Azar Nafisi: Reclaiming Iran’s Identity

Azar Nafisi, author of the internationally acclaimed memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran, addresses the question: Where do Iranians who have stood up to their ruthless government get their courage?

I reached out to Nafisi following Iran’s traditional 40-day mourning period for the thousands of people killed by the ruling clerics’ enforcers during nationwide demonstrations against the regime.

It seemed incredible that on the 40th day – after seeing the regime’s use of widespread violence – Iranians would come out yet again.  I wanted to know – is there something about that 40-day tradition, that generates courage?

Nafisi grew up in Iran’s capital, studied in the U.S. in the 1970s, and returned to her homeland after the revolution – for 18 years – to teach western literature to Iranian college students. Her insights on courage come from her personal experience and from a deep understanding of Iranian and Persian history and culture. We had this conversation three days before the war began. Nafisi’s insights will be highly relevant for a long time to come.