Perspective, Fall 2016

PERSPECTIVE

Iranian Students’ Cultural Organization Published Since 1995

University of California, Berkeley Fall 2016

Perspective 1

A Letter from the Editor Dear Reader,

Portrait Credit: Anoush Razavian

It is with great pride and a full heart that I present to you the Fall 2016 issue of Perspective Magazine. My hope is that you enjoy reading this edition of our beloved publication as much as we enjoyed creating it for you all.

The Iranian and Iranian-American identities are constantly being molded and reshaped. Being Iranian isn’t black and white, and it definitely cannot be generalized or stereotyped. Much of this stems from topics, some of which seemingly more controversial or difficult to talk about, being hushed up or simply put on the back burner. For many of us, especially young Iranian-Americans, our cultural identity is vastly different from what one may think to be the traditional or standard Iranian voice.

This dynamicity has been the inspiration for the theme of this year: breaking down walls. Iranians both at home and abroad are constantly redefining what it means to be a member of such a rich and vibrant culture. The successes of young Iranian-Americans such as Cameron Baradar and Maryam Mirzakhani, both featured in this issue, have shown us that Iranians, regardless of age, are capable of groundbreaking and amazing things. The Iranian LGBTQ+ community has continued to strengthen its voice, which has inspired some of our writers to speak about their own experiences with their sexuality as Iranian-Americans. Even older members of our community, such as the sonati singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian and the late filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, continue to shape the Iranian identity with their powerful voices and works of art.

I am extremely excited for you to delve deeper into this issue and read on topics we’ve never touched on before. Our understanding of the Iranian identity is still not close to complete. The amount of gray area, however, creates the potential for so many powerful and amazing conversations about what it means to be an Iranian or an Iranian-American. I hope that our writers are able to help foster these conversations and help everyone see the beauty of our culture and all aspects of what it offers, whether that be in art, the professional world, sexuality, or maybe another area we’ve yet to shed light on.

If you are interested in getting involved with the publication, please send an e-mail to perspective.mag@gmail.com. We accept applications for new contributors at the beginning of each semester and always welcome donations and advertisements.

Warm Regards, Editor in-Chief: Nima Shajarian Layout Editor: Kimya Khoshnan Nima Shajarian Assistant Editors-in-Chief: Negin Shahiar, Leila Zarifi (not pictured) Copy Editors: Saalar Aghili, Neeka Mahdavi, Charlotte Laurence Editor-in-Chief Staff Writers: Marian Haidarali, Vida Seyedkazemi, Nikki Zangenah, Trixie Mehraban, Neeka Mashouf, Amir Amerian, Ariana Vargas, Dorrin Akbari, Heliya Izadpanah, Azin Mirzaagha, Kian Talaei, Anahita Ghajarrahimi, Mahshad Badii, Kian Martin, Shayaun Nejad (not pictured) Perspective 2

Table of Contents Arts

Feature

Business

Perspective

Food Sports

The Evolution of Iranian Cinema Saalar Aghili Uncovering Iran: A View Through The Lens Azin Mirzaagha Persian: A Transnational Tongue Charlotte Laurence Princeton University Art Museum Launches Leila Zarifi

Shahnameh Exhibit Remembering a Legend: Nima Shajarian A Farewell to Abbas Kiarostam

4-5 6-7 8 9 10-11

Mayam Mirzakhani: Iran’s Superheroine of Mathematics Anahita Ghajarrahimi Partying With Persians Ariana Vargas The Rapid Rise of Marijuana Use in Iran Dorrin Akbari

Culture Crash: Traffic Accidents and Mahshad Badii Driving Culture in Iran The Refugee Crisis and its Impact on Iran Marian Haidarali

Donation Establishes Bita Daryabari Chair Negin Shahiar in Iranian Studies at UC Berkeley Iran Awakens as a Technological Powerhouse Shayaun Nejad Building a Home for Entrepreneurship at Berkeley: Neeka Mashouf Interview with Cameron Baradar

Two Diverging Paths: Medicine and Healthcare in Iran Kian Talaei Iran’s Pharmaceutical Industry: A Promising Future Vida Seyedkazemi

Reading Rumi and Singing Googoosh: Kian Martin Understanding my Queerness Through Iranian Art A Letter to my Persian Family Trixie Mehraban Love Beyond Identity: Coming Out as a Gay Iranian Amir Amerian

We All Scream for Bastani!

Nikki Zangenah Giahkhar: A Vegan Twist on Traditional Persian Cuisine Heliya Izadpanah

12 13 14-15 16-17

“Let me Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!”

34-35

Neeka Mahdavi

18-19 20 21 22-23 24 25 26-27 28-29 30 31 32-33

Cover Photo courtesy of Hamed Hosseinpour Photos Courtesy of Iran Unveiled

Perspective 3

arts

The Evolution Of Iranian Cinema

by Saalar Aghili

photo courtesy of Indie Wire

L

ast month, Iran submitted The Salesman, or Foroushandeh, as the country’s entry for the 89th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film.

The Academy Awards recognized director Asghar Farhadi’s work in 2012 when he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and won Best Foreign Language Film for A Separation. Now, he’s back with another frontrunner that already has two Cannes awards under its belt.

But what does this performance mean relative to Iranian cinema’s size, capabilities, and resources?

Like many other luxuries in Iran, which was still Persia at the time, film was initially reserved for the royal courts and elite of the Qajar Dynasty at the turn of the 20th century. Soon enough, though, films hierarchically diffused into Iran’s upper-middle classes through the establishment of movie theaters displaying imported short films and documentaries from Russia. But early Iranian film enthusiasts envisioned a self-sufficient film industry within Iran where movie theaters did not have to depend on Western productions to have showings. Effectively, Ovanes Ohanian, an Armenian-Iranian filmmaker, laid the foundation for Iranian cinema through creating

Iran’s first film school called Parvareshgahe Artistiye Cinema, or The Cinema Artist Education Center, after returning to Iran from Russia in 1925.1 Although his legacy and passion for Iranian cinema are still remembered today, film was a new, Western invention and Ohanian’s efforts did not spark a fast growing Iranian film industry.

Most Iranian films were adaptations of Western originals, and filmmakers came from schools in Russia and India.

Film production’s early days in Iran consisted of cheap, formulaic films intended to entertain the local market.

These escapist films, called “FilmFarsis,” made up a large part of Iranian cinema before the coming of the contrasting realist New Wave Iranian Cinema.2

It wasn’t until the start of the New Wave in the 1960s that Iranian cinema became what it is today. This shift in film production was made apparent by a growing popularity of Iranian films centered on realism, diving into the hardships and daily lives of common Iranians. It is not a coincidence that the New Wave started alongside the peak of modern Persian literature and in the midst of many social and political developments within Iranian society.

1Talachian, Reza. “Cinema of Iran--Introduction.” Cinema of Iran--Introduction. Southern Illinois University, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www. lib.washington.edu/neareast/cinemaofiran/intro.html#foot8>.

2 “The New Wave in Iranian Cinema - From Past to Present.” Pars Times. Hamshahri (Daily Morning), n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www.parstimes.com/film/new_wave.html>.

Perspective 4

arts

One of the first precursors to the New Wave came in 1962 with Forough Farrokhzad’s documentary short The House is Black, or Khane Siah Ast, about a leper colony in East Azerbaijan.31 Her reputation as a renowned poet led to a narration filled with her emotive poetry that touches on the beauty of creation and delineates the misery of the neglected leper colony.

This unprecedented awareness of lepers on the big screen in Iranian society dug deep into humanity’s stigma of leprosy through cinéma vérité, or an observational cinema aimed at unveiling the crude reality.

Soon enough, the New Wave brought films like The Cow, or Gaav, and Serpent Skin, or Jeld-e Maar, by Dariush Mehrjui. Figures like Masoud Kimiai and Sohrab Shahid Saless brought artistically directed films and helped set the foundation for Iranian cinema to achieve a world spotlight. By the end of the 1960s, several film schools were established as well as festivals, clubs, and production companies. These resources, which increased public and governmental support, drove the growth of Iranian cinema to a self-sufficient industry that no longer required international resources. Even with the obstacles posed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and a near decade long war in the 1980s, Iranian cinema prevailed. Movies about the Iran-Iraq War and the Islamic Revolution enhanced Iranian nationalism by exposing the adversities that many Iranians faced while still being acclaimed for filmmaking.

But why does Iranian cinema still succeed on the world stage given its limitations relative to other countries’ film industries? In order to make a film in Iran, the film must be screened and approved by the

Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. All aspects of the film must abide by laws that prevent the same things that are ubiquitous in films produced in other countries: sex, alcohol, partying, and more. Yet, filmmakers still express the realities present within Iranian society like love, drugs, and poverty.

Even compared to Iranian diasporic films, where there is no pre-approval by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and filmmaking resources are more accessible, Iranian cinema performs much better in terms of critical reception and artistic flair.

Asghar Farhadi experienced this when he filmed Le Passe, or The Past. Although the French film was successful and critically acclaimed, the director returned back to Iran for future films, stating, “I wanted to work in my country, I wanted to go back home,” he said.

“Despite all the existing difficulties, I get great pleasure and I am most satisfied from shooting films in my country.”42

It comes down to the authenticity of Iranian cinema that is vulnerable to outside influences, as seen in the diaspora. In Iran, there is no capitalist agenda: hitting top box offices is not the goal, sequels are not necessarily planned, and consumerism does not overshadow the artistic intent. Obviously, there are plenty of cliché, formulaic films present in Iranian cinema, but it is films by directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Bahman Ghobadi that dominate the spotlight of Iranian cinema. Within a century, Iranian cinema has developed another art form that now gives a glimpse into Iran’s reality on one big screen.

3 “The House Is Black” - Forough Farrokhzad (1962).” The Film Sufi:. N.p., 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <http://www.filmsufi.com/2015/03/the-house-is-black-forough-farrokhzad.html> 4 Vivarelli, Nick. “Cannes: Why Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’ Signals a Post Nuclear Deal Cinematic Resurgence in Iran .” Variety. May 22, 2016. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/film/ news/cannes-why-asghar-farhadis-the-salesman-signals-a-post-nuclear-deal-cinematic-resurgence-in-iran-1201780563/.

Perspective 5

Iran Unveiled: Uncovering Iran Through A Different Lens

Perspective 6

by Azin Mirzaagha

T

arts

here is true power in what a single photo can evoke. Street photography has exploded in Iran in the last few years, with young photographers utilizing Instagram and Facebook to display day-to-day shots of the country that unites them all. For many young Iranians, photography has become the outlet they’ve needed to convey the real Iran to the rest of the world.

A recent exhibition by the Iran Unveiled Artist Collective project has brought together such a collection of photography. The project was brought forth with the ambition to use the works of artists to provide an insight into a country that few Westerners have seen. The exhibition was showcased in Berkeley by co-curators Mahya Jaberiansari and Arash Shirinbab and had its opening event at the local Kala Institute earlier this September. The works of nine prominent artists, many of whom are from Iran, were featured. The group of artists includes Mahya Jaberiansari, Saeid Moridi, Neda Monem, Bahram Habibi, Omid Scheybani, Farzad Abedi, Arash Ashkar, Alireza Khatibi and Reza Yaghoubi.

The opening event appeared to be quite successful, with the gallery remaining open to visitors for two weeks.

The opening included tea (of course) and a taste of various traditional Iranian foods alongside the viewing of the artists’ pieces. Attendees had the wonderful opportunity to live video chat with several of the artists who were in Iran at the time. Earlier this month, I was presented with the opportunity to interview one of the featured artists at the event, Omid Scheybani. He is an entrepreneur and smartphone photographer based in San Francisco.

What has inspired/influenced your thinking, photography, and career path?

My thinking has mostly been shaped by my parents and the people that surrounded me in life. Early on, I learned the importance of being around people who have different opinions and who can push you to think differently. Another big influence on my thinking has been traveling, or traveling to parts of the world that others shy away from. It has been trips like that which have shaped my thoughts and world view. I always had an interest for content creation and the arts. I then started following the works of famous photographers and studied what made their photography so beautiful and different. Over the years I picked up on those skills and incorporated them into my own photography. Nowadays, I would describe myself as someone who creates pictures, not someone who just takes pictures. I see the end result in my head and then go and create the photo.

Exactly what is it you want to say with your photographs, and how do you actually get your photographs to do that?

What I really hope to show through my photography is a new perspective on things that people either don’t see or have never seen. Let me break this down.

First, the “don’t see.” Very often folks see my pictures and are surprised by how I was able to capture something in a way that they had never seen before. They might have passed a certain corner or wall or area hundreds of times before, but when they see the picture I took, they see it in a light and way that was unknown to them.

Second, the “never seen” type of pictures. That is actually a much bigger goal of mine as a photographer. Through photography I hope to show corners, cultures and people of this world that are often overlooked or unexplored.

How would you describe your photography experience in Iran? What aspects of your trip there really stood out?

My photography experience in Iran has always been extremely positive. Iran is full of beautiful architecture and color. It’s incredibly rich in terms of its culture and people. Capturing that richness is really rewarding as a photographer. The aspects that I have enjoyed the most are the mosques and bazaars. I have seen many of those in places like Egypt, Morocco, or Turkey, but Iran is different.

Tell me a bit about about what it was like to be a part of the Iran Unveiled Project. What did you think about the exhibition at the Kala Institute?

It ended up being an incredible experience to connect digitally and be dialed into the opening of the exhibition. I also really enjoyed interacting with those attendees. I would always ask what motivated them to come and who else they brought along. A lot of the Iranians had an immense sense of nostalgia seeing those pictures, but everyone was thankful for the opportunity to see parts of Iran they had either not known or not seen for too long.

What would you say is the big takeaway of the project?

My takeaway is the same that motivated me to partake in this exhibition. Namely, that it is so important to share a different narrative about Iran. One that is more accurate and that shows the real Iran beyond what is shown in the media.

With a single photograph, young Iranians are able to capture the “corners, cultures, and people” of Iran that many don’t see. They remind Iranians of the homeland that brings them together but, more importantly, they offer a new insight to those who have never seen beyond media portrayals of Iran.

Perspective 7

arts

Persian: A Transnational Tongue

by Charlotte Laurence

Like many storied civilizations, there is much to celebrate in the history of Iran: performing and creative arts, architecture, food, and the host of other attributes that represent culture. An important part of this cultural narrative is literature. The British have Shakespeare, Greece—Homer. Rumi, Hafez and Khayyam are sons of Iran. Iran is at best the presumptive heir to their words and language. Did they speak and write in Persian? Certainly. But until recently the language was neither bound nor defined by national borders, ethnicity or religion.

Farsi is the indo name for Persia, meaning that native speakers refer to it as Farsi. In the past few decades, people have been referring to it more and more by that name, in preference to the colonial appellation: Persian. Academics prefer the latter, but no one is more right that the other. It comes down to habit and preference.

Today, beyond Iranian borders, Persian is also spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The Afghanis changed the name to Dari in the 1960s in order to give it a national identity. In Tajikistan the language is called Tajik and is written with a Cyrillic alphabet.

Such alignment of language with a nation’s borders is a modern, nationalistic phenomenon that started in 20th century. Language used to be more fluid—geographically and culturally. Indeed, modern Farsi begins with eastern traverse of the Islamic Empire. With this, Arabic insinuated itself across borders and cultures, and Persian speakers adopted the Arabic alphabet. This assimilation gave Persian a considerable number of “loan words”—representing between forty and forty-five percent of words in the modern language.

The Persian language started to gain political importance around the 10th century, when the Abbasid

Caliphate lost control of its eastern territories, known today as Western Iran and Central Asia. The dynasties that emerged installed Persian as the court language. An elite class of administrators, poets, scholars, and courtiers—all who derived patronage from the court—adopted the language as a consequence. These people were cultural forebearers of today’s Hindus in India. But there was no such distinction at the time, and a plethora of ethnicities, including those today we term “Iranian,” had a supranational, Muslim identity.

Aria Fani, a graduate student of Persian Poetry at the University of California, Berkeley, adds additional perspective. “This is a language not limited to a single national community, a single religious community, a single ethnic community.”

From the tenth century onwards, the language continued to travel farther east and gained more importance—not just in courts, but in mystic circles, circles invested in literary production (poetry), and even in day-to-day conversation within the milieu of the Persian Empire.

As intimated earlier, one of the language’s conquests was the geographical region known today as India. According to Mr. Fani, from the 11th century to the late 19th century, Persian was a dominant language of the Indian subcontinent.

In the 17th century, some 10 million Indians were literate in Persian. That was equal, at the time, to the total population of Iran. This exemplifies perhaps the most important feature of the language: it evolved without a single center of patronage or of literary life. It has always been in flux. It is always moving.

Eventually, a function of politics and regional nationalism, Persian came to be identified more singularly as the property of Iran.

What ensued was an “annexation” by

Iran of literary figures who wrote in this hitherto transnational language.

The poet, Rumi, for example, was born in territory that today is called Afghanistan and died in Turkey.

He is claimed by almost all of the nationalities in the region, including Iran. Rumi lived during a time when the borders were porous, open, and imagined—where almost every major city was a frontier city. This problem is not unique to the region. At least three countries in Western Europe lay claim to the great narrative poem Beowulf as their own “national” poem.

Learning about one’s own culture can sometimes be a difficult mix of discovery and self-evaluation.

Intentionally or not, history can be skewed by interpretation or omission. The history of Persian handed down to us fits a commonly accepted narrative of Iranian national identity. This obscures, however, a more complex and multifaceted lineage born and anchored in shared cultural practices, but not shared nationalism.

For all its rich heritage, it is sobering to reflect on the health of this transnational language today.

What do we say to the Afghan writer whose lingua franca and lexicon of choice is Farsi? Does he feel disheartened and marginalized that this is equated with a single nation–Iran?

Or what of those Iranians who are part of the diaspora that are citizens of other countries but speak and write in Persian, and share this common cultural heritage?

In the words of the Persian transntional and transcultural literary hero, Omar Khayyam, “the moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on.”1 But perhaps in time the many cultural cousins of Iran will be universally and equally recognized in sharing this language in the fraternal spirit that is its great heritage; handmaiden of many, bride to none.

1 Fitzgerald, Edward. “THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM by Edward FitzGerald.” OKDAC. Accessed October 30, 2016. http://www.okdac.net/ docs/PERFORMANCE_SCRIPT.pdf

Perspective 8

arts

Princeton University Launches Shahnameh Exhibit

by Leila Zarifi

The Shahnameh contains 62 stories, 990 chapters, and 60,000 rhyming couplets,1 an epic longer than Homer’s Iliad and twelve times as long as the German Nibelungenlied.

For the first time, the original copy of the Shahnameh is available for public viewing until January 25, 2016 at Princeton University. The exhibit features all 48 of the manuscript’s folios, following the narrative of the work and providing viewers with insight into the manuscript’s production and history.

The Shahnameh is an epic written around 1000 A.D. by the Iranian Poet Hakim Abul-Qasim Mansur, who later became known as Ferdowsi Tusi. Ferdowsi’s intention was to maintain the language and heritage of his homeland, Iran, eventually making him one of the greatest poets of all time. The epic chronicles the history of Iran, beginning from primordial times up until the Arab conquest, and spans approximately 50 monarchs. The story progresses through the mythical, the heroic or legendary, and the historic time periods.

The numerous quests, adventures, heroes, villains, shahs, and lovers both entertain and resonate with individuals of all cultures and backgrounds.

The manuscript begins with the first prominent Persian King and concludes with the fall of the Sassanian empire to the Arabs. It has 475 folios and 45 full page miniatures distributed throughout the entire text.2 In 1983, the Peck Shahnameh, named after its donor, was given to Princeton University by Clara S. Peck. Peck had an affinity for literature and history and connected with the Shahnameh through its universal themes and insightful nature. The Princeton exhibition includes a 208-page catalogue published by the university, along with an essay by the curator that highlights the Shahnameh’s origins and distinct artistic characteristics, commentary on the narrative themes, and an essay by Louise Marlow on the manuscript’s marginal glosses. James Steward stated, “This beautiful example of Persian miniature painting is a masterwork of literature and art, and Princeton looks forward to bringing more attention to it through this exhibition and publication.”3 It’s intricacies and masterful techniques demonstrate the uniqueness of each Shahnameh masterpiece, no two volumes of which are alike. The message of the Shahnameh is very well articulated by Ferdowsi in his couplets which translate to. In this excerpt,

Prosperous buildings are ruined By rainfall and exposure to sunlight Ergo, I established a towering palace of verse That sees no harm of neither gusts nor rainfall I shall not demise as I am alive, henceforth For I have disseminated the seeds of discourse.

Ferdowsi portrays the confidence he has in his writings that he can withstand a difficult future. The purpose of his Shahnameh is to urge future generations to learn from the past of Iran, with the numerous lessons it has to offer both individuals and nations.

The Shahnameh is now the national epic of Persian culture and is one of the most prominent works of Persian poetry. It can be argued that the longstanding popularity of the Shahnameh is responsible for preserving the Persian language and culture, ensuring that they remain nearly the same as they were during Ferdowsi’s time, almost 1000 years ago.

1“Shahnameh Ferdowsi.” Shahnameh. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016 2“Peck Shahnamah Goes Online | RBSC Manuscripts Division News.”RBSC Manuscripts Division News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016 3“Shahnameh, Book of Kings: Exhibit at Princeton University ...”Persianesque Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016

Perspective 9

arts

A

Remembering a Legend:

s many Americans celebrated the independence of their country this pastyear, the Iranian and film communities, both at home and around the world, grieved. They had lost a brilliant and inspirational individual. This past Fourth of July, Abbas Kiarostami passed away at the age of 76 in Paris, France.

Over the past few decades, Iran has established itself as a powerhouse in cinematography.

Whether it is attributed to great actors, screenwriters, or directors, Iranian cinema continues to produce classics that have been revered across the globe. None of this, however, would have been possible without the contributions of one of the most influential cinematographers the world has ever seen.

Born on June 22, 1940 in the nation’s capital of Tehran,1 Kiarostami began his artistic career during his childhood as a painter. Many years of hard work towards his craft earned him admittance into the School of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran. After studying painting and graphic arts at the university, Kiarostami went on to design posters, illustrate children’s books, and direct advertisements and film credit sequences. It wasn’t until 1969 that he began working at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, where he established its film department. It was at the institute that he was able to direct his very first film in 1970, Nan va Kucheh (The Bread and Alley). This institute also happened to be where another Iranian film legend, Jafar Panahi, came to learn the art of cinematography – Kiarostami being his guide and mentor. Along with his own creations, Kiarostami saw his film department produce some of the most wellknown films in Iranian cinema, including The Runner (1984) by Amir Naderi and Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989) by Bahram Beizai.1

This film legend continued to produce phenomenal films as a director, screenwriter, and producer while in Iran. His films were all extremely unique whether they were factual or fictional. Kiarostami was famous for his use of poetry in his screenwriting and for his use of completely inexperienced actors, many of them children.

However, it wasn’t until 1987 that the acclaimed filmmaker gained recognition outside of his homeland. During that year, Kiarostami came out with the first installment of the Koker trilogy: Where is the Friend’s Home? Afterwards, he came out with Life, and Nothing More…

(1992) and Through the Olive Trees (1994) to complete the trilogy named so because all three films took place in the village of Koker in northern Iran. His biggest claim to fame, however, was the renowned film Taste of Cherry (1997), which received the coveted Palme d’Or, the highest honor given at the Cannes Film Festival in France.1

The film community appreciated Kiarostami for his genius and innovation. He worked with many Iranian greats including Jafar Panahi and Mohsen Makhmalbaf, but his brilliance was appreciated by so many outside of the Iranian community. His film Close-Up (1990) received high praise from film greats such as Quentin Tarantino, Jean-Luc Godard, and Kiarostami’s close friend, Martin Scorsese. At a tribute to Kiarostami held at the SVA Theater in New York City, New York eleven days after his friend’s death, Scorsese reminisced about the first time he met Kiarostami thirteen years earlier. After briefly describing his love for the Italian cinema as a child due to its purity and truth, Scorsese said that after watching a few of Kiarostami’s films he “experienced that same impact 65 years later. That it was something that changed my way of looking at the world.”2 Funnily enough, Scorsese said the impact the films had on him made him very cautious when he first met Kiarostami with his trademark sunglasses and cool demeanor.

Helping to put Iranian cinema on the map, however, was not an easy job. His decision to stay in Iran after the revolution to make films, while the vast majority of his colleagues fled to various countries, meant

Perspective 10

arts

A Farewell to Abbas Kiarostami

by Nima Shajarian

When asked about why he chose to remain while so many others fled, Kiarostami compared himself to a tree, stating that if you “transfer it from one place to another, the tree will no longer bear fruit...If I had left my country, I would be the same as the tree.”3 It was hard for him to film let alone show his pictures in his native land, but by doing so, he was

able to come up with films that helped the progression of the now flourishing Iranian cinema.

Kiarostami’s death came as a hard blow but not as a complete shock.

He had been battling gastrointestinal cancer after being diagnosed in March of 2016.1 However, not too long after his death, no more than nine days in fact, his family filed a legal complaint against the medical team who treated the film legend. The family says that they, as well as Kiarostami himself, were completely in the dark about his situation and treatment. It wasn’t until the entire family went to France in June that they were given any information abouthis situation. Up until that point, Kiarostami had gone through a number of surgeries in Iran for various reasons. The thought was that his death wasn’t actually due to his cancer, but rather, because one of the surgeries was performed poorly. This has sparked a larger scale debate in Iran about the lack of information given to patients from their doctors.

This goes to show that even following his death, Kiarostami remains a catalyst for change.

His body was returned to Tehran from Paris, and at the airport a red carpet was rolled out for him, the first time he had ever been on one in his home country. A funeral was held in Tehran with thousands in attendance.

Friends of Kiarostami’s, such as Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhad spoke and praised the late film great, while placards at the funeral read “First welcome, last farewell,” in reference to it being the first time such large crowds were permitted to come together and celebrate him in Iran. The memorial service took place at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, the very institution whose film department Kiarostami founded. He is survived by his two sons, Ahmad and Bahman.

On behalf of myself, the Iranian community, and the world of film, I would like to thank Abbas Kiarostami. His vision and passion not only blessed this Earth with his amazing work, but also laid the foundation for countless Iranian filmmakers to come.

May he rest in peace knowing the lasting impact he made on us all and that his legacy will continue to live on.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Abbas Kiarostami.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. July 4, 2016. Accessed November 1, 2016. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abbas-Kiarostami.

1

Abbas Kiarostami Honored by Martin Scorsese (pt. 4 of NY Tribute, 7/15/2016). Performed by Martin Scorsese. www.youtube.com. July 21, 2016. Accessed November 1, 2016.

Abbas Kiarostami honored by Martin Scorsese (pt. 4 of NY Tribute, 7/15/2016).

2

Pulver, Andrew, and Saeed Kamali Dehghan. “Abbas Kiarostami, Palme D’Or-winning Iranian Film-maker, Dies Aged 76.” The Guardian. July

04, 2016. Accessed November 1, 2016. https://www.

theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/04/abbas-kiarostami-palme-

dor-winning-iranian-film-maker-dies.

3

photo courtesy of Google Images

Perspective 11

feature

Iran’s Superheroine of Mathematics

The title of the article read “Stanford’s Maryam Mirzakhani wins Fields Medal.”1 Out of curiosity for her very Iranian name, I asked myself, “Who is Maryam Mirzakhani?” I learned from the article that she was the first woman and Iranian to have won the equivalent to the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Bewildered at the fact, I was filled with shock and pride.

The Fields Medal was first awarded in 1936, and up to four new recipients are named every four years. It has only ever been awarded to men. Maryam Mirzakhani was one of the four latest winners, and she is the first woman AND first Iranian person to win the title. Mirzakhani won the medal for her “outstanding contributions to the dynamics nd geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces,” says the International Mathematical Union.2 In her career, she has also worked on geometric structures on surfaces and hyperbolic planes.

Originally, Mirzakhani’s educational path was not focused on achieving greatness in the STEM field. She wanted to be a writer until high school, when she realized her love for mathematics. Recognition of her greatness started early. At both the 1994 and 1995 International Math Olympiads, she won gold medals and even achieved a perfect score at the 1995 event. She got her bachelor’s degree from Sharif University of Technology and went on to get her doctorate from Harvard University. Mirzakhani worked as a Clay Mathematics Institute Research Fellow and later an assistant professor at Princeton University until 2008, when she became a professor at Stanford University.

Mirzakhani’s achievements contrast the difficulties other women, particularly those who wish to pursue higher education in Iran, face. In 2012, 36 Iranian universities made 77 courses “single-gender,”3 effectively eliminating the possibility of women enrolling in those classes. Speculators assume that this was due to the university entrance certification rate of women exceeding that of men. It was also reported that more women than men in Iran enrolled in tertiary education in 2008.4 The ban included courses in English literature, nuclear physics, and industrial engineering, to name a few. The actions taken by several of the universities go directly against what Iran submitted in a report to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They stated that “all students should enjoy equal rights in using educational facilities” and that there should be no “exclusion in terms of gender” in the educational field.5 So what went wrong?

Reasonings for the ban were staggered. Isfahan University stated that women were excluded from engineering degrees because “98% of female graduates ended up jobless”4 – so they saw fit to just cut them from the

by Anahita Ghajarrahimi

photo courtesy of Stanford University

program all together. Instead of barring off females from courses, there could’ve been plans implemented to help lessen the gender gap present in the Iranian labor force.

According to the latest Iranian census in 2006, 3.5 million Iranian women were counted as paid workers, compared to the 23.5 million men.4 UNESCO conducts yearly studies that research the amount of women entering secondary and tertiary education in Iran, and the effects from the ban in tertiary education made themselves known. There has been significantly more men enrolled in tertiary education since 2013, which comes right after the implementation of “single-gendered” classes.6

Mirzakhani is a woman who defies these notions. To Iranian women, she symbolizes the success that can arise from hard work and dedication to education. She is an icon and role model for young women who wish to pursue a STEM field of education. The idea that an Iranian woman was the first Iranian to win the Fields Medal proves how higher education for these women is anything but worthless.

However, Mirzakhani’s legacy rests in America, not Iran; she is an example of the “brain drain” occurring in a lot of developing countries, in which young, talented individuals leave their home countries for better opportunities in educational or professional fields. She could have been even more of an important symbol for young Iranian women; these girls would see the benefits and successes higher education could bring if she was teaching at Sharif instead of Stanford.

Currently, Mirzakhani lives in California with her husband and five-year-old daughter, Anahita, as she continues her work as a professor. She is an example that women can have both a successful career and a family to come home to. She has redefined what it means to be an Iranian woman, showing us that we can have both.

1Carey, Bjorn. “Stanford’s Maryam Mirzakhani Wins Fields Medal.” Stanford University. August 12, 2014. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/august/fields-medal-mirzakhani-081214.html.

2 Sample, Ian. “Fields Medal Mathematics Prize Won by Woman for First Time in Its History.” The Guardian. August 12, 2014. Accessed October 18, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/13/fields-medal-mathematics-prize-woman-maryam-mirzakhani.

3 Tait, Robert. “Anger as Iran Bans Women from Universities.” The Telegraph. August 20, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9487761/Anger-as-Iran-bans-women-from-universities.html.

4 “GLOBAL EDUCATION DIGEST 2010 - UNESCO Statistics.” UNESCO Institute for Statistics. 2010. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.uis.unesco.org/Library/Documents/GED_2010_EN.pdf.

5 Iran Report submitted for the Eighth Consultation on the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education (2006-2011), 2012, p.2 6 ”Country Profiles .” Country Profiles. 2014. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?code=IRN.

Perspective 12

feature

photo courtesy of Ariana Vargas

Partying With Persians by Ariana Vargas

On an otherwise familiar Thursday evening, I noticed an alarming amount of students walking around Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley clad in gold chains and tight, probably designer, black unbuttoned shirts, joking about their parents’ new Mercedes. I fit right in. Wearing a flashy dress, Iranian gold bangles, and a strong perfume for maximum effect, I entered the infamous ISCO Disco.

The event, hosted by none other than the Iranian Students’ Cultural Organization, provides an opportunity for Iranian music-deprived students to dance like there’s no tomorrow to Persian music amidst a diverse crowd of Iranians, members of Greek Life, GSIs, and the greater Berkeley community. In other words, when the Iranian songs blast out, it’s the chance to start yelling in Farsi and scare non-Iranians who do not understand why the girls are moving their hands excessively and the guys are holding their hands up in a perpetual double high-five.

The flashily clad hosts of ISCO Disco knew that the goal of the event, which is to have a good time the Tehrangeles, could not exclusively involve Persian music, so before playing the songs of lost loves and certain khanooms (ladies), the DJ performed a safe, classic mix of hip-hop and well-received party songs. This was only a warm up.

Suddenly, the Black Cats came on. I looked around and saw both fear and excitement in faces throughout the crowd. The Iranians started getting closer together, forming dance circles, waving their hands in the air. Years of Persian weddings, Nowruz parties, and in my case, forced Iranian dance performances during childhood, had meticulously prepared the Iranian students to fully embrace the disco-driven rhythm of Persian music. The non-Iranians moved awkwardly, unsure how to dance to the strange beat and mysterious language. I looked my Filipino roommate in the eye. “Pretend you are tossing flowers and then screwing a lightbulb,” I told her. I looked my non-Iranian male friends in the eyes. “Lift your hands up and bounce a little,” I instructed. They continued to stand there confused, but after I stared at them harshly enough they too started dancing the Persian way.

Originally, I saw ISCO Disco as an opportunity to reveal my inner Tehrangeles, Persian extravagance, but I soon found that I loved seeing my friends participate in my culture’s music and dance.

Yes, ISCO Disco lets you dance with your fellow Iranians. Yes, it lets you joyfully dance to music that most non-Iranians don’t understand. But more than anything, it lets you share some of the best and most vibrant parts of your culture with your non-Iranian friends and community.

It was an otherwise familiar Thursday night, and I was in a venue full of classily dressed party-goers, embracing hours of excitement and a celebration of life and culture. ISCO Disco is for photo courtesy of Ariana Vargas everyone.

Perspective 13

photo courtesy of Craig Ernest Kneale

The Rapid Rise of Marijuana Use In Iran

by Dorrin Akbari

The thin leather whip cuts through the air and lands with a thud, 99 times. One, two, three—without hesitation. At seven, the culprit faints from pain, but someone else counts each stroke out loud, 97…98…99. This is the punishment for consuming alcohol, should the government choose to enforce its policies.

Meanwhile, in the same city, Tehran, a student takes out a joint at a party. He inhales slowly, feeling the smoke steadily enter his lungs. He exhales, sinking further down in his seat as the haze fills the air. He fears no whips, lashes, or fines. The high sets in.

These antithetical circumstances are the direct result of intentional absences in anti-narcotics law and a debilitating hard drug problem that has plagued Iran for years. Iran is infamous for its harsh code of conduct, which is enforced by a far-reaching intelligence apparatus. A geographic link in the “Golden Crescent,” a production and trans-shipment zone for opiates, the nation has waged an extensive and deadly war on opium trafficking.1 However, the same government that executed an estimated 1,539 individuals between 2011 and 20142 —and has cracked down periodically on alcohol, which is also illegal—turns an unexpected blind eye to marijuana’s growing popularity.3 Perspective 14

According to the U.N., “Iran has one of the most serious addiction problems in the world,” with an estimated 1.3 million people dependent on illegal opiates.

In 2012, Iran accounted for 70% of opium seizures in the world, and 30% of heroin seizures.2 At the same time, the increased use of crystal meth, or shisheh, has been “sudden and massive.”4 Iranians reportedly use 500 tons of various drugs annually.5

What is a major cause of Iran’s abnormally high levels of hard drug use? Its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, the world’s largest producer of opium.

Afghanistan is close enough to provide cheap, readily available narcotics to 55% of Iranian addicts. As opium production in Afghanistan increases, the price decreases in Iran, making it easier for users to get opium more than any other drug.6 Methamphetamine is the second most popular hard drug amongst Iranians, used by approximately 26% of addicts.7 When the price of meth recently doubled, addicts turned to heroin as an alternative.

“Chinese heroin” is slowly gaining popularity, as it is cheap and new to Iran’s market.6 These hard drugs, while popular, present a challenge; the government strictly prohibits them, and violent punishments are relentlessly enforced.

In March of 2014, the United Nations organized a meeting for officials from around the world in an attempt to find a mutually agreed upon approach to the global drug problem. Two opposing approaches to regulation, however, impeded the achievement of that goal. On one side, countries like Iran, Pakistan, and China argued that there was only one solution to the drug trade—harsh punishments and, whenever necessary, executions. On the other side of the division, countries such as Uruguay and the U.S. maintained that drug policies should focus on public health and addiction prevention.2 U.N. executives themselves had conflicting opinions about Iran’s zealous war on drugs. Yuri Fedotov, executive director of the U.N.O.D.C., publicly praised Iran’s fight against opium trafficking, agreeing that legalization is not the answer. For many, however, the number of executions carried out in an effort to combat the industry overshadows any successes. A U.N. Special Rapporteur, Ahmed Shaheed, denounced Iran for the number of executions it carried out. Shaheed condemned the execution of juveniles and the use of capital punishment, particularly for offences that do not classify as serious crimes under international law.2

Iran does, however, have some progressive

policies as well. In the early 2000s, Iranian legislators acquired the council’s approval for harm reduction measures. These included the implementation of nationwide circulation of clean syringes to injecting drug users and methadone substitution treatment both inside and outside prisons.1 Nonetheless, the world has no choice but to support both aspects of Iran’s policies because they know if Iran fails, the hard drugs that are currently being seized by Iranians could flow freely into Europe.

Contrasting such extensive measures against hard drugs, marijuana use is mentioned only vaguely in the Islamic penal code, and the police pay it little heed.

While the penalty for alcohol consumption is theoretically 99 lashes, which is only rarely enforced, there are no prison sentences or lashings prescribed for people found carrying small amounts of pot.3 Unsurprisingly, marijuana use is rapidly rising. Gol, as marijuana is called in Iran, can be found everywhere around the capital.

Hashish, or hash, a more concentrated derivation of cannabis than marijuana, is more commonly used.8 Most marijuana seeds are smuggled in from Amsterdam, with many genetically enhanced for strength. Iranian experts have found that the marijuana produced inside Iran has been laced with other drugs, most commonly methadone.3

Local dealers are just a phone call away and are as common as people who sell illicit alcoholic drinks, with some sellers dealing 24 hours a day. This sort of activity in Tehran was previously underground, but dealings have become increasingly casual, freely discussed, and open. One woman reported that “A buyer can have a wrapped packet in his hand within three to thirty minutes. The average price of a packet is 25,000 tomans, less than $10, and each is enough for a large joint for three people.”9 A strain called the “Afghan Thousand” is currently the most popular, due to its low price, and other, more expensive, strains include “Warlock” and “Super Haze.”3

In 2013, the head of the police, Ali Moayedi, told state media that marijuana did not exist in Iran.3 With the government’s public education campaigns solely being directed against hard drugs, marijuana has been able to grow in popularity with little interference from the government. Iranian marijuana users span a broad range of society; young and old, men and women, educated and illiterate alike are all drawn to the drug. Marijuana has become the democratic drug in an Islamic Republic.

1 Calabrese, John. “Iran’s War on Drugs: The Holding Line?” December 1, 2007. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.mei.edu/content/irans-war-drugs-holding-line.

2 Azad, Andisheh. “The Day the UN Praised Iran – and Then Took It Back.” Iranwire. March 14, 2014. Accessed October 20, 2016. https://iranwire.com/en/features/288.

3 Erdbrink, Thomas. “Marijuana Use Rises in Iran, With Little Interference ...” The New York Times. June 25, 2016. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.nytimes. com/2016/06/26/world/middleeast/marijuana-use-rises-in-iran-with-little-interference.html.

4 “Drug Prevention, Treatment And HIV/AIDS Situation Analysis.” Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.unodc.org/islamicrepublicofiran/drug-prevention-treatment-and-hiv-aids.html.

5 Moghanaki, Mahnaz. “The situation of drug abuse in Iran / reduction age addiction.” 2015. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.mehrnews.com/news/2494326.

6 Farahani, Mansoureh. “Bet You Didn’t Know This About Iran.” October 5, 2016. Accessed October 20, 2016. https://iranwire.com/en/features/4031.

7 “The country’s annual consumption of at least 62 tons of glass / multi-gram daily dose of a drug addict?” Fars News. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13940131000879.

8 “Hash vs Weed.” - Difference and Comparison. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hashish_vs_Marijuana.

9 “As Iran’s Marijuana Trade Thrives, Is It Becoming a Nation of Stoners?” The Daily Beast. August 10, 2014. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.thedailybeast. com/articles/2014/08/10/as-iran-s-marijuana-trade-thrives-is-it-becoming-a-nation-of-stoners.html.

Perspective 15

Culture Crash: Traffic Accidents and Driving Culture in Iran

by Mahshad Badii

photo courtesy of Mahshad Badii

Perspective 16

T

axi rides back from the airport often begin with a round of braking followed by angry questioning from the driver and sheepish apologies from the backseat. Or rather, taxi rides back from my family trips to Iran. Indeed, after stuffing our eight-piece luggage set aggressively into a pitiful trunk space, my parents and I would sink into our seats with tired sighs. However, as soon as the journey starts, it is sharply cut off by the driver’s foot on the brake. He stares back curiously. “Your seat-belts?” he questions, bewildered. We jump, buckle up with hasty apologies, and the ride usually continues uninterrupted.

It’s a funny conundrum. In the United States, buckling up is muscle memory, something a five-year old can do without prompting. In fact, as someone who grew up in sunny-side California, I had done it nearly every day of my life. But back in Iran, where I spend two months every other year, only the driver buckles up, the passenger buckles half-heartedly in the rare instance of a passing police car, while the backseat doesn’t buckle at all. Most taxis in Tehran stuff the buckles so far into the cushion that buckling up isn’t even an option, but to Iranians, this is far from unordinary. Unbuckled seat-belts, nonexistent road lanes, backward freeway driving, horns used for everything from signaling “Watch out!” to “Who taught you to drive, asshole?” to “Hello, how are the kids?”—these are the rules of the road in Iran. They not only reflect the vibrancy of a nation of hustlers, but also the more sinister consequences of recklessness behind the wheel.

My first experience with the Tehrani-brand of driving came at age twelve. Jumping into the back of my Aunt’s domineering Toyota at Khomeini Airport, I was naturally chastised by my cousin as I reached for the seat belt buckle. Confused as I was, the real surprise had yet to begin. As my Aunt Simin revved up the engine, the SUV soon cut off another car in exiting traffic, immediately exceeded 120 kph (which, in hindsight, only seemed as bad as I thought it was because the American in me was thinking in miles), and proceeded to weave in and out of the highway lanes (the word “lanes” used very lightly here) for the remainder of the journey. I arrived at my grandmother’s screaming, crying, and wondering how in the world I was still alive.

My anxieties weren’t misplaced. In 2012, the World Health Organization revealed that Iran had the highest traffic accident death rate in the world, reporting over 20,068 deaths caused by road-related incidents out of the 1.2 million worldwide that year.1 To put this in perspective, according to UNICEF, Iran’s traffic accident rate is more than 20 times the global average.2

Furthermore, a 2013 report by the Iran-based Majles Research Center demonstrated that despite hav-

feature ing a massive growth in the number of vehicles on the road from 1995 to 2012 (roughly 1 million to 16 million), the traffic fatality rate did not change.3 Rather, MRC and other traffic experts argue the cause of this modern tragedy is a combination of poor regulatory oversight and Iranian cultural norms.

On oversight, the Kia Pride, originally from South Korea but domestically manufactured, is a popular vehicle in Iran due to its relative affordability. With its cheapness, however, comes a much higher cost: a lack of proper safety regulations. From the absence of airbags and anti-locking brake systems, the Pride is essentially a metal coffin once an accident occurs. Beyond the Pride, a poorly regulated infrastructure, low quality traffic engineering, and an uneven police enforcement of traffic laws also contribute to high levels of traffic fatality.

Still, while the faulty state of road regulation can be to blame, there lies another, greater perpetrator: Iranian driving culture. In Tehran, motorcyclists shrug off helmets and carry more than four passengers on their backs, many of whom are young children or the elderly.

Seat-belts are foregone, but young drivers also learn other habits by watching older generations drive. Cutting off pedestrians by the skin on their lips and weaving sharply in and out of 120 kph traffic is normal. Personally, I can recall countless boasts of “Iranians being the best drivers in the world” from my uncles and other male relatives.

Their reasoning? While accidents do happen, Iranian drivers have adapted to make smart, split-second decisions on the road, such as cutting off a driver to avoid an accident with another. From my experience, I can attest that Iranian drivers are great at thinking on their feet.

Here, however, lies the paradox: to avoid getting into accidents with impulsive drivers, Iranians drive impulsively, and as a result, tragedy unfolds.

Yet, despite the danger, I hesitate to ask for an overhaul of the Iranian driving lifestyle, because it’s exactly that—a lifestyle. On one hand, driving in Iran includes death and destruction. On the other hand, it’s honking a horn and laughing out loud when you spot an old friend down the street. It’s taxis cutting sharply into the curb to pick up old ladies who need a ride, and in a nation where dating and public displays of affection are out of the question, driving is young people flirting bashfully through car windows and racing to catch an admirer’s eye. Even with the traffic-related deaths, Tehran is alive. Is culture a good enough reason to waive traffic reform? The World Health Organization (WHO) and family of victims would immediately disagree, but for Iranians living day-to-day in Iran, the issue of cultural relevancy remains. Avoiding the buckle is not just an act of recklessness—it’s an act of being Iranian.

1 Karen Zarindast, “Iran comes in top in the number of global road accident deaths,” BBC. 10 May 2012. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18023809 2“Road Traffic Injuries in Iran and their Prevention, A Worrying Picture,” UNICEF. N.d. http://www.unicef.org/iran/media_4783.html 3Majles Research Center Estimates the Cost of Traffic Accidents,” Majles Research Center. 5 Nov. 2013. http://www.ireconomy.ir/fa/

Perspective 17

feature

The Refugee Crisis and its Impact on Iran by Marian Haidarali

As a country that hosts nearly a million refugees, with over 75,000 of its own people seeking refuge abroad, Iran provides a fresh perspective on the current global refugee crisis.1 As of June 2015, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated almost 1.2 million refugees need resettlement, yet only 27 countries offered such opportunities for the displaced people.2 The unwillingness of countries, particularly more developed nations, to integrate refugees in their society triggers an influx of refugees in less developed nations like the top three host Perspective 18

countries of Turkey, Pakistan, and Lebanon.3 Iran more or less manages to integrate the influx of Afghan and Iraqi newcomers, yet remains victim to a pattern of ‘brain drain,’ with some of the most educated citizens emigrating, abroad, as both refugees and migrants.

Solely in terms of those with refugee status, the majority of Iranians leaving seek asylum in Turkey or Germany, with the rest dispersed between Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Indonesia.4 Before this modern day exodus, a historical migration pattern also took place. Iranian Zorastrians,

or Parsis escaping Arab invasion, sought refuge in eastern India, while Baha’is fled to the Ottoman Empire shortly after their founding in the mid 19th century.5 The biggest migration happened, however, during the Islamic Revolution. Just before the revolution, military personnel, Shah sympathizers, and government officials fled, while majority of religious minorities and the educated upper class fled shortly after.5 The Revolution of 1979 spurred the great brain drain of the nation which, according to the IMF, costs the government over $38 billion annually.5 According to the Ministry of Culture

feature and Higher Education, the numof adequate funding. Only 2% of of 2015, 83,000 refugees were ber of professors teaching at the refugees live in camps, but the enrolled in the national health reputable public universities rest reside in poorer neighborinsurance program.6 In May of nearly halved. Additionally, one hoods or slum areas, experiencing 2015 the Ministry of Interior, unout of every three physicians and high unemployment rates.5 der Ayatollah Khamenei’s order, dentists fled the country in search Lack of funding, especially established a program allowing of greater opportunity.5 The IMF from international aid agencies, all Afghan children, regardless of reported a list of 91 countries prevents the Afghan population documentation, to enroll in the with the highest rates of brain from fully integrating in society.

Iranian public school system.7 drain (measured by the number Although the UNHCR has prePreviously, only Afghans with of educated people leaving), with viously dedicated around $21 approved refugee or citizenship Iran at the top of the list. The ex- million in support, considering status were eligible, but now over odus of educated elite from Iran the number of registered refu50,000 undocumented children has contributed to the progresgees at around 1 million over the enrolled at the start of the school sion of Iranians abroad as “The exodus of educated elite year.8 a highly educated minori The integration of Afty, which contributes to from Iran has contributed to the ghans in the education and a high per capita average health care system prove a income, one that is 50% progression of Iranians abroad as positive step forward in the higher than that of the integration of refugees in a highly educated minority, which 5 U.S. overall population. society, a policy other nations

As Iranians who contributes to a high per capita should perhaps consider emigrate or seek refuge when deciding how to handle thrive abroad, immigrants average income, one that is 50% the current refugee crisis. who enter the country The line between refugees higher than that of the U.S. over- and immigrants blurs, both in are also experiencing greater opportunities regards to Afghans who enter all population.” than ever before. HistorIran and to Iranians who ically, Iran views its role in aiding course of nearly twenty years, leave the country. After staying refugees, particularly the Afghan this donation does not stretch for generations and naturalizing 6 community, as a commitment very far. The estimated number in Iran, Afghans are greeted with to religious and humanitarian of refugees is also likely underes- greater opportunities than the values.5 With Afghans escaping timated, as the many people who ones they left back home. While Soviet invasion and Iraqis escaplive without documentation are Iran continues to make improveing the Iran-Iraq War, Iran faced excluded from the census. ments for the lives of these refuan influx of over four million

Despite obstacles with gees and immigrants within their people, responding with an open international support and incountry, many of its own citizens door refugee policy. Despite the adequate funding, the Islamic continue to leave. open-door policy, discrimination Republic of Iran is able to proagainst the immigrant commuvide basic support and resources nity persists, largely due to lack for the refugee population. As Amnesty International. “Global Refugee Crisis- by the Numbers.” Global Refugee Crisis. Amnesty International, 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016., Iranian Refugees’ Alliance Inc. “Statistical Data on Iranian Refugees and Asylum Seekers.” Iranian Refugees’ Alliance Inc. N.p., 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.

2 Amnesty International. “Global Refugee Crisis- by the Numbers.” Global Refugee Crisis. Amnesty International, 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

3 Ibid.

4 Iranian Refugees’ Alliance Inc. “Statistical Data on Iranian Refugees and Asylum Seekers.” Iranian Refugees’ Alliance Inc. N.p., 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.

5 Hakimzadeh, Shirin. “Iran: A Vast Diaspora Abroad and Millions of Refugees at Home.” Migrationpolicy.org. N. P., 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Oct 2016.

6 UNHCR Global Focus. “Islamic Republic of Iran.” Global Focus. UNHCR, 2016. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.

7 Sharifian, Maryam S. “Education for Afghan Refugees in Iran.” Association for Childhood Education International. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

8 UNHCR Global Focus. “Islamic Republic of Iran.” Global Focus. UNHCR, 2016. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.

1

Perspective 19

business

Donation Establishes Bita Daryabari Chair in Iranian Studies at UC Berkeley

by Negin Shahriar

If philanthropist Bita Daryabari could take a class about Iran, it’d be a poetry course.

“When you get to know the poets in that country, you learn a lot about the history… And when you know the literature and the history, you know that country by heart,” Daryabari said.

Her $5 million donation last March to the University of California, Berkeley Department of Near Eastern Studies (NES) will further just that -- the study of Iranian languages, literature, arts and culture, and, especially, history.

Financed by her contribution and a $500,000 grant from the UC Presidential March for Endowed Chairs, the Bita Daryabari Presidential Chair in Iranian Studies will support teaching and research by a faculty member in the Department of NES. Preference will be given to work focused on ancient Iran. Since the establishment of the Department of NES in 1894, UC Berkeley has focused on scholarship for Persian and Iranian studies. Its faculty research and lecture on ancient and middle Iranian cultures, religion, philology, and languages, as well as Sufi mystical literature, medieval Persian philosophy, intellectual history, and modern Persian literature.1

Students and faculty in the Department of NES are eager to welcome an eminent scholar of Iran to the position of endowed chair to improve the school’s already exceptional program of Persian language, literature, and culture. Members of the department are further excited about the development of an interdisciplinary program of Iranian studies at UC Berkeley.1

Berkeley is not the first institution of higher learning to receive a large donation from Daryabari.

For nearly a decade, she has been funding programs to further the study of Iran at universities such as Stanford University and the University of Cambridge, inspired by her desire to educate both Iranian and non-Iranian students about the country’s rich history and culture.

A native of Tehran, Daryabari was sent by her parents to the United States as a teenager to pursue her education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at California State University, Hayward, and a master’s in telecommunication management at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, where she was named Alumnus of the Year in 2008. An Iranian-American herself, Daryabari believes it’s critical for members of the Iranian diaspora to maintain close ties to their ancestral homeland.

“If you don’t know where you came from, you don’t know who you are,” Daryabari remarked. “You have no identity as a next generation in any country. You have

photo courtesy of Deborah Anderson

to know where you came from.”

Through her donations to educational institutions, Daryabari aims to encourage Iranians to study their heritage and its rich history and culture. Looking beyond the Iranian-American community, however, by promoting the study of Iran through research, Daryabari moreover aims to reshape prevailing distorted negative stereotypes toward the country.

“We want the world to know us for what we were and what we truly are and not for what happened in the past three or four decades in our country,” Daryabari said regarding her emphasis on scholarly work on ancient Iran.

“We have so much to offer. We have so many things that happened in our country that were first in the world.”

Daryabari further stresses that learning the culture and history of another country not only increases knowledge but can open hearts and minds to new understanding, respect, and peaceful solutions to problems.1 A major long-term goal of her donations to universities is to educate future leaders in a manner that will guide them toward making decisions that will lead to cooperation rather than hostility among diverse peoples and states.

“Students going into politics will be making life-changing decisions later on for other people and for other countries,” Daryabari said. “We want to ensure that these future politicians don’t make the same mistakes that were made in the Middle East.”

Another example of Daryabari’s philanthropy is evident in her founding of the Pars Equality Center based in San Jose and Los Angeles. The nonprofit is dedicated to helping members of the Iranian-American community become informed and self-reliant members of American society, and it achieves its mission primarily by providing extensive social and legal services.

Daryabari was recognized as the World Affairs Council Honoree of the Year in 2015 and received the United Nations (UN) Appreciation Award for Outstanding Leadership, Commitment, and Support in 2011. In 2010 she was named the Philanthropist of the Year by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA).1

1Kathleen Maclay, “Campus Announces Bita Daryabari Presidential Chair in Iranian Studies,” Berkeley News, March 15, 2016, , accessed November 14, 2016, http:// news.berkeley.edu/2016/03/15/campus-announces-bita-daryabari-presidential-chair-in-iranian-studies/.

Perspective 20

business

Iran Awakens as a Technological Powerhouse

by Shayaun Nejad

The Bazaari mentality still runs deep in the veins of Iranians as Tehran is being eyeballed as a potential candidate to serve as the Silicon Valley of Iran. The geographic position of Iran has helped the country develop an entrepreneurial spirit over thousands of years. A “Bazaar” refers to the markets that many frequented in route of the legendary Silk Road. Now Iran seeks to move its Bazaar and the attitudes that come with it to high technology.

Despite crippling sanctions from the United States and co., Iran claims the second biggest economy in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia. Economists forecast a growth of above 7% after the Iran nuclear deal, so Iran emerges as a powerhouse in the Middle East.

In addition to this cool factoid, Iran boasts a university system that pumps out around 233,000 scientists and engineers a year, giving an extremely educated, able-working population. 1 This combination fosters quite the potent mixture of elements needed to accelerate extreme economic growth in the area. With the history and knowledge of Iran serving as the crossroads of the Silk Road for millennia, the population hungers to innovate.

Current government policies and geopolitical ambiguity serves as the only roadblocks in the way of these dedicated entrepreneurs, and even then, the chances favor extreme growth. For instance, taking out loans and not paying them back can get you jailed for an excruciatingly slow period of time which discourages a lot of budding entrepreneurs.

Also, corruption does exist in some local legislates so a lot of companies have a difficult time navigating around vague laws. Economic development as well as societal development usually play off each other though, and despite the pessimistic attitude of some expats, Iran grows and will continue to grow.

If my arguments have failed to excite you, or make your wallet moan at the potential investment opportunity, check this out: Iran has nearly 80 million people. Oil and gas only account for 10% of the country’s GDP, thus showing us that the economy has quite dynamic ways of making money. Despite the United States pouting at Iran due to geopolitical intricacies only rivaled by that in Game of Thrones, companies from Europe and Asia will play ball with the Iranian government.1 The population has around 10% of its population pursuing tertiary education, about 8 million people. Universities boast top 10 rankings in a lot of high tech fields such as nanotech. Despite American sanctions, mentors are helping out entrepreneurs in Iran and this is mostly evident by the iBridges society that actually operates here in Berkeley.

If you aren’t convinced yet sir or ma’am, you’re a hard nut to crack because change is happening extremely fast. Despite “doom & gloom” expats complaining and moping around about problems in Iran, there are individuals IN the country that are making society more moderate by each passing hour.2 Let me tell you from personal experience, technological progression has hit Iran with a devastating uppercut and currently races towards its chin with another haymaker.

1Elizabeth MacBride, “Seven Reasons Iran Could Become An Entrepreneurial Powerhouse,” Forbes, April 30, 2016, accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2016/04/30/seven-reasons-iran-is-likely-to-be-an-entrepreneurial-powerhouse/#3626b0366391.

2Marco Werman, “Iranian Entrepreneur to Expats: Move Back Home!,” Public Radio International, February 17, 2016, accessed November 13, 2016, http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-02-17/iranian-entrepreneur-expats-move-back-home.

Perspective 21

business

Building a Home for Entrepreneurship at Berkeley: An Interview with Cameron Baradar

by Neeka Mashouf

As a student at Cal, Cameron Baradar (B.S. ‘15 EECS) found a passion for Berkeley’s start-up community.

After graduating, Baradar and his partner Jeremy Fiance launched The House Fund, a $6M fund to exclusively support Berkeley student and faculty ventures. The Fund was followed by the launch of The House, an institute and home for Berkeley’s startup ecosystem. The House has received considerable attention in its first semester, hosting events for students, offering mentorship and collaborative work space, and striving to connect the brilliant ideas of the Cal community to the resources they need to launch. Baradar spoke with Perspective Magazine on his experience with and vision for the Berkeley startup ecosystem.

To start, could you tell me a little about your background and what brought you to this point?

photo courtesy of The House

I came to Cal, and started in Materials Science but quickly transferred out. The class that made me want to switch was EE40, the intro Electrical Engineering course, taught by Michel Maharbiz. I fell in love with the idea of moving electrons around with physics, and making something light up -- that just seemed so magical. So I switched into EECS, initially thinking I was going to do more of the EE side and eventually shifting more into the CS side. The first place I worked was Texas Instruments, which I actually got through Michel and that class, between my Freshman and Sophomore year. Then I did research on campus the next summer with Professor Amy Herr, who’s in the BioE department and actually built and recently sold a company as well. She’s a startup founder and has been a great personal mentor for me. The last place I worked is somewhere called Mapsense, which was a Cal startup. There were 8 or so of us and when I was there, 5 were from Cal. We were building software to analyze really large geo-datasets.

All the startup stuff is kind of like a parallel story where myself and a ton of students on campus, going back to my Sophomore year, were working on projects and things we thought were startups. We didn’t feel like we had the right resources to turn to, or the right community to plug into, so we started building them Perspective 22

I was raised in Southern California. My parents both came to the US from Iran right around the revolution, like most families did.

My dad came here for college. My mom came here with her whole family to finish high school. Most of my mom and dad’s family are in Southern California, sort of all clustered in a 30-mile radius of each other which was awesome. It was a great way to grow up: my mom was one of nine kids, and all of them had kids, and we all lived within walking distance of each other. ourselves instead. The first thing I put a bunch of time into was something called Free Ventures -- Berkeley’s student-run startup incubator. Our goal there was to build the resources we would have wanted to work with.

We ended up getting a $2500 grant from the Big Ideas program, which we thought would last us half of one semester, but ended up lasting us a whole year, which was a big lesson for us -- at the early stages, people don’t really need much money, it’s just about the right resources and mentorship to force you to work on something. In the first year, we had a bunch of companies go through that program. Not all of them were successful, but it wasn’t our objective for all of them to go out and raise a seed round, but for people to be able to validate or invalidate what they were working on. Some of the companies were very successful. One was the Lily drone company. They are a great story because they went through the program, built a working prototype with $1,000 that we granted them. Then they got cut a $20,000 check through Dorm Room Fund, which is a student-run venture fund that my partner, Jeremy Fiance, started at Cal. Two years later, they employ dozens of people and have raised $15M in venture funding and have had the most successful hardware presale campaign of all time -- $34M worth of product. Both of the founders had full-time job offers

business lined up that they would have taken had they not had the right resources and partnered with the right people. So that’s the sort of thing we think we can create more of at The House.

It seems like Berkeley’s startup ecosystem was a big part of your time at Cal. What did you design The House to do within this ecosystem?

We’ve been building this for the past year and launching it in pieces. The first thing we launched back in April is The House Fund, which is the venture side of what we do. It’s the $6M fund that’s backed by the University of California endowment and a group of successful alumni, entrepreneurs, investors, and executives. That fund only invests in Berkeley start-ups. We don’t look at a company if there’s not a Cal founder on the team. About 5 weeks ago we announced that The House Fund is a piece of something bigger that we’re building called The House, which we are calling a startup institute. Our objective is just to be a resource for Berkeley and its founders at all stages of the development of a company. We have something in the early stages called The House Founders, which supports student projects and start-ups. Once people have a company, we have The House Residency, which is predominantly people working full-time on building a business and is across faulty, undergrads, alums, and dropouts. At the end of the funnel are the funds. Once people are ready to take on investment, we have the Fund there to help them get capital. We’re now expanding outside of the original undergraduate level, because we saw people in other corners of campus applying -- MBAs, PhDs, etc.

You talked a bit about your inspiration for The House. What are you trying to achieve or what is your goal for The House in general?

Our objective is to build the best possible resources for Berkeley and its founders, so that anyone interested in entrepreneurship has world-class resources to help them be successful. Initially, a lot of the problems we have to solve for is just getting more people into the ecosystem. It’s really difficult right now to even find the right community or the right resources. It’s one of the reasons we put ourselves right across the street, on ground level, so that people can literally just stumble in and find us and we can be a gateway to the broader ecosystem. In the first year or so, one of the big things we hope to achieve is to build a strong central community of Berkeley’s best founders across all stages. We’ve spent a lot of time working on that over the last year, with plenty of people supporting us. Wrangling the campuses is a different

challenge and something that we’re working hard on just to get people the resources they need and expose them to this pathway.

How has your background or cultural identity shaped your path or your interests, going back to your Iranian culture and communities?

Something I definitely learned from my parents is the grit and the need to work for what you have -- the hustle.

My dad is someone who has the cliché immigrant story where he came to the US with $100 in his pocket and worked through college. He started a small business along the way about 5 or 10 years ago as well. It was never an option to not work for what you have, because everything that my parents built in the US, they built from scratch. That same hustle and grit is probably what drove me to be interested in entrepreneurship early on at Cal. What advice do you have for young Iranian Americans interested in being entrepreneurs? What can they uniquely leverage from their culture or experiences?

At a high level, people who come from diverse cultural backgrounds have a different way in seeing the world in a lot of ways. The life that I grew up in was very different than the type of cultural life a lot of my friends in high school had with families that had been here for 5 generations. It gave me a different lens on the world, not as if it was some dramatically different experience. But it just forces you to realize that there’s so many different types of people in the world, and maybe that means that you have a better lens to build products for those people. I think general advice for any people wanting to explore entrepreneurship is that it’s all about doing. You can talk endlessly and draw out plans of what you want to do, get your friends together and get on a whiteboard once every other week like I did in college, which is fine... as long as it leads to action eventually. But it’s so easy for it to never lead to action. An interesting program requirement at another university is that people come in the class and the goal is to build the project or startup. If you don’t have paying customers by week 4 you’re thrown out of the class. Skewing towards action. Especially as a student, you live in this sheltered bubble of academia.

You’re a student and no one questions what you’re doing with your life.You have this freedom to just explore with your time and just build things. The time here is pretty precious and I recommend to just start building and exploring.

Perspective 23

business

Two Diverging Paths: Medicine and Healthcare in Iran

I

by Kian Talaei

ran’s rise in FIFA rankings isn’t the only accomplishthe utter inequality that burdens the country’s healthment the country has had in the past decade. The care system.2 healthcare system in Iran is constantly expanding as There is also a stark inequality difference between the country develops new ways of incorporating medmale-headed households and female-headed houseicine into everyday use. The country does face a great holds in healthcare and expenditures, in which the latter deal of inequality in the way healthcare is provided to seem to face more unequal opportunities in income and its population, yet it has had a breakthrough in reducing health. Furthermore, many of the problems the Iranian many diseases and health problems within the borders population faces related to healthcare inequality revolve such as maternal mortality, non-communicable diseasaround the effectiveness of the National Development es, tobacco and drug usage, cardiovascular disease, and Plans, which have failed to reduce out-of-pocket expentraffic accidents.1 ditures or make healthcare more “equal” in different

Advancements in medical practices in the past urban and rural areas.3

The resolution revolves around how the Iranidecade have allowed Iranian physicians to better hanan government can somehow dle maternal deaths that “Although over ninety percent of provide care efficiently to all are caused by hemorrhage, infection, or eclampsia, which the population currently receives parts of the country. Due to this health inequality, the key deis the onset of seizures among some form of health insurance, ciding factor is transportation. pregnant women with high blood pressure and large there is significant inequality in Building more efficient transportation systems throughout amounts of protein in the health coverage and care in differ- the country, such as train tracks urine.1 These new methods have sparked a newer in-depth ent regions of the country, result- around major provinces and buses that encompass rural and interest in medicine in the nation as the population contin- ing in life expectancies that differ urban areas, and constructing ues to grow and industrialize. by twenty-four years from one hospitals around many major locations in the nation that serve

Tobacco and cigarette region to the next.” towns within a 30 km radius, smoking have always played provides a more effective means of dealing with health harmful roles in the lives of many Iranians, but in the problems and care.3 Nevertheless, the problems related last twenty years, the fight against tobacco has tremento cardiovascular disease still stand as the major cause of dously increased, and now Iran is considered one of the death in the country, and this can only be prevented by top twenty pioneers in this global fight.1 This program better methods of educating the people. The education has had a deep impact on older adults who smoke and system in Iran itself is unequal in many ways and providhas increasingly decreased their smoking habits. But younger adults still continue to smoke, especially in rural ing some lessons to the population (poor and rich alike) about these health issues can significantly reduce the areas where the program is less accessible. diseases in the country and increase the life expectancies

Although over ninety percent of the population in all regions. currently receives some form of health insurance, there

Furthermore, Iranian policymakers must look is significant inequality in health coverage and care in into improving equality in the nation itself, which could different regions of the country, resulting in life expeceventually reach the healthcare system. As stated by tancies that differ by twenty-four years from one region Zare et al., “It seems that a revision of social protection, to the next.2 Even over fifty percent of the health expensocial safety nets, and health insurance schemes would ditures come out of pocket, which is far above the thirty be options for decreasing inequalities in health care percent threshold that the Iranian Development Plan expenditures in this area.” Iranian healthcare can go had aimed to achieve by 2008. According to research through a new stepwise process to increase its funding done by economists and surveyors in Iran, the urban and access to all areas of the country.2 Just as pharmahealthcare expenditure inequality is extremely high, with a Gini coefficient of .745, which is much higher than ceutical companies have expanded and become accessible nationwide, hospitals and primary care must do the that of the typical first world country . Even the rural areas in Iran have similar Gini coefficient values, signifying same to be able to effectively treat the future generation.

1 Lankarani, Kamran Bagheri, Seyed Moyed Alavian, and Payam Peymani. “Health in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Challenges and Progresses.” Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran. February 2013. Accessed November 14, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592943/.

2 Zare, Hossein, Antonio J. Trujillo, Julia Driessen, Mojtaba Ghasemi, and Gisselle Gallego. “Health Inequalities and Development Plans in Iran; an Analysis of the past Three Decades (1984–2010).” International Journal for Equity in Health. May 27, 2014. Accessed November 14, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4046006/.

3Mehrdad, Ramin. “Health System in Iran.” 2009. Accessed November 14, 2016. http://www.med.or.jp/english/pdf/2009_01/069_073.pdf.

Perspective 24

business

The Promising Future of Iran’s Pharmaceutical Industry

by Vida Seyedkazemi

photo courtesy of Google Images

After nearly four decades of reserved and limited foreign relations and economic sanctions with Iran, a rapprochement with major Western countries has allowed Iran’s highly educated and highly skilled population to reenter the global economy. An influx of billions of dollars, lifting of sanctions, and new international trade relations as a result of the Nuclear Deal have resulted in a rapid economic expansion that has significantly boosted the petrochemical, automotive, and construction industries in Iran. With its newly regained access to international commerce and rising purchasing power, Iran is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today and companies in various countries like the United States, France, and China are eager to make multi-million and billion dollar investments.

European and U.S pharmaceutical companies have always been able to sell medicine and medical devices in Iran. However, economic sanctions, reserved foreign relations, and restrictions on banks made pharmaceutical companies hesitant to do so. The Nuclear Deal has been transformative for the pharmaceutical sector – the dismantling of financial roadblocks has made it much easier for companies to invest in a sector that is teeming with opportunities and the potential for growth.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, Iran is currently the largest manufacturer of generic chemical drugs.

Iran currently has over 120 local manufacturers, 55 producers of chemical active pharmaceutical ingredients, and 46 distributers. The lack of manufacturing plants in neighboring countries, such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen has allowed Iran to expand its pharmaceutical sector and have the upper hand in exporting and trading medicines with neighboring countries.1

With an average medicine usage of 340 units per citizen, Iran is the second largest consumer of medicines per capita in Asia and 20th in the world. At nearly 2.35 billion USD in 2014, the Iranian pharmaceutical market is expected to rise to 3.31 billion USD in 2019.2

Interestingly, on average, Iranian pharmaceutical companies were established 38 years ago – around the same time that Iran cut ties with foreign countries. The lifting of sanctions and Iran’s reentrance into the international economy will allow for the import of high-end technology and new machinery, along with formerly inaccessible chemical active pharmaceutical ingredients. Iran will now be able to engage its pharmaceuticals globally and sell its products in a wider range of countries around the world.

Already, Germany and Russia have met with Iran to discuss pharmaceutical and scientific cooperation. Novo Nordisk, Denmark’s biggest pharmaceutical company, is investing $80 million to build an insulin-producing factory in Iran.3 This past year, Russia’s Petrovax Pharm registered Grippol plus, its influenza vaccine, in Iran.4 And this month, Iran launched the production of Fingolimod, a drug used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Russia.

These negotiations are significant for medicinal advancements in Iran and other countries, boosting international cooperation for improvements in the field of science and medicine.

The growth in the pharmaceutical sector has led to an increase in the number of jobs and a strengthening in foreign ties and economic relations for Iran. More significantly, Iranians are getting access to new pharmaceutical drugs and can soon expect the cost of such products to decrease as competition and trade increase. Although recent, these advancements have already instilled a positive outlook for Iran’s economy and industries for the years to come.

1”Iran’s Pharmaceutical Sector to Become a Pharma Powerhouse Post Sanction Era.” Frost.com. N.p., 24 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

2Ebrahimzadeh, Amir, Hoda Hosseinifar, and Marlon Jünemann. “Process Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Industry.” Chemical & Engineering News Archive 80.38 (2002): 109. Http://www.ilia-corporation.com/. Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

3Tan, Zach. “Danish Industry Well Placed to Prosper in Iran.” The Post. N.p., 18 Oct. 2016. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

4“Drug-Trade: Russian Innovative Vaccine to Make Up 95% of Iranian Market.” Drug-Trade: Russian Innovative Vaccine to Make Up 95% of Iranian Market. Sputnik, 04 Oct. 2016. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

Perspective 25

photo courtesy of Afsoon

Reading Rumi and Singing Googoosh: Understanding My Queerness Through Iranian Art

by Kian Martin

I remember hearing for the first time that Mowlana, the acclaimed Sufi poet also known as Rumi, was allegedly queer. It was at a mehmooni full of family friends. The scents of chai and khoresht lingered in the air.

I overheard two older men talking about great Persian poets of the past, describing with passion their love for Hafez and Mowlana. At one point it came up, “You know, it was rumored that Mowlana was homosexual. They say he and Shams were lovers.” As a young person only beginning to come into my queerness, I was immediately fascinated. I began to read as much of his poetry as I could get my hands on. I spent nights researching the life of the great poet. I read about his alleged romantic and sexual relationship with his teacher Shams and how they would disappear together for long periods of time. I read about how he would describe himself as a person whose identity transcended gender and nationality. I wondered why this rich history seemed so largely erased from the way Rumi’s story had been told.

It was only at this point in my life that I began to understand that my identities as an Iranian-American and a queer person were not separate things. My limited exposure to representations of queer people in media had created an unhealthy image of what I was supposed to be and pushed me to reject my Iranian culture and aspire to whiteness. Rumi taught me that this was not necessary. In fact, it became apparent to me that my queerness and Iranian identity were not only able to coexist but were also inextricably linked. This revelation allowed me to express my identity in a much more genuine way.

Soon enough, I moved on from my love for Rumi. While his poetry made for a great first love, I sought something more.

Perspective 26

I found this in the work of Forough Farrokhzad. Farrokhzad is an acclaimed modern Iranian poet and feminist whose work was popular in the 1950s and ‘60s. My own mother read and respected Farrokhzad for her poetry and her politics.

Forough gave me something Mowlana could not. Where Rumi’s poetry was universal and mystical, Farrokhzad’s was unapologetic and blatantly political. Her work used the Persian language’s lack of gendered pronouns to make intentional choices that challenged patriarchal and heterosexist assumptions. She allowed me to politicize my gender and sexuality in a distinctly Iranian context. Her poetry gave me a point of access into Iranian feminism, and a way to frame conversations around gender politics with the Iranian women and queers in my life.

I still felt that a part of my identity was not being represented by any of the Iranian art I had access to. Neither Rumi’s mystic poems nor Farrokhzad’s passionate feminism left much room to celebrate the part of me that was fun and femme, the part that liked dancing around with my friends, painting my nails, and gossiping. In seeking an artist that celebrated these aspects of my queerness, I realized that this artist had been in my life the entire time. I found this artist in Googoosh. She was the one I had heard playing around the house as a kid. My mom fondly told stories about her love for Googoosh and the way that her and her friends looked up to Googoosh. They would listen to her music, watch her perform on Rangarang, and attempt to imitate her fashion sense. Googoosh was to my mom what every fun American pop star had been to me––a sort of femme role model. When I visit home from school I play Googoosh in the car and sing along with my mom. We talk about our favorite songs over chai and shirini. It is in our shared love for Googoosh that my mom and I share some of our most memorable moments.

I remember going to my first Googoosh concert with my mom. I remember standing next to her, smiling, singing loudly to each other “Gol bi goldoon, nemishe. A flower without its pot cannot be.” In this moment all of the pain and nuance of our relationship seemed irrelevant. We were dancing and singing and sharing a moment of pure joy. While my mother may not have the language to talk about “trans” and “queer,” it is in moments like this that she truly sees me for all of me, and she loves me. It is in moments like this that I am able to understand my queerness beyond language and beyond definition. I am part of a legacy of people who create beautiful art that celebrates queerness and subverts Western gender norms. I am queer, I am Iranian, and I am magic.

Perspective 27

photo courtesy of Afsoon

perspective

A Letter to My Persian Family

by Trixie Mehraban

Dear Baba, Ameh, and Amoo, Heat the samovar, pour the chai, set out the walnuts, the cucumbers, and the nokhodchi.

Let's talk.

Last year, I was in Manhattan for the summer pursuing dance at a studio I had always admired while also working nights at a bar on 34th street. On my way home from work at 4am, I was pulled off a train by a plainclothes police officer. I had unknowingly committed a minor offense by taking up more than one seat on an otherwise empty train (a rule that is posted nowhere in the subway system). Instead of simply telling me the rules, the officer yelled at me, growing increasingly incensed at my ignorance of the rule. He arrested me.

I was brought into the police station where I was subject to racial epithets regarding my name, my apparently angry demeanor (though I felt nothing but fright), and was told I was brought in to be taught a lesson for “attitude” when I had done nothing deserving of such punishment. I was frisked inappropriately, verbally harassed, and put into a cell for hours with no knowledge of what would happen next. I felt helpless, degraded, and humiliated.

I got a taste of the terrifying realities some of my friends live with everyday. You may not have grown up with Black people, but I have. They are my friends, my coworkers, and my classmates -- they are as meaningful and dear to me as my Iranian friends and family.

We as a diaspora do face discrimination in this country. Often it’s not as dramatic as the experience I had in New York. People often tell us our country is full of terrorists, they sometimes yell insults at us when we walk down the street, they make fun of things like our full brows (and then market full brows to their own monetary advantage), and they can make us feel unsafe leaving our homes on September 11th.

Nobody looks at us and immediately assumes we have guns or illicit material in our pockets. Nobody clutches their purses as we walk by. Young Persian children are not harassed by police looking for drugs simply because of the way we look. Persian children, though we may be insulted from time to time, are not shot down in the street by police officers simply for existing.

Sometimes our instinct is to distance ourselves from the Black community, to point at how we are not like them. Sometimes it’s easier to blame the victim because we see it portrayed that way all around us even as we vehemently defend ourselves against the way we are portrayed. Sometimes we say, “We came to America and made something of ourselves in spite of the obstacles, so why can’t Black people?”

Many Black people were brought to America as slaves and had their communities continuously ripped apart. After slavery ended, the legacy continued. They were, by law, kept from many of things that we as Iranians were never kept from. This included voting rights, the right to buy a home, or the right to get a business loan. The violence they face from others through all of this continues even today. Their marginalization is a centuries long political process.

The discrimination we face as a diaspora is different from the discrimination our Black friends face. Different and far fewer opportunities are given to them -- to blame them for this and ask them to simply “be better like us” is an unhelpful and unproductive dialogue. We can’t only care about our own community, especially when other communities of color -- particularly the Black community -- have done so much for us and experience violence on a scale we can’t even imagine.

Black activists are responsible for many of the rights we enjoy as immigrants (or descendants of immigrants) today. They’ve been jailed, beaten, and killed fighting for these freedoms. We are able to buy houses in neighborhoods that were once exclusively reserved for only the whitest citizens; we have generations of Black activists to thank for the end of redlining. We are also able to enter into interracial relationships in a country that was not always so open; we have the civil rights movement to thank for that. We can only show them our gratitude in return.

Perspective 28

perspective

So much of our culture revolves around the beautiful things that happen when we show gratitude to one another. If we show gratitude, empathy, and support to Black people, we will only be better for it.

This is why I and many young Iranians support the Black Lives Matter movement. Supporting them means speaking up within our own families and communities. I’m writing this out of love for our family and community so that we have the chance to understand each other instead of growing divided.

During and after the revolution our families were hurt, angry, and grieving. Our loved ones were unfairly jailed, killed for having the audacity to stand up to unjust treatment, their livliehoods taken away, and they seemed to be stifled by the state wherever they turned. So many of us fled to America, a country we had been told was free.

Fleeing to America for freedom is a common immigrant theme. But where does one flee to when America does not treat them freely or fairly? Black Americans have nowhere to flee to as we did. I would ask that we empathize with those who have lost husbands, children, mothers, and loved ones at the hands of American police in the same way many of us lost loved ones during the revolution.

As a descendant of an immigrant father, I’m eternally grateful for the incredibly hard journey of those who came before me. They worked so hard to give me a good American life – a life where I would not have to experience the same struggles they experienced in a country that was often unkind to them.

But achieving the dream of a good, fair American life that my father has worked so hard for can’t only be something for just our own children and grandchildren. That life won’t really exist until it exists for everyone. That dream requires that everyone can feel safe and strive for success without fear of violence from the state. This is a future we as Persians have fought so hard for – this is a future I want to see.

Nooshe-joon, Pouran

photo courtesy of Jérémie Battaglia

Perspective 29

perspective

Love Beyond Identity: Coming Out as a Gay Iranian

I

by Amir Amerian

came out to my parents when I was 15 years old. rest of their lives, marched upstairs and immediately put It was during the summer after my freshman year on that dress. In that moment, my mom put my brother of high school, and with the help of my younger and I first, and she has done so every second of my life. brother, I planned meticulously for the best moFrom the plentiful trips to Legoland with just the three ment to tell them. I walked into their room while of us to singing “You are my Sunshine” to make us smile, they were watching TV and sat on their bed. Once our she has been our emotional rock and has always put our conversation ended and they realized I had something happiness first. And I know it hasn’t been easy. I’ll never to tell them, they muted the TV and waited. After what forget walking downstairs with my brother to find our felt like the longest five seconds of my life, I told them I mom with puffy red eyes just having finished crying. am gay. They immediately said they loved me no matter

For my mom and stepdad, who himself nursed what and accepted me. My mom came into my room five his late wife through an unsuccessful eight-year battle minutes later to give me an additional hug. with breast cancer, it was never a question of whether

This story is unique for a few reasons. First, my or not to accept me. When you love someone, you put brother and parents were the first people I came out to. his or her needs above yours. They knew the experience Usually, LGBTQ individuals come out to close friends, of coming out would be difficult for me, so rather than using their support as the confidence booster needed to think about what society tells them is “right,” they put eventually tell family. Second, and most important, the me first and gave me more love and support than I could vast majority of queer Iranians receive very negative rehave dreamed. This goes for the rest of my mom’s family sponses from their family “If you are reading this, I ask you one in the United States that I or wouldn’t even consider told. It is important to thing: love unconditionally. If someone have coming out to them. Famacknowledge they were very is important to you, as family should be, accepting and progressive ily is at the core of our then it shouldn’t matter who they love or before my dad’s death; they culture, but they are often what gender they identify with.” the ones that most vehecome from an Iranian-Arab, mently reject us for being gay or transgender. I want to multi-religious background and grew up meeting people explain why my family was able to break from this trend. from all walks of life. But the death of my dad made us

My dad died when I was four years old. I still even more tight-knit and reminded us to love one anremember the last time I saw him. He was getting ready other as if this is the last day we have together. to go to his indoor soccer game, and I begged for him to

If you are reading this, I ask you one thing: love take me. Although the tiny arcade at the sports facility unconditionally. If someone is important to you, as famwas in the back of my mind, I really just liked watching ily should be, then it shouldn’t matter who they love or him play. Thankfully my parents didn’t let me go, bewhat gender they identify with. Despite the wonderful cause he suffered a heart attack while playing and died things associated with it, being gay and/or transgender that night. I was four, my brother was two, and my mom in our society is still incredibly difficult. Iranian kids was thirty. My mom wouldn’t let the two of us attend grow up with family at the center of our lives, so to have the funeral, because it would be too depressing, so my those very same people reject us is one of the worst feelaunt took us to a birthday party instead. To this day, I ings imaginable. In response, LGBTQ Iranians tend to am lucky to have a few images of him in my head, but distance themselves from family or not include them in my brother will only know this person through pictures important life moments that are supposed to be shared and stories. with those they love. I ask you to not let that happen.

Few experiences so fundamentally change us My own biological dad will not be there to see me gradulike death. It is a reminder that the time we have on ate from college, he won’t be at my wedding, and he will this Earth with one another can end without warning, never meet his grandchildren. I know, however, that had and for my family, it solidified what is most important he been alive, he would have accepted me 100%. This is in life. Soon after my dad’s death, a lengthy period of not just because he bought me a dollhouse for Christmourning started. A feeling of dreariness permeated mas just like I had asked, but also because from heaven our living room, when for weeks, guests dressed in black he sent me a stepdad that loves me no matter what. visited us to pay their respects. At one of these occa Put those you love first, because the moments sions, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I asked my mom to we share together are blessings that should never be wear her very pretty pink dress. My mom, going against taken for granted. a culture where widows sometimes wear black for the Perspective 30

food

We all Scream for Bastani!

by Nikki Zangenah

The old saying goes, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” Well, apparently Persians have been screaming for ice cream since the ancient times of 500 BC, when they were the first people to make the earliest form of ice cream. What started out as a simple recipe, grape juice concentrate poured over snow, evolved over the years into a much more delectable treat. By 400 BC, the people of the Persian Empire had crafted a recipe made for their finest—the royal families.1 This recipe was used to create the first form of faloodeh, another popular Persian dessert, and it consisted of vermicelli, rose water, fruits, and other sweet flavorings. Faloodeh, which is somewhat similar to sorbet, is still widely popular today in Iran and many other countries, including India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.2

The creation of this new sorbet-like dessert inspired Persians to experiment with other recipes, and they soon discovered that freezing dairy led to a delicious, creamy treat. The rose water used in faloodeh was so well-liked that Persians integrated the rose flavor into their ice cream, and with the addition of saffron, bastani sonati was birthed.

Currently, there are many variations of the traditional recipe for Persian ice cream, and customizations are often employed based on the maker’s personal preferences. Bastani is often accompanied by two thin, crispy waffles and served as an ice cream sandwich, commonly known as bastani nooni. While equally delicious in sandwich form, I personally prefer bastani on its own, so I have decided to include the recipe that my mom uses when she makes bastani at home. It’s quick and easy, and it never disappoints!

Bastani Ingredients: 1 quart vanilla ice cream ½ cup rose water ¼ teaspoon saffron ½ cup pistachio

Prep Time: ~ 6 hours

Serves: 12

Instructions: 1. Leave the quart of ice cream outside for about 15 minutes, or until it becomessoft. Once it is soft, scoop the entire quart into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add in rose water, saffron, pistachio, and dried cherries.

3. Using a whisk or an electric eggbeater, mix all of the contents thoroughly until the mixture becomes homogenous.

4. Freeze for 6 hours, or until the ice cream reaches your desired consistency.

photo courtesy of Google Images “Timeline of Ice Cream - From Ancient to Modern Ice Creams.” Ice Cream Timeline. Accessed November 8, 2016. http://www.icecreamhistory.net/frozen-dessert-history/icecream-timeline/.

2 “How to Make Persian Ice Cream at Home?” Bastani Tehran. Accessed November 8, 2016. http://www.bastanitehran.com/how-to-make-persian-ice-cream-at-home.

1

Perspective 31

food

Giakhar: A Vegan Twist on Traditional Iranian Cuisine

by Heliya Izadpanah

In the middle of a tree-lined park in busy Tehran, across the street from the former American Embassy, lies Honarmandan Park. It is home to litters of frolicking kittens, hand-crafted sculptures and statues, and The Iranian Artists Forum. Enter the forum, and you will find a tiered vegetarian restaurant offering a plethora of delicacies ranging from joojeh kabob to Korean fusion.

Ghiakhari, or vegetarianism, is making a comeback in Iran. Its history is deeply rooted, dating back to the founding of Elam. Cyrus the Great and his soldiers were all vegetarians, proving animal protein to be unnecessary for muscular strength. Zoraster, the founder of the oldest community-centered religion in Iran, refrained from eating meat and asked his followers to refrain from killing and consuming sentient beings as well.

When I became a vegan, it was neither for religious purposes nor for the purpose of becoming a soldier. Still, my mother was heartbroken, lamenting, “How are you going to enjoy my delicious kabobs and doogh now? You are missing out on our culture!” She had a point—living a vegan lifestyle is easy, but living without Persian food? Not so much. Soon enough, we were trying meat and dairy alternatives in our Persian cooking. Here are some tried and true cruelty-free alternatives to the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) industry that still deliver all the beloved flavors and aromas of Iran.

Kabob Koobideh

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 5 hours Ingredients: 2 pounds textured vegetable protein—I use Trader Joe’s beefless ground beef!

2 medium yellow onions, grated ¼ cup refined canola oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2 tbsps. ground flax seed combined with 6 Tbs water 2 tbsps. sumac 2 tsps. turmeric powder 1 tsp. ground black pepper ½ tsp. salt Directions: 1. Mix vegetable protein, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, photo courtesy of Google Images turmeric, and 1 tablespoon of sumac in a large bowl and refrigerate for 3-8 hours.

2. Shape mixture around skewers and brush each side with canola oil.

3. Grill over an open flame, turning each for about five minutes until cooked.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining sumac and serve with berenj, grilled veggies, or noon lavash. Enjoy!

Doogh

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt 1 cup club soda 1 tbsp. crushed dried mint 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 dash of salt Directions: Mix yogurt, soda, lemon juice, and salt until smooth.

Garnish with mint and enjoy!

Perspective 32

food Shir Berenj

photo courtesy of Google Images

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 3 cups almond milk 1 cup Basmati rice 4 cardamom pods 3 tbsps. rosewater 2 tbsps. pistachios, slivered Directions: 1. Rinse the rice and drain.

2. Pour rice, salt, cardamom pods, and rosewater to a pot.

3. Heat 1 ½ cups almond milk to a gentle boil in a pot.

4. Add in rice, salt, cardamom pods, and rosewater, and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stir gently every few minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the almond milk.

5. Add the rest of the almond milk and stir for another 15-20 minutes or until thick.

6. Remove shir berenj from heat and remove cardamom pods. Top with slivered pistachios and enjoy!

Baked Feta

Serves: 2 Prep time: 13 hours Ingredients: 1 ½ cups ground almonds ½ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice 3 tbsps. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pinch of salt Directions: 1. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Line a cup small bowl with 4 layers of cheese cloth and pour in the contents of the blender.

3. Tightly tie the cheesecloth around the mixture with twine or a rubber band.

4. Strain and refrigerate for 12 hours.

5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, Fahrenheit.

6. Unwrap feta and place in a baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Feta will be ready when lightly golden, and may crack at top. Cool and enjoy!

For a traditional twist, try the feta in a wrap with string beans and walnuts, cucumbers and tomatoes, or honeydew and watermelon for a delicious breakfast.

photo courtesy of Google Images

Perspective 33

sports

photo courtesy of Offside

“Let me Root, Root, Root for the Home Team”

by Neeka Mahdavi

For someone with an unfortunate lack of hand-eye coordination, I’m a surprisingly obnoxious sports fan. Whether I am painting my entire face blue and gold and standing in the stands of a Cal football game screaming “Roll on you bears!” or roaming the streets of Barcelona wearing a Messi jersey on the day of the big El Clásico game, I’m always ready to root for my favorite team. There’s an indescribable and overwhelming feeling of satisfaction that I feel after a goal or a win; my competitive spirit thrives off the energy of a crowd. Needless to say, I was shocked when I first watched the movie Offside (2006) by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. The movie follows a group of Iranian girls who dress up as men in an attempt to watch the Iran vs Bahrain 2006 World Cup qualifying soccer match because of laws prohibiting women from attending live soccer matches in Iran.

Offside exposed me to a side of spectating sports that I was previously unaware of. I couldn’t believe that women in Iran couldn’t take part in the same simple joy I was able to experience by attending a live sporting match. Suddenly, being a fan took on a whole new meaning for me. This summer, as I watched the first Iranian female flag bearer for the Perspective 34

summer Olympics carry the Iranian flag in the opening ceremony, my excitement was accompanied with a reminder of the bans in place. I couldn’t help but wonder if this momentous event meant change was coming for the women sports fans in Iran.

For decades, Iranian women have been banned from soccer stadiums on the basis that there is the opportunity for mixing with men outside their families, there are male players dressed in shorts, and there is often vulgar language and behavior. However, until 2012, women were allowed to watch matches in public squares. This changed before the 2012 EURO Cup, when Iran extended the ban to include wrestling and volleyball games and to any public area or stadium.1 This change was paralleled with a particularly vibrant memory of mine from that summer of searching for a specific well-known pub in Covent Garden in London to watch the Portugal vs Spain game with my mom. I remember not finding the place we were looking for but, instead, stumbling upon a random pub and enjoying ourselves in the dark back room where a group of Portuguese sisters did a victory dance with every penalty kick their country made. Their dances and chants were directed towards the male Spanish

sports fans sitting in the back. The two groups taunted each other and everyone in the pub laughed together, complete strangers from all over the world, united by their love for the same sport. This memory is now tainted, like all other fond sports memories, with the understanding that not all women in Iran can benefit or occupy public spaces no matter their love for the sport.

If there’s one thing you can always depend on from a loyal sports fan, it’s the expectation that a loss will not be accepted, at least not without a fair fight.

And sure enough, as dedicated sports fans, Iranian women did not stay quiet on this issue. On June 20, 2014, a group of Iranian women were arrested for trying to enter a volleyball match. This included 25-year-old British-Iranian student Ghoncheh Ghavami. After 100 days of solitary confinement, she was sentenced to one year in prison. In February, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) awarded Iran the right to host the first-ever International Beach Volleyball Tournament on Kish Island, a resort island in the Persian Gulf. Although there were statements made about a release on the ban on women for these volleyball matches, this change was not pursued.

Hopeful female fans who showed up to the stadium were turned away at the stadium gates and told that entry was forbidden. Then again this past summer, FIVB allowed Iran to host the Volleyball World League in Tehran, promising that women would be

able to buy tickets to watch. Despite this promise, the tickets were “sold out” as soon as online ticket sales began.2 What makes all of these actions so controversial is that this type of description goes against the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA’s) governing document and objectives, the Olympic charter, and FIVB’s constitution, all of which stand against discrimination of any kind. The lack of commitment to these principle has ignited action within the international community, and the Human Rights Watch is supporting a #Watch4Women campaign in which women are asking for this ban to be lifted and for these organizations to abide by their constitutions.

Although Iranian women now compete internationally in select sports such as soccer, there are still many obstacles for Iranian women in the world of sports. Ironically, the large stadium in Tehran is named Azadi, meaning freedom in Farsi. Women in Iran are still waiting for this freedom to enter this space so that they may participate and celebrate this part of their culture. So now when I cover my face in glitter or hold up a giant banner at a game, I’m not only rooting for my favorite team on the field. I’m rooting for the women who are fighting to be in the stands too. I’m rooting for the women who are fighting to have their voices heard and their painted faces seen. I’m rooting for the women who want to root for their home team.

photo courtesy of REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Ahmed, Shireen. “Stadiums Are Still Closed to Women in Iran | VICE Sports.” VICE Sports RSS. October 5, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2016. https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/stadiums-arestill-closed-to-women-in-iran.

2 Sotoudeh, Nasrin, Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay, and Gissou Nia. “’Fifa Must Tackle Iran’s Ban on Women Watching Football’” The Guardian. July 03, 2015. Accessed October 20, 2016. https://www. theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2015/jul/03/fifa-women-football-iran-ban.

1

Perspective 35

PERSPECTIVE

Perspective 36