of our tradition. But again, my sense is that the younger generation thinks that this stuff is absolutely unacceptable, to punish people simply because they pray differently. So those obstacles, if you look at the first generation of the Constitutional Revolutionaries, there, the point that you're making, it becomes very evident. That is, although they talk the talk of equality, when it came to actually accepting that, for example, a Zoroastrian can be equal to a Muslim, they had a problem accepting it. Now, Iranian democrats are much more likely to accept the idea that you can't have democracy without gender, ethnic, religious, lifestyle equality. What would you say is the relevance of modernity to non-scholars? It is the most relevant question. It is relevant because it is the question about quality of life. It is the question about how if you go back to Iran, or even if you live here as a Iranian diaspora, how you will be treated. Modernity will determine whether you can go back to Iran and find a job as an equal member of society, or modernity will determine whether, if you remain part of the Iranian diaspora, if you can be accepted as an equal member of that society. It will determine whether we will have freedom to dress the way we want, freedom to think the way we want, the freedom to live with whoever we want, the freedom to pray to whoever we want. These are not abstract scholarly questions; these are very, very concrete questions. And whether we have these freedoms or not is directly correlated to the extent to which modernity, the genuine Iranian modernity, not an imported or exported or forced modernity, will be victorious. So I don't think of it at all as merely a scholarly abstraction. It’s a very concrete question. *The seminar dates are March 13th, April 10th, April 24th, and May 1st, and it will be held in Persian on the University of California, Berkeley campus. The registration fee, which will include a reader, is $20 - $100 (any amount within this range accepted) per session for students, $80 per session for Berkeley Lecture Series members or $300 for all four sessions, and $100 per session for non-members or $350 for all four sessions. All proceeds from the seminar will go to the Berkeley Lecture Series for their future programs. If interested in attending, email berkeleylectureseries@gmail.com. Perspective 17

spotlight

hen Pejman Nozad arrived in San Jose in the 1980s, he was 23 years old, had $700 with him, and only spoke a few words of English. Today, as the Founding Managing Partner of Pejman Mar Ventures, he is considered one of Silicon Valley’s most successful venture capitalists, investing both time and funds in the development of the technology sector’s most promising start-ups. He is perhaps most well-known for his early involvement in the development of Dropbox, a cloud storage system whose two founders (Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi) met Nozad at a conference in 2007. After Nozad introduced them to executives from Sequoia, the venture capital firm that eventually helped make their vision a reality, Houston and Ferdowsi thanked him by providing him with a stake in the company.[1] But of course, the path to getting where he is today wasn’t easy. Nozad began his career in the United States as a rug salesman after responding to a want ad placed by an older Iranian immigrant named Amir Amidi who owned a carpet business in Palo Alto. Recognizing that they were living in the technology capital of the world during technology’s most important moment, the Amidi family and Nozad decided to launch an investment fund together. They named it Amidzad, combining the two last names.[2] Today, Nozad invests independently, but he has never forgotten the mentorship that allowed him to achieve his success. He seeks to pay it forward by fostering innovation in the next generation of entrepreneurs, particularly Iranian American entrepreneurs. In July of 2015, Pejman Mar Ventures announced its inaugural startup challenge for UC Berkeley companies, the winner of which would be given $250,000 in seed funding and would become part of the Pejman Mar portfolio. DotDashPay, a payments platform, was announced as the winner in December.[3] Nozad spoke to Perspective Magazine to answer some of our questions about his experience in Silicon Valley. How has your experience as an immigrant affected your path? As an immigrant, you go to an unknown place: a different culture, different food, a different language. And you need to adapt. The process of adaptation teaches you a lot. For me, as an immigrant coming from Iran to America in my early twenties, it really helped to shape my character. It helped me to face the challenges and overcome them. Any immigrant will tell you that leaving your comfortable life and coming to a new place really makes you a new person. I owe so much to the process of immigration. Entrepreneurs today, they all take risks. They’re not just people with comfortable jobs at a big corporation, but rather they want to solve a real problem. And I feel myself in them, these people who are taking risks and want to achieve more and there’s no limit to their dreams. I can really resonate with what they do. Now that you’ve spoken to your experience as an immigrant more broadly, I’m wondering how your Iranian background in particular has affected your career. Do you think the Iranian culture has affected your path? Yes, in two ways. First, I think Iranians are all very kind to others. And when I started out in venture capital, I started out by helping founders and engineers by making myself available for them in any way I could. That comes from my background: from my grandma, my grandparents, telling me you should always do the right thing and that you have to be kind to others. The second thing is that if you look at Iran histor-

ically, it’s a place where science and math played a very important role in society. Some of the best mathematicians and some of the best physicians came from Iran, like Farabi. That has roots in our society and even, I could say, in our DNA. Looking into innovation and technology has really inspired Iranians because of what they have done for the last 2,000 years. We hear a lot about Iranian Americans in technology, so what role would you say the Iranian American community plays in the Silicon Valley? I think it has been a uniquely successful community. You look at it today, and Iranian Americans are some of the best Ph.D. students that are admitted into top universities. Historically, some amazing Iranian people have been really impactful at large tech companies. Farzad Nazem was the Chief Technology Officer of Yahoo, Omid Kordestani was the business founder of Google, and there’s so many other examples all the way up to today, when you see Arash Ferdowsi as the CTO of Dropbox (I think he’s one of the amazing people we’re going to hear more from). So I think Iranians in the Bay Area and especially in Silicon Valley are a very powerful group, and they all know each other. One great thing about the community is that because of how successful it is, it’s setting the tone and the example for other young entrepreneurs and Iranian Americans to come join this community. And that’s fantastic. Tell me about the challenge for UC Berkeley startups. What was the inspiration, and what are you hoping to accomplish? We started this program called the Garage at Stanford, and every year we selected 15-20 students from Stanford and provided them with mentorship, with office space; we made them part of our community and met them every week. We help them find problems they’re passionate about and hope to build a company around, and we don’t make any equity. In the summer, Berkeley reached out to us and said we could do the same thing there. The venture capital community doesn’t pay as much attention to Berkeley, but if you look at it, historically UC Berkeley has been at the forefront of innovation and technology. So we said, “Ok we should do something over there. There’s so many amazingly talented people in Berkeley, so why don’t we take the first step and do something meaningful?” This is in the hopes that other people come and do the same thing and we can foster innovation technology, and hopefully they’ll make really good companies. So we started the Berkeley challenge. We got about 100 applications, and we picked DotDashPay as the winner and we are utterly excited about the future. It’s a really exceptional team with a great vision, a big market; I think you’re going to hear a lot about DotDashPay. And this is just the beginning of us working with UC Berkeley. There are amazing opportunities over there. We really are honored that the UC Berkeley community opened its arms to us. If you could offer one piece of advice to the millennial generation of Iranian Americans, what would it be? The only limitations on our dreams are the ones we create ourselves. So don’t be afraid to dream really big, and don’t be afraid of failure. And as an Iranian, I think it always pays to be very kind to others. You won’t believe how far it goes.

[1] Barret, Victoria. “Pejman Nozad’s Rugs to Riches Story.” Forbes, April 21, 2012. [2] Ibid. [3] Johnson, Lily. “Pejman Mar Ventures Announces DotDashPay as Winner of $250k Startup Challenge at UC Berkeley.” PRWEB, December 22, 2015. 18 Perspective

Fostering Innovation: Interview with Pejman Nozad By Nikta Daijavad

Perspective 19 copyright: fortunedotcom

spotlight

Gershad:

Iran’s Tech-Savvy Youth Fight Back By Nima Shajarian

ver since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, in which we saw the storied monarchies of Iran end with the Pahlavi dynasty, Iran’s people have been ruled by Sharia Law, the Islamic code that Iran’s theocracy follows and enforces. Since 1979, men have had to be careful about their hairstyles as well as their clothes lest it be considered to Western. Women have been required to cover the majority of their bodies, whether that be through the use of hijab, burqa, chador, or other forms of Islamic garb. Iranian women, however, have managed to turn this requirement into a fashion statement and have made hijabs a stylish garment, to the dismay of the regime, These dress codes, along with many other Sharia regulations, are enforced by Gasht-e Ershad. The Ershad, more colloquially known as the Gasht, usually consists of two men as well as two women in traditional chador. Their job is to make sure people are abiding by Sharia Law. This includes, but is not limited to, enforcing the clothing regulations previously mentioned, making sure women aren’t wearing too much makeup, seeing that people are not in public with anyone of the opposite sex who is not a family member, and finding Iranians who are a part of the LGBTQ community. The Gasht officers also govern in a very subjective manner, using Sharia Law as a guide in their decision making. Three million people were issued with official warnings, 18,000 were prosecuted, and over 200,000 were forced to write formal pledges of repentance just in 2014 alone.[1] The problem is that Iranians, especially younger Iranians, have an admirable desire to express themselves, which doesn’t adhere well with Sharia Law. Iranians are constantly stopped and harassed by these groups of men and women to be given anything from a warning to a prosecution or physical altercation. Young Iranians have been vulnerable to Ershad and it has been hard for them to do anything against this system. However, all hope is not lost. Now, there’s an app for that. A group of young Iranian app developers released the app “Gershad” this past February. The app has gained immediate success, amassing over

16,000 downloads on Google Play on the first day alone. [2] Its success has become so apparent that the government has blocked it from being downloaded, an obstacle currently being worked out by the creators. They are currently working on making the app available for iPhone users as well. Gershad’s framework is very similar to the wellknown app Waze. It relies on its users to mark an area in which they’ve spotted Ershad officials. Someone with the app who may be wearing too much makeup or not enough hijab by Gasht standards can then open up the map and avoid the officials and any possible confrontations. It has become a form of peaceful protest against a group that has, until now, made young Iranians almost powerless. There are many countries hoping to join in on this silent protest as the creators have gotten many requests to make an Arabic version of the app to avoid similar forms of morality police in other countries. The creators are considering broadening this newfound power to other citizens experiencing the same hardships all throughout the Middle East. The app has seen mostly good reviews with a 4.7/5 rating on Google Play.[3] It has, however, gotten some resistance. People are worried that the app will be abused by the Ershad themselves, a problem that the creators are working on so that the Gasht don’t take back their power over Iranian youths. There have been limitations set on users so that the app is not abused, and there are also more precautions being implemented in future versions. There are others who are worried that there will be consequences for those who have downloaded the app. But after the protests in Iran in 2009 in response to a presidential election that was allegedly rigged, we’ve seen that young Iranians are not afraid to speak out in any way they can. The app’s servers are also run by a private company outside the country and its users are protected by an encrypted SSL protocol. The creation and use of this app is due to the desire of the Iranian youth to no longer be helpless. They’ve managed to take their power back, and now it is, quite literally, in the palms of their hands.

[1] BBC. “Iranian youth get app to dodge morality police.” Accessed February 22, 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/ blogs-trending-35533287. [2] The Verge. “This app will help you avoid Iran’s morality police.” Accessed February 22, 2016. http://www.theverge. com/2016/2/12/10977296/gershad-app-iran-morality-police-women. [3] Google Play. Accessed February 22, 2016. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gerd.app.gershad&hl=en 20 Perspective

history

The Drunken Courts of The Achaemenid Empire By Shayaun Nejad

espite the Islamic Republic’s current national prohibition on the consumption and sale of alcohol, Iranian culture shares a deep-rooted history with wine. Recent archaeological evidence from the Zagros mountains has suggested wine making in Persia began around the year 5400-5000 BC, and throughout convenience stores in America one can surely find “Shiraz” wine right next to their favorite flavor of Carlos Rossi.[1] One particularly fascinating application of wine in Persian history is the influence the substance had on the decision-making of the Achaemenid courts. The Achaemenid Empire is synonymous with what the West identifies as the “Persian Empire.” The Empire was made significant by Cyrus the Great, and made popular in the West by movies such as 300 and Alexander the Great. What the Achaemenid empire did differently that allowed it to grow and develop into one of the greatest civilizations in world history, seemingly out of nowhere, was to differentiate itself by stressing the principle of truth. The Mesopotamian atmosphere of that time was ripe with lies, deception, and deceit from leaders of the great powers of the time such as Babylon, Assyria, Lydia, Egypt, and Medes. Cyrus the Great took a different approach; he conquered cities but allowed them to maintain their cultural integrity as long as they paid a tax to the socalled “King of Kings” and promised to always tell the truth. [2] Herodotus, a Greek historian and the chief chronicler of these events, stated that “the most disgraceful thing

in the world [the Persians] think, is to tell a lie; the next worst, to owe a debt: because, among other reasons, the debtor is obliged to tell lies.”[2] Professor Stanley Insler of Yale has translated as many as 72 different words the Persians used that were based around the principle of truth, and telling a lie was punishable by death by the courts.[3] As most find alcohol and drunkenness synonymous with “truth,” for obvious reasons, the Achaemenid Empire absolutely adored wine. According to Herodotus, the Achaemenids loved wine so much that the leaders incorporated extreme intoxication into their counsel’s decision making process. When important affairs and decisions needed to be made, the Achaemenid council would become extremely intoxicated and debate whatever they needed to talk about. There would be a scribe that would record all the deliberations and then the next morning they would have a look. If the ideas they came up with were good, they would act on them, and if not, they set them aside for further deliberation. At first glance this seems like a silly idea, but perhaps the Achaemenid Empire was onto something. With more and more alcohol, being quiet about a matter you disagree with or hiding some ulterior motivation behind a particular stance becomes more and more difficult. Our culture reserves the act of drinking for weekend nights, and if anyone ever heard our Congress was deliberating matters of national affairs while intoxicated they would surely demonstrate some concern. The Achaemenid Empire was very successful and had a very long run as the most efficient Empire on Earth, so before we judge a particular form of council, we should look at how surpris-

“Assist, almighty wine, for thou alone hast power, Assist while with just praise I thee adore.” –Omar Khayyam, Persian Poet (1048 - 1112)

[1] McGovern, Patrick E. Ancient wine: the search for the origins of viniculture. Princeton University Press, 2013. [2] Armayor, O. Kimball. “Herodotus’ Catalogues of the Persian Empire in the light of the monuments and the greek literary tradition.” Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-) 108 (1978): 1-9. [3] Insler, Stanley. “The Love of Truth in Ancient Iran.” An Introduction to the Gathas of Zarathusthra 7 (1990). Perspective 21

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Highlighting the Overlooked Parts of Iran’s Government By Kayvon Deldar

hat do you think of when you envision Iran’s government? One of the first things that comes to mind is the restrictive and stern nature of the regime, which is led by the Supreme Leader, or Ayatollah. Iran is often described as the only theocracy in the world, besides Vatican City, and when Iran makes headlines, the eyes of the media turn to the dictations of the Supreme Leader. He is the face of Iran – the leader who exerts ideological and political control over the population and controls the armed forces. There is no doubt that the supreme leader wields an extraordinary amount of power; however, there are other segments of Iran’s government that are often hidden from the attention of the rest of the world. Believe it or not, Iran’s government has a few similarities to that of the United States, including a democratically elected president and legislature. Let’s examine the significant segments in the Iranian government and comment on the recent Iranian elections.

The Council of Guardians

The President

Perhaps the most important section of the ballot in the recent elections is for the Assembly of Experts. This is because the Assembly appoints the Supreme Leader. The Assembly consists of 86 clerics, each of whom is vetted by the Council of Guardians and elected by the people of Iran, and when the time comes, they reappoint the Supreme Leader. It is rumored that the current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is not in good health and could die before the next election of the Assembly of Experts, which occurs every eight years. Therefore, these elections could prove to be a momentous event for the future of Iranian politics. If the Ayatollah were to pass, the next Supreme Leader would be selected from the existing Assembly of Experts.

As previously mentioned, the president of Iran is democratically elected, and like the president of the United States, has a term of four years and cannot serve for more than two terms. According to Iran’s Constitution, the president is the second highest-ranking official in Iran; however, in reality, the president is not as strong as he seems. The president’s primary influence is through economic policy, while the Supreme Leader controls most political and diplomatic decisions. Iran’s current president is moderate Hassan Rouhani, who replaced the infamous Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013.

The Parliament

The parliament, or Majlis, consists of 290 members who each serve a four-year term. Like most other parliaments around the world, it drafts legislation, ratifies diplomatic treaties, and approves the financial budget. A more moderate parliament can certainly lead to a more moderate Iran; however, it needs a bit of help. All legislation passed by the parliament is under the discretion of the Council of Guardians, which determines whether the laws passed comply with Sharia Law, the Islamic code that is the foundation of Iran’s current regime. 22 Perspective

The Council of Guardians is a body that is not directly up for election. This body possesses a large amount of influence and power. The Council consists of twelve members – six jurists who are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader and another six who are recommended by the head of the judiciary and approved by the parliament. Not surprisingly, the Supreme Leader also appoints the head of the judiciary, so the powerful Council of Guardians is more or less under his control. The Council of Guardians has veto power over the parliament if they deem any passed laws to violate the Constitution or Sharia Law. The Council also has the privilege of barring candidates from running for president, parliament, and the Assembly of Experts. So while it is true that Iran has elections, these elections are not truly free due to the restrictive nature of the Council of Guardians, which does not accept the majority of candidates who desire to run.

The Assembly of Experts

In conclusion, Iran has a very unique system of government filled with elected and unelected bodies with various amounts of power. With the elections occurring on February 26th, the Iranian people have the opportunity to have their voices heard as they elect the new members of parliament and Assembly of Experts. From the votes already counted, it seems that the reformists are winning in both bodies. However, it is important to note that the Council of Guardians, which is practically controlled by the Supreme Leader, must approve all the candidates running for election. Thus, only time will tell if the elections prove to be influential.

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HR 158: A Consequence of Pressure From Opponents of the Nuclear Deal By Vida Seyedkazemi

fter nearly three decades of a hostile and undiplomatic relationship, the emergence of a nuclear deal has initiated a genuine rapprochement between Iran and the West. For the first time there has been increased optimism towards a peaceful and diplomatic relationship between the Islamic Republic and the United States. This news has been exciting for many Iranians and Iranian-Americans, as $100 billion of Iran’s overseas assets will be unfrozen and Iran will finally be able to re-emerge in the international market and global financial trade system.[1] As exciting and uplifting as this news is, Iranians were soon a target of another controversy in politics — this time with regards to the Visa Waiver Improvement Act. In December of 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, which is now commonly referred to as H.R. 158. This bill requires that dual citizens of Iran and 38 countries participating in the program, along with any individuals who traveled to Iran for work or leisure in the past five years, obtain a visa before entering the U.S.[2] These provisions also apply to dual nationals of Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. Although this bill does not currently affect Iranian-Americans, the passage of this bill will likely trigger other European countries to set similar conditions for Americans and Iranian dual nationals. The visa waiver program acts on a system of reciprocity, meaning that if the U.S. accepts French travelers without a visa, then France accepts American citizens without a visa. The passage of this bill might cause reciprocal measures in participating countries and require Iranian-Americans to obtain visas prior to traveling to those countries.[3] Congress has claimed that H.R. 158 arose in an effort to tighten the U.S.’s national security after the Paris

attacks and San Bernardino shootings. Its main purpose is to regulate travelers from countries connected to Daesh and the Islamic State. But including Iranians in this bill is completely unjustified, especially because no Iranian national has ever launched an attack on Western soil. Iran is a Shiite-majority country that opposes Sunni fundamentalist groups and wants to get rid of them as much as the West does. Iran currently serves as one one the West’s counterterrorism allies who does not support, sponsor, or benefit from groups like Daesh, or ISIS. Interestingly, Saudi Arabia is not included in the list of countries included in H.R. 158, even though 15 of the 19 hijackers in the September 11 attacks were citizens of Saudi Arabia.[4] A more justifiable reason as to why Iranians are included in this bill is that it serves to balance the effects of the nuclear deal against pressure from the Jewish lobby. As the nuclear deal has lifted years of sanctions against Iran, Iran is now able to re-enter the world market, European companies can begin business with Iran, and Iran will be able to profit significantly from the export of its oil. Including Iranians in the HR 158 serves as a way to please those who opposed the nuclear deal, including members of the Jewish lobby and some members of Congress, and to neutralize the effect of the West’s strengthened ties with Iran. HR 158 discriminates against Iranians solely on their ethnicity by institutionalizing a stereotype of Iranians. In the U.S. alone, some of the most successful entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, and inventors are Iranian, including NASA’s director of the Mars project Firouz Naderi, Google’s senior executive Salar Kamangar, and Dropbox’s cofounder Arash Ferdowsi. In a country where many Iranians are paving the road for world advancements, this bill is nothing but disappointing and uncalled for.

[1] “Iran Nuclear Deal: Key Details - BBC News.” BBC News. January 16, 2016. Accessed March 01, 2016. http://www.bbc. com/news/world-middle-east-33521655. [2] Mortazavi, Negar. “An Invitation for H.R. 158 Supporters: ‘See You in Iran’” The Huffington Post. January 8, 2016. Accessed March 01, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/negar-mortazavi/an-invitation-for-hr-158-supporters_b_8908804.html. [3] “UPDATE: Frequently Asked Questions on the Visa Waiver Reform Bill (H.R. 158/S. 2362).” NIAC Action. December 14, 2015. Accessed March 01, 2016. http://www.niacaction.org/frequently-asked-questions-on-h-r-158/. [4] “US Judge Clears Saudi Arabia in 9/11 Lawsuit - BBC News.” BBC News. September 30, 2015. Accessed March 01, 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34405451. Perspective 23

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Population Control: The New Wave of Empowerment for Iranian Families

By Marian Haidarali

hen Iran initiated efforts to control its ever-growing population, surprisingly, the Islamic regime was at the forefront of the shifting policy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued fatwas that spearheaded Iran in the feminist movement by making birth control not only available, but also socially acceptable for conservative Muslims.[1] Before the early 1980s, when the fatwa was first issued, the damages of the Iran-Iraq War left the Republic with an increased need for human capital as compensation for lost lives. With the need for a new Islamic generation, clerics enabled what turned into a 55% growth in population in a mere decade.[2] After facilitating the proliferation, the Islamic Republic now had to find a way to make it stop, shifting from trying to increase the population size to curbing the growth. Increasingly, the rural residents in Iran have been opting for city life, causing a 60% increase in urban population in 2002, expected to rise up to 80% by 2030.[3] The growing urban population, coupled with the youth bulge (70% of the population is under the age of 30), had the Islamic regime rethinking its formerly conservative family planning policy. [4] Overcrowded and polluted cities, along with over-saturated job markets motivated the Islamic regime to address the economic consequences of population growth.[5] Responsive to the problems, Ayatollah Khamenei revived Iran’s national family planning program. Increased access to information about family planning, maternal and child-care curriculum, with a concurrent media campaign run by the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance effectively increased citizen’s knowledge and control over their life choices.[6] Although information access greatly improved conditions, government incentives also enabled greater family planning rights for individuals and communities. After three children, mothers receive more restricted maternity leave, encouraging them to limit the number of births; moreover, family planning costs are government subsidized up to 80%.[7] In order to reach rural areas, the population most susceptible to incautious family planning practices, the government set up a health network including over 15,000 health houses and mobile clinics.[8] Iran is also home to the only government sanc-

tioned condom factory in the Middle East.[9] The government initiatives and media campaign are working: contraceptive prevalence has increased to 79% in response to the supported changes.[10] Iran’s current population is at a steady 77.45 million, when it was originally projected to be around 100 million by 2010.[11] The average number of children per woman decreased from 6.5 in 1960 to 1.6 in 2012.[12] The Islamic Republic’s effective policy implementation currently serves as a role model for other nations, especially effective in discrediting the theory that conservatism in Muslim countries limits family planning potential.[13] The positive effects that arose as a result of population control are evident in Iran’s social and economic spheres. Mandatory premarital contraceptive counseling has increased the role of men in family planning, relieving the burden traditionally placed only on women.[14] These government policies have vastly improved women’s rights in Iran, as evident by their majority presence in higher education (65% of enrolled university students are female).[15] By giving Iranian women the resources to control their life, the family planning measures vastly increased women’s opportunities to pursue higher education and career aspirations, thus promoting gender equality. Although there is a long way to go in regards to female empowerment in Iran, these family planning policies are a step in the right direction. Despite the clear positive outcome of family planning, Iran has recently reversed its policy in an effort to fulfill their population capacity as the 18th largest nation in terms of landmass.[16] The same nation that was spreading slogans like “One is good. Two is enough,” has initiated new campaigning ads, like the one shown in Figure 2, which reads: “More children, happier life.”[17] Additionally, the government is directly transferring cash into bank accounts of families after the birth of any newborn child, with a $95 deposit each year until the child turns 18.[18] The nation that once declared birth control a human right is now regressing its policies; however, families have already been exposed to potential family planning options that can shape their lives regardless of new incentives. Most importantly, Iranian families now have the resources and the right to empower themselves with any path they choose.

[1] Weiss, Kenneth, and Ramin Mostaghim. “Iran’s Birth Control Policy.” Los Angeles Times. 2012. Accessed February 23, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/world/population/la-fg-population-iran-20120729-html-htmlstory.html. [2] “The Leading Global Thinkers of 2015 - Foreign Policy.” Accessed February 29, 2016. https://2015globalthinkers. foreignpolicy.com/. [3] Ibid. [4] Random Facts. “65 Interesting Facts About . . . Var Addthis_config = {“services_compact”:”email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin”, “services_expanded”:”email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin”};.” 65 Interesting Facts about Iran. Accessed February 23, 2016. http://facts.randomhistory.com/facts-about-iran.htm [5] Larson, Janet. “Iran: A Model for Family Planning? - The Globalist.” The Globalist. 2003. Accessed February 28, 2016. http://www.theglobalist.com/iran-a-model-for-family-planning/. [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Random Facts. “65 Interesting Facts About . . . Var Addthis_config = {“services_compact”:”email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin”, “services_expanded”:”email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin”};.” 65 Interesting Facts about Iran. Accessed February 23, 2016. http:// facts.randomhistory.com/facts-about-iran.htm [10]Karamouzian, Mohammad, Ali Akbar Haghdoost, and Hamid Sharifi. “Iran’s Shift in Family Planning Policy.” International Health Policy, June 2014. Accessed February 28, 2016. [11] Ibid. [12] Karamouzian, Mohammad, Ali Akbar Haghdoost, and Hamid Sharifi. “Iran’s Shift in Family Planning Policy.” International Health Policy, June 2014. Accessed February 28, 2016. 24 Perspective

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What It’s Like to Be a University Student in Iran

By Azin Mirzaagha

n Iran there is a great emphasis on higher education, and there has been an even greater push for it since the Islamic Revolution. Azad (Farsi for “Free”) University, is Iran’s famous private university. It ranks third in the world for the largest university by enrollment. The university was established in 1982 by Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani to expand the horizon of higher education in Iran. Iran’s goal has been to make undergraduate education more accessible in order to send more students on to Master’s and Ph.D programs. What is normally the fourth year of high school, or senior year, for American students, is pish daneshgahi, or pre-university year, in Iran. This is a year of preparation for students to take the grueling university entrance exam: the konkur. This entrance exam is truly daunting. Acceptance into specific universities and majors rests upon the rank one receives compared to all other students who have taken the exam. Only 10 percent of exam takers from a group of over 1 million students receive admissions. The system has been under a lot of criticism for placing too much of an emphasis on exam preparation, and recent news about Iran’s education system reveals a push for the use of a GPA system in college admissions, much like we see here in the U.S. With a system somewhat different but also somewhat similar to ours, we may be wondering what life is like for university students in Iran. I had the chance to interview a few students from Azad University in Tehran to get their perspectives on different aspects of university life in Iran. Arash Gorjipor (19), Ghazal Karbasiyon (19), and Mona Bigdeli (19) are all freshmen at Azad University in Tehran, Iran’s capital. Arash is studying Hardware Engineering, and Ghazal and Mona are studying Software Engineering. There are always certain majors that seem to be more difficult to be accepted into because of how impacted their programs are.“Every major has its difficulties. It depends on you,” Arash said, in response to a question about whether he has seen such a trend at his university. Compared to other universities, Mona believes that, “It [admissions] is not so difficult for Azad University.” Many assume that women’s rights in Iran are limited because of certain government restrictions. But despite this, statistics show that women make up the majority of college students on the campuses of universities, around an estimated 60 percent of entering students. This is an opportunity for many Iranian women to step outside the bounds of socially constructed gender boundaries and become respected individuals of their society. There also seem to be more women enrolling in natural science degree programs. The students were asked if there were certain majors more open to men over women.“Not all, but most of them,” Arash said. Followed by Mona who responded, “Not all of them.”

It appears that a few years ago, several universities in Iran began to push for some fields of study to be male-only. After some criticism, those who stood for that proposition claimed that there would be women admitted to certain majors, but the employment of women into these fields was minimal to none because of the nature of the careers, therefore leaving certain jobs short of employees. There will continue to be further evaluation of the situation by education groups in the country until a final position can be taken. In the U.S., it is very common and popular for students to stay in dorms and other residential halls on the campuses of their universities. In Iran, however, it seems to be less common. If one lives in Tehran, it is more likely that one will stay at home and attend a university in the city. Students who come to school in Tehran from other areas of the country do have dorm options available. “There are dorms, but not a lot and some have to get a house. Many students come (from all around Iran) to study in Tehran,” Ghazal said.

“The community is essentially the same: young, bright, and hopeful individuals seeking knowledge and striving to discover their passions amongst others who share those same goals and aspirations.” A major struggle for university students in the U.S. is the high tuition costs. “Governmental (public) universities are free for students, but at Azad University, students need to pay money,” Ghazal said. Iran’s public universities are free, but are also more difficult to get accepted into. In response to whether attending a private university in Iran is affordable and whether there are opportunities to receive financial aid, Arash said, “No, it’s not affordable for all of us. And no there’s not (any financial aid).” It seems as if the affordability of education is a problem for many students around the world. So, what does a typical day look like for a university student in Iran? “Going to college, studying in the library, learning new things, and searching about new programming languages,” Ghazal responded. Arash said, “Me and my friend go to college. We meet our friends, go to our classes, and then arrive at home.” Even separated by oceans and continents as well as a different culture and language, one is able to see how similar the lives of these university students are to our own here in the U.S. The community is essentially the same: young, bright, and hopeful individuals seeking knowledge and striving to discover their passions amongst others who share those same goals and aspirations.

“Education in Iran.” World Education News and Reviews, April 1st, 2013. Accessed February 18th, 2016. http://wenr.wes. org/2013/04/wenr-april-2013-an-overview-of-education-in-iran/ Esfandiari, Goli. “Iran: Number of Female University Students Rising Dramatically.” Pars Times, 2003. Accessed February 19th, 2016. http://www.parstimes.com/women/women_universities.html Perspective 25

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The Crack of Dawn for the Tourism Industry in Iran By Neeka Mahdavi copyright: orujtravel

rom summers spent swimming in the Caspian Sea by my father’s family home in Northern Iran to walking along the yardangs in Shahdad Desert by my mother’s hometown of Kerman, I’ve done my fair share of exploring Iran. Instead of sitting around the house playing backgammon and eating watermelon with my cousins, my summer days were filled with waking up at the crack of dawn to go to places like the hand dug houses in the village of Maymand, the Persian Carpet Museum, and the Golestan Palace. I’ll admit that when I was younger I wasn’t the biggest fan of my mother’s touristic tendencies. I didn’t know any non-Iranians with wanderlust to visit Iran. Even my Iranian friends didn’t have the extensive travel list for Iran that we did! Why weren’t we taking tropical vacations by the beach in Hawaii or at least learning about the Renaissance in the museums of Italy? As I grew older, her secret plan started to unravel itself; how could I appreciate the country of my ancestors, how could I accept my background and history, if I didn’t know anything about it? The more I saw of the country, the more captivated I was. Last winter when my mom and I visited Iran, I was the one who requested to visit the Achaemenid Empire capital of Persepolis and urged the rest of my family to join us on our trip to see the ancient wind catchers of Yazd. Yet, on each of these expeditions, as I enjoyed the beauty Iran has to offer, I couldn’t help but feel slightly upset by the lack of compatriots on my quest to explore every part of the country. Every time I saw a European tourist, I felt proud that for some reason they were drawn to this mesmerizing country. When I visited Pasargadae, the resting place of the man responsible for the first charter of human rights, Cyrus the Great, I felt both shocked that we were the only visitors and frustrated by the poor upkeep of the site. And now, as I study abroad in Europe and am enjoying the relics of the ancient Western world during my countless museum visits, I can’t help but compare the tourism industry with that of Iran’s. Was I just imagining the lack of tourists in Iran? Will Iran always be separate from the Western world in this regard? Iran’s Vice-President for Tourism, Masoud Soltanifar, has stated, “No other industry in Iran will see a bigger

boost than tourism as the result of [the nuclear] deal. The news about the nuclear agreement and lifting of economic sanctions has delighted our tourism industry.” Currently, the country only has about six million visitors from around the world, largely due to tourists’ safety concerns and restrictive visa rules for entering the country.[1] Additionally, because of the decades-old American embargo in Iran, Western credit cards don’t work. This means that foreigners have to bring in a large amount of cash. The removal of banking restrictions would allow for booking transportation and hotels, withdrawing cash, and paying with credit cards. The hope is that Iran will host 20 million tourists a year by 2025 as a result of lifting sanctions.[2] This would quadruple revenues from tourism. Iran will need to accommodate for this growth of tourism with improved transportation and lodging. Comparatively, Iran has a much lower capacity for tourists than other popular tourist destinations. The capacity of the main international airport in Tehran is currently at 5 million (projected to reach 45 million), compared to 75 million passengers in Dubai’s airport or the 38 million of Istanbul’s. Even looking at hotels, there are only 96 hotels in Tehran, while there are 627 in Dubai and 2,380 in London, though there are plans to triple the number of hotels before 2025.[3] Iran is a country rich with historical and natural wonders, which many curious and knowledgeable tourists do visit each year. I’m not sure if my desire to see more tourists in Iran means that I’m prepared to see red double decker hop-on hop-off buses on streets packed with little souvenir shops and flashy tourist-trap restaurants. However, I do know that there’s much to learn from the landscape and museums of Iran, especially with the lack of Middle Eastern history taught in middle and high schools. Next time I go to Iran, I’m prepared to wake my mom and cousins up at the crack of dawn to see the Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan or walk by the water on the island of Kish. This time, I am hoping to see not only more Western tourists, but also other Iranian Americans like myself, looking to learn something about themselves as they discover their country. After all, the backgammon and watermelon can always wait until after the tour begins.

[1] Gray, Jules. “The Rebirth of Iranian Tourism.” Business Destinations Make Travel Your Business. November 20, 2015. Accessed February 26, 2016. http://www.businessdestinations.com/featured/the-rebirth-of-iranian-tourism/. [2] Porter, Lizzie. “Iran Hopes to Welcome 20 Million Tourists a Year following Nuclear Deal.” The Telegraph. July 15, 2015. Accessed February 26, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/middle-east/iran/articles/Iraniansmore-than-eager-to-welcome-tourists/. [3] Kazimov, Khalid. “Islamic Restrictions or $30B: Hard Choice for Iran’s Tourism Industry.” Trend. February 24, 2016. Accessed February 26, 2016. http://en.trend.az/iran/society/2498961.html. 26 Perspective

opinion

From Persian Rejection to Persian Immersion

By Paniz Amirnasiri

t this point in the trajectory of my life, the relation between time and the degree of Persianness displayed has resembled an inverted bell curve. Growing up in a small city in NorCal, only a relative few Iranians attended the annual Nowruz Show – an event that, though located in a small room in the back of a library, compensated thoroughly with its offer of an assortment of shirinis (Persian pastries). Despite the momentary connection to my culture that consumption of these shirinis would induce every year, however, my identity started to shed pieces of its once Persian-dominated roots by the time I turned nine or ten. I am grateful to admit that I never consciously experienced direct discrimination due to my Iranian background (although, in the fourth grade, a boy in my class made a suspiciously pointed joke about females with mustaches). Yet, I imagine that the stigma surrounding my country of origin facilitated the ease with which I separated myself from the Persian culture – conflating two arenas that were, in reality, separate. Certainly, such a sentiment peaked when I was in elementary school. Having started the first grade with no knowledge of the English language, I was well aware of the pressure and frustration that accompanied being an outsider. After nailing the pronunciation of “th”s and “w”s, I was wary of any action that could possibly shove me back into the category of outsider, and flaunting my Iranian origins appeared to pose that danger. While this sensitivity eroded over time, it would rear its unsightly head every now and then. The day I mispronounced the word “comb” in the midst of my middle school friends is forever etched into my memory. Mispronouncing that word, an occurrence that should have been futile in the story of my life, was the equivalent of a breach in some “non-foreigner” façade I had subconsciously convinced myself to uphold. It was as though any sign of my otherness would unravel the attempt towards Americanization, revealing a unibrowed, puffy-haired, gher-loving, lavashak-eating monster. This sensitivity arose again, this time involving an encounter with an adult figure in my life. Casually detailing a recent trip, this individual looked at me with wide eyes as she described her fear when a “Middle-Eastern-looking” woman dashed to get onto the plane, only to be stopped by security (though eventually “cleared” and allowed to board). What surprises me now is not her words, but my reaction. I distinctly remember feeling the desperate need to convey that I agreed with and understood her fear; because if I questioned it, she might equate me with that woman and fear me in the same way. That day, I made a mental note to avoid “dashing” at all costs when in an airport.

And so I put on the toxic glasses of ignorance, allowing a distorted, inaccurate vision of my background, which I knew was untrue, seep into my brain. I never rejected my origins when prompted to speak about them, but, mostly subconsciously, I did not bring them up either. And then I came to Berkeley. During the second semester of my freshman year, I took my first Farsi class, and, during my sophomore year, I joined the Iranian Student Cultural Organization (ISCO). I like to call this period in my life “Persian Immersion.” Suddenly, I was sitting in a living room surrounded by Persian friends, sipping on chai (which I never liked growing up — I know, disgraceful), sucking on nabat, and speaking in Finglish. Before I could tell what was happening, my Persian levels shot through the roof and, after a moment of reflection, I realized that I liked it.

“ The day I mispronounced the word “comb” in the midst of my middle school friends is forever etched into my memory.” Given my newfound engagement with the Persian community, I was intrigued when the Nuclear Deal proceedings started appearing in the news. While tabling for ISCO one day, I was approached by a man who asked what I thought about the Deal. I explained to him that ISCO was a non-political organization and gave what I saw as a generic answer about ultimately hoping that it would benefit the people. But thinking about it now, I should not have brushed that answer off as generic. Because in a world in which perceptions are so easily manipulated and social forces so indestructible that even those who see through their wholes are sucked into them, diplomatic relations can provide some enlightenment. The long-standing tendency to reject otherness, even when it is your own, is a difficult human flaw to abolish. Thus, even the slightest sign of its acceptance at the top (ie. at a highly visible, potentially influential level) is an opportunity to bypass it from below. If world leaders continue to make observable attempts to see beyond otherness (notwithstanding their political motivations - that is a whole other story), maybe, just maybe, that image alone will influence the rest of us to attempt it. Regardless, I am glad to be sitting comfortably at the right endpoint of the inverted bell curve. The trajectory is unlikely to be constant from here on out, but, now that I have discovered chai, it is unlikely to ever return to the minimum. Perspective 27

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y mother and I were sifting through the limitless movie options Emirates Airlines had to offer as we sat in the plane waiting to take off for Dubai. The connecting flight to the UAE was to eventually take us to Iran, a place I had longed to visit for all twenty-one years of my existence. My mother and I had filled our bags with soghatees or presents for our relatives. The giant smile sprawled across my face was irrepressible and couldn’t be erased even with great effort. I was elated to embark on an adventure that I had always dreamt of. I pictured myself walking through bazaars, smelling rosewater in the air, hearing the buzz of my native tongue swirl around me, and beholding women in beautiful colored hijabs. In my imagination, I was finally picking out the handcrafted trinket boxes my grandmother used to bring me from her homeland for my own friends and family members. I was perusing the selection of gold jewelry; picking up fresh nooneh sangak from the tanoor and kabob from the local kababi. I was finally meeting cousins I’ve only conversed with over Skype, encountering the tender embraces and smiles of my relatives, and feeling the warmth of my vibrant people. I had dreamt of these scenes so many times that I believed I had already lived them. There was almost no need to go because I was already there. An hour into the flight, the pilot announced on the loudspeaker that there was something wrong with the plane’s gear and we would be forced to return to LAX. The plane circled Catalina Island dumping out fuel. My mother and I clenched each others’ hands, fearing what was to become of our fate. Thankfully, we landed safely. Being the lover of daring adventure that I am, I was resolute to pursue the trip at all costs, but my parents decided to postpone it altogether. The tangible feelings of tasting the kabob and breathing in the smoggy streets of Tehran disappeared. Growing up, I didn’t have many Iranian friends. I attended private Christian schools in Orange County up until college and was surrounded by a homogenous population of people – Caucasian, mainly blonde, conservative, and Republican. I was one of three Iranians in my high school. I didn’t attend Persian school as a child to cultivate my Farsi reading and writing skills. I didn’t take Iranian dance classes. Googoosh was never played in my household and I spent most of my time listening to Britney Spears and Hilary Duff. I never celebrated charshanbeh soori or shabe yalda. I didn’t typically speak Farsi at home, except for when my father fervently pushed me to. My parents never encouraged me to find an Iranian husband when I became older, instead

telling me that I could marry whomever I wish. My parents even opted to give me an American name, both in honor of me being born in the United States and out of fear that my peers would have trouble pronouncing a common Iranian name. It wasn’t until college that I found a circle of people who I could share my culture with. I have learned a great deal about Iran from my peers and have enjoyed speaking freely about its people, food, politics, and cultural practices. My Iranian friends have somewhat been able to complete for me the picture I formulated in my mind about the country of my roots. Some of our gatherings consist of eating homemade Iranian food as well as dates, baklava, and anar for dessert with chai, dancing to modern Iranian music and cooling off with sonati melodies, and conversing about experiences in Iran. I find it amusing how similar these get-togethers are to my family parties growing up. I never imagined that I would participate in the same recreational activities as my parents and their friends; that the girl who used to solely engage in American pastimes such as going to the beach or the movies with her Caucasian friends would later partake in customs practiced by native-born Iranians around her. Today, my culture is such a pivotal part of my identity. I love the effervescent soul and spirit of the Iranian people. I love the selfless efforts they make for their family, friends, and strangers alike, ensuring that every mouth is fed and that everyone feels at ease, at home, and satisfied. I love their emphasis on education, their yearning for excellence, and the fact that they hold themselves to such high standards. Their tendency to overdress or “dress to impress” is endearing because it stems from a desire to present the best version of themselves. Their respect for elders is admirable and sensible because it allows for people like my grandparents to impart enthralling stories of their youth and sage lessons they’ve gained throughout the years. I adore how Iranians always find a reason to eat delectable food, dance, laugh loudly, and celebrate life. I appreciate my parents’ determination to give me a fruitful life and to instill within me values from two very distinct cultures. My principles are not entirely American nor Iranian, but a perfect concoction of both; a coupling of old and new traditions, shaped by multiple generations. These traditions come from a place I have never been before, but love deeply because it makes up who I am. I will finally visit Iran over the summer, and I am thrilled to have the visions that have only existed in my imagination come to life.

“Tehran, Capital City of Iran.” VisitCapitalCity.com. Accessed February 27, 2016. http://www.visitcapitalcity.com/asia/ tehran-iran. 28 Perspective

Loving a Place Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Never Been By Heather Dadashi

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Persian Stereotypes: True or False? By Nikki Bayar

e have all heard the stereotypes commonly associated with being Persian. The ones that like to present an image of Iranian girls as “high maintenance,” “daddy’s little girls,” and “money-driven.” But do these stereotypes hold any truth? And if so, why? Before highlighting the flaws in these stereotypes, let me clarify what one might expect from a stereotypical Persian girl. She would be the type of girl who refuses to buy brands below the prestige of Coach or drive a car any less than the latest Mercedes-Benz. Taking it one step further, she would finance this high-end lifestyle by offering her poor old father the “puppy dog eyes” necessary to increase her shopping allowance for the month. Now, on the other hand we have stereotypes regarding Persian parents that are equally as entertaining. This parent is likely driven by finance and security, which means that they will disapprove of any career path their child chooses if it is not medicine, law, or engineering. In this alternate reality, if a child was to come and ask to be a therapist (let me be clear, the therapy that involves words, not the exorbitantly expensive medicine that only psychiatrists can prescribe), you can be sure that the child will be disowned. The stereotypical Persian parent would never tell their kid to be a therapist, or a veterinarian, or better yet, an English major. Why is this? Could it be because these lines of work do not have the prestige that Persians tend to crave? Or do they not produce the high salaries that many need to finance their high-end lifestyles? While it is obvious to most Iranians that these stereotypes are far from true and largely generalizations, it is important to ask why so many Americans (even those who don’t actually know any Persians) believe them to be true. I believe this to be a product of shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians that illustrate partly ethnic characters and more so Shahs of Sunset, which is made up of an entirely Iranian cast. This reality TV show based in Los Angeles follows six wealthy Persians in their day-to-day lives. In this show, you will see Golnesa telling a shopkeeper to “charge it to my daddy.” You will see Mercedes (yes, that is her name) spend thousands and thousands of dollars on botox, lifts, reductions, and pretty much anything to alter her face and body. And of course, you will see all of them driving the highest-end luxury cars on the market. Shahs of Sunset takes the already existing stereotypes of Persians and amplifies them on national television. Though it is clear that most Persians do not fit within these stereotypes, it is unfortunate that they continue to be projected by media. Making it just as important for us to spread education and awareness about our community and culture in order to contrast the ways in which outside groups would like us to be perceived. At the very end of the day, Iranians have a very beautiful and understanding culture, and I have no doubt that this will continue to shine through in any interactions we cultivate!

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Persian Poetry and Its Importance to Iranian Culture By Nikki Zangenah

dorning the entrance to the United Nations building in beautiful, ornate Persian calligraphy is a poem written by famous Iranian poet Saadi of Shiraz. Eloquently integrated, this same poem was quoted by President Barack Obama in a 2009 meeting with Iranian leaders.[1] Titled Bani Adam, which translates into Children of Adam, the 13th century poem emphasizes unity among all mankind and calls for the breaking of social barriers.[2] Translated into English, the last two lines of the poem read, “If thou hast no sympathy for the troubles of others, Thou art unworthy to be called by the name of a human.”[3] Despite being written eight centuries ago, the message of Saadi’s Bani Adam is timeless, and it remains to this day an influential piece of literature. This motif of timelessness is not uncommon among Persian poetry, and according to classical Persian scholar Austin O’Malley, it is largely due to the “accessibility of the language.”[4] Unlike English, Persian has only changed a small amount over the thousand-year-span of its “existence as a literary language.”[5] As a result, ancient Persian poetry and its overarching themes “still resonate with modern audiences,” one of the reasons for its continued importance in Iranian culture.[4] In addition, poetry is crucial to Iranian culture because of its notable prominence as a subcategory of Persian literature. Type in “Persian literature” in an online search engine, and the overwhelming majority of results mention Persian poetry. Ask scholars or native Iranians what comes to mind when they hear “classical Persian literature,” and they will likely reply with “poetry.” Unlike many other written languages in which poems are only a small fraction of published works, Persian literature began with—and continues to be largely centered around—the art of poetry. According to the Iran Chamber Society, there were very few novels written in Persian literature until relatively recently, and “it was poetry that formed the chief outlet for artistic expres-

sion.”[6] Its exceptional prevalence is one of the main factors contributing to the popularity of Persian poetry—both as a literary form to read and as a literary form to write. Growing up with a father who is an avid poet, Persian poetry is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. As far back as I can remember, my dad would wake me up by reciting lofty poems he had written, and later lull me to sleep by humming famous ancient verses. For my father, a full-blooded Iranian who immigrated to America forty years ago, reading and writing poetry is an important way of keeping in touch with our culture. In a personal interview with my father, he explained his love for poetry as follows: “Poetry is the best form of creative expression. It is writing, it is art, it is music…it is beautiful.” When asked how he first became interested in poetry, my dad replied, “It’s hard not to become interested in something when it is so integral to your culture, your school, your life. Trying to imagine Iran without poetry is like imagining the society in Fahrenheit 451. Poems in Iran are like novels here—you just grow up reading them.” Surely, it is not difficult to understand why my father initially became engulfed in this writing form. However, what fascinated me the most was his explanation for why he continues to read and write poetry every single day. “[Poetry] is so therapeutic and relaxing that it almost becomes addicting. It’s also a social outlet. My closest friends from grade school and I still exchange poems we’ve written—on a semiweekly basis, actually. We didn’t grow up in the age of texting and emojis. If we want to keep in touch, we send emails, usually including our latest work or most recent favorite. It’s also a great way to keep in touch with yourself…and with your culture. Every time I read or write a poem I feel like I’m maintaining a connection with our culture, and that’s really important to me. I would never want to forget where I came from.”

[1] Mackey R. Obama, Peres and Colbert on the Persian New Year. The New York Times. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes. com/2009/03/20/obama-and-colbert-on-the-persian-new-year/?_r=1. Published March 20, 2009. [2] Iqbal Z. Iranian Poetry “Bani Adam” Inscribed On United Nations Building Entrance. Zaufishan. http://www.zaufishan.co.uk/2011/09/iranian-poetry-bani-adam-inscribed-on.html. Published September 17, 2011. [3] Shahrjerdi R. Motto on the entrance of the United Nations building. Warwick Blogs. https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/ rezas/entry/motto_on_the/. Published October 7, 2004. [4] Grillot S, Arias H. Khayyam And Rumi: How Ancient Persian Poems Resonate In Modern Culture. KGOU. http://kgou. org/post/khayyam-and-rumi-how-ancient-persian-poems-resonate-modern-culture. Published August 15, 2014. [5] A Brief History of Persian Literature. Iran Chamber Society. http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/history_literature.php. Published 2001. [6] Zangenah B. Personal Interview. February 26, 2016. Perspective 31

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