December 15, 2005

Two Christmass gifts for your non-Iranian friends

I have a suggestion for all Iranians who live abroad and all others who are interested in Iran.

It might be actually a bit late, but I think if you wanted to somehow help undo the damage Ahmadinejad has done to the image of Iran in the past few weeks, there are two books which could make very good Christmas gifts to your non-Iranian friends and relatives:

  1. Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi: An easy-to-read and interesting graphic novel about a young Iranian girl and how the revolution, war, etc. affected her life and her middle-class family.
  2. We are Iran, by Nasrin Alavi: An essential read for anyone who is interested to know about the today's Iran and the way the young people think and live. It includes hundreds of blog posts translated into English.

These two books can totally change people's mind about Iran which ultimately, believe it or not, affects the way they see you too.

Posted by hoder at December 15, 2005 5:53 PM

Comments
Yes, Americans are much more sophisticated. They don't obsess over Iranian politics; they obsess over American politics *rolls eyes*
- By: Thomas J. Webb on December 16, 2005
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I am not Iranian and I do have all Marjane Satrapi's work, which I love. They're great books for discovering some Iranian culture and I recommend them all ("Persepolis", "Poulet aux Prunes" which unfortunately is only in French I think, and "Embroideries") I do not have We are Iran, but would like to read it. Thanks for sharing your ideas. One doesn't need to be obsessed, just curious. There is no harm in getting more knowledgeable.
- By: Emma on December 16, 2005
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They are also VERY cheesey gifts - my dad bought me Persepolis TWO years ago and giving people We Are Iran is a great way for us to advertise your website. are you prepared to pay people to read it? Or were you expecting your readers to endorse your 'job' for free? And also 'people' are not as stupid as you think - not everyone is obsessed by Iran and Iranian politics - only the people you seem to encounter which would make sense given your profession. Blog on.
- By: anonandon on December 16, 2005
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