by Azar Nafisi
1980–88: In September 1980, Iraqi forces led by President Saddam Hussein invade a portion of western Iran in an attempt to seize control of the rich oil-producing province of Khuzistan and to assert Iraqi control over both sides of the Shatt al Arab waterway, which lies on the border between the two countries. After brief occupation of the Iranian city of Khorramshahr, Iraqi forces are pushed back to the border by 1982, after which both nations engage in sporadic air and missile attacks against each other’s cities and military and oil installations. In 1988, after eight years of war, Iraq agrees to Iranian terms for settlement of the war: the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from occupied Iranian territory, division of sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway, and a prisoner-of-war exchange.
1989: Ayatollah Khomeini dies one year after the end of the Iran-Iraq war.
GLOSSARY
ACHAEMENIDS refers to the Achaemenid Empire, dating 550–330 b.c., which was the first of the Persian empires to rule over significant portions of Greater Iran. Initiated by Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid era is considered a relatively tranquil period in Middle Eastern history, due to the fusion of many different cultures spanning three continents and diverse religious beliefs and practices. The Achaemenids, under Cyrus and Darius the Great, were also known for their progressive planning and organizational skills, both on the administrative and military fronts, as well as for their humanistic worldview.
ADIB Persian word meaning a man of letters, poet-scholar, learned.
AMEH paternal aunt in Persian.
AMOO paternal uncle in Persian.
BAHA’I a follower of Baháu’lláh and the Baha’i faith, a religion founded in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. Characterized by the notion that throughout history the major world’s religions have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue, the Baha’is believe that all of the divine messengers of religious faith are interconnected, and ultimately emphasize the collective evolution of humanity. This sect, which is an offshoot of Shia Islam, is the focus of persecution in the Islamic Republic, mainly because of their claim that Baháu’lláh is the personification of the “Hidden Imam.” This is considered as heresy in orthodox Shiism.
BAHMAN the eleventh month of the year in the Persian solar calendar.
BAZAARIS an Iranian social group consisting of merchants, guilds, and artisans involved in traditional trades surrounding the bazaar (market). This group has been historically tied to the clergy, mainly through intermarriage. The bazaaris were major participants in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
CHADOR an outer garment or open cloak worn by some Iranian women in public spaces. A full-length semicircle of fabric open down the front, a chador is thrown over the head and held closed in front by the hands.
ESFAHAN the capital of Esfahan province and Iran’s third largest city, located approximately 340 km south of Tehran. A historical capital of Iran for two hundred years, it is most famous for its beautiful Islamic architecture, satiated with many covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
EVIN PRISON a prison in Tehran notorious for its political prisoners’ wing. Many notable political prisoners have been held at Evin before and after the revolution.
HAJI AGHA the title for a man (Aghd) who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca (Haji).
HAMEDAN the capital city of Iran’s Hamedan province, built between 3000 and 1100 b.c.; believed to be among the oldest cities in Iran as well as the world.
IRAN-E JAVAN (THE YOUNG IRAN CLUB) a political activist group made up mainly of writers and intellectuals, founded in 1921, with the mission to bring about a democratic Iran. The organization’s first official vehicle was Ayandeh (the Future), a journal that encompassed the group’s manifesto, expressing the urgent need for a “national unity” of Iran, mainly in regards to a national language.
JAN a term of endearment, following someone’s name, meaning “my dear.” The colloquial version of the same term is Joon.
“JIMOCRACY” refers to President Jimmy Carter’s term in office, and the changes he made to U.S. foreign policy that would inevitably affect Iran’s view of human rights at home and abroad.
KARB ALLA in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad, it is considered by the Shia Muslims to be one of the holiest cities in Islam after Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, and Najaf. This is the site for the battle of Karballa, where Shiisms’ second Imam, Hussein, was martyred. Muhar-ram represents the annual remembrance of this tragic day.
KHAN title equivalent to “Mr.”
KHANDANYHA a weekly publication of critical political analysis founded in 1940 by Ali Asghar Amirani. Most of its content consisted of extracts and collections of foreign and Persian articles as well as commentary by Amirani himself, thereby resonating profoundly with many intellectuals in Iran.
KHANOOM title equivalent to “Mrs.”
MAKTABS small, cramped rooms that served as Muslim elementary schools, where boys were instructed in Koran recitation and reading, writing, and grammar, often by less than qualified teachers or low-ranking cleric.
MULLAH Muslim title commonly given to local Islamic clerics or mosque leaders in Iran. It may also serve as a derogatory title given to some Islamic clergy who are not as well educated and well versed within the clerical hierarchy.
NOROOZ the traditional Iranian/Persian New Year holiday, marking the first day of spring and the beginning of the Persian calendar. This celebration predates Islam and begins on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, usually on or before/after March 21st.
OMID IRAN popular Iranian magazine in the 1960s.
PAHLAVIS refers to the Pahlavi dynasty that ruled the Imperial nation of Iran, from the crowning of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 to the overthrow of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Reza Shah led Iran through large-scale modernization and reform and the centralization of government. Mohammad Reza Shah continued these reform policies while building a strong army and maintaining friendly relations with the West during the Cold War. The demise of the Pahlavi dynasty marks the end of the ancient tradition of the Iranian monarchy. Please see “Moments in Twentieth-Century Iranian History” for more information.
PASSUR an Iranian fishing card game for four players.
QAJARS refers to the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1794 to 1945. One of the most notable events during this time was the Constitutional Revolution, providing, within limits, freedoms of the press, speech, and association, and security of life and property, marking the end of the medieval period in Persia. Following the occupation of Persia during World War I, Soltan Ahmad Shah’s rule dissipated with the arrival of a new Shah, Reza Pahlavi, in 1925, and the Qajar dynasty was declared terminated.
QASR PRISON located in Tehran, one of Iran’s oldest political prisons and the first in which prisoners got their legal advantages.
RAMADAN a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which time it is believed the Koran was revealed to the Angel Gabriel to deliver it to the prophet Mohammad. During Ramadan, participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset, a practice that is meant to teach patience, sacrifice, and humility. This is also a time for heightened prayer and reverence to God for past sins and guidance in the future.
RASTAKHIZ the “Resurrection” party, established on March 2, 1975, by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as a new single political party to which all Iranians were required to belong. This was an attempt to appease the population through a limited form of political participation. This single-party system was short-lived, ending in 1978 as the Iranian Revolution gained ground, and today the Rastakhiz party exists in exile as an Iranian monarchist party opposing the Islamic Republic.
SAFAVIDS an Iranian Shia dynasty that ruled Persia from the early 1500s to 1722. During this period, the Safavids established Shia Islam as the official religion of their empire, one of their many efforts to uni
fy the existing, diverse Iran.
SEFID ROOD one of the main branch rivers of the Tajan River, which runs through Garmsar, Iran. The name also refers to an area on the river.
SEPID SEYAH a major Iranian publication, existing in the mid-1960s.
SHAYKHIS an Islamic sect existing in Iran, dating from 1826 to the early 1900s. Led by Ahaykh Ahmad al-Asa’I, it introduced certain innovation on Shia thought, challenging the nature of religious authority and the notion of the occultation of the last Shia Imam, a central tenet of Shi-ism.
SHIA the second largest branch of Islam, differing from the Sunni sect in its rejection of the authority of the first three caliphs (leaders). The Shia believe that the prophet’s family and descendants (known as Imams) are his true successors. This distinction has led to spiritual differences such as the Shia veneration of the Imams as sinless, and different accounts of the prophet’s life and traditions. The largest branch of Shiism, the Twelvers, who dominate Iran, also ascribe to the concept of Occultation, which refers to the disappearance of the messianic figure of the Makdi, an Imam who is said to return on Judgment Day to fill the world with justice.
SUNNI the largest group in Islam, meaning “principle” or “path.” They believe that the first four caliphs of the Muslim community were the rightful successors to Mohammad, and they hold that because God has not specified any subsequent leaders of the Muslim community, elections of such are necessary. Accordingly, Sunnis recognize four major legal traditions: Maliki, Shaf’i, Hanafi, and Hanbali.
TUDEH PARTY an Iranian communist party closely related to the Communist party of the Soviet Union, formed in 1941.
TUMAN currency of Iran until 1932. Although in 1932 the rial replaced the tuman at a rate of 1 tuman = 10 rials, many Iranians still employ the term tuman in everyday transactions.
ZAYANDEH ROOD one of the most important rivers of the central plateau of Iran, located in Esfahan.
ZOORKHANEH a traditional Iranian gymnasium with historical ties to training “pahlavans” (a charitable man of physical and moral strength). The ritual training sessions are accompanied by drums and rhythmic chants from the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi, which recounts legendary stories of the kings and warriors of ancient Persia. Women are traditionally prohibited from entering and participating in sporting events.
ZOROASTRIANISM founding religion of the Persians, Zoroastrian-ism is based on the philosophy and teachings of the prophet Zoroaster, who saw the universe as the cosmic struggle between truth and lies. His religious philosophy hinged on the idea that the purpose of humankind, like that of all other creations, is to sustain aa (a combination of creation, existence, and free will). For humankind, this occurs through active participation in life and the exercise of good thoughts, words, and deeds. Once the dominant religion of much of greater Iran until the Arab conquest and the advent of Islam, the number of Zoroastrians has since diminished to no more than 200,000 worldwide.
PERMISSION CREDITS
GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press: Epigraph for Part 2, “Prose Fragment 22” [Rev 91] from The Letters of Emily Dickinson, Thomas H. Johnson, ed., p. 915, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, copyright © 1958, 1986, the President and Fellows of Harvard College; 1914, 1924, 1932, 1942 by Martha Dickinson Bianchi; 1952 by Alfred Leete Hampson; 1960 by Mary L. Hampson. Reprinted by permission of the publishers.
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press and the Trustees of Amherst College: Epigraph for Part 3 is from The Poems of Emily Dickinson, Thomas H. Johnson, ed., Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, copyright © 1951, 1955, 1979, 1983 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Reprinted by permission of the publishers and the Trustees of Amherst College.
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC: Excerpt from “A Part of Speech” from A Part of Speech by Joseph Brodsky, translation copyright © 1980 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.
Mage Publishers: Quotes from Forugh Farrokhzad on pages 168–69 and 181–82 are from: A Lonely Woman: Forugh Farrokhzad and Her Poetry by Michael C. Hillmann. An Original Co-Publication Mage Publishers and Three Continents Press, 1987. Reprinted by permission.
Majid Naficy: Quotations from essay entitled “Love and the Revolution” by Majid Naficy (www.iranian.com, 1/3/2008), Ezatt Tabiian’s will, and the poem “Marked Treasure” from Muddy Shoes by Majid Naficy (Los Angeles: Beyond Baroque Books, 1999). Reprinted by permission.
Mehriran Publishing Co. Ltd: Photo on page 68 of Dr. Parsay is from Lady Minister: Farokhrou Parsay, Daughter of Freedom: A Biography and Memoir by Mansoureh Pirnia (North Potomac, MD: Mehriran Publishing Co. Ltd.). Mehriran Publishing Co. Ltd. is the sole owner of this photograph. Used by permission.
Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.: Excerpts from Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolqasem Ferdowsi, foreword by Azar Nafisi, translated by Dick Davis, copyright © 1997, 2000, 2004 by Mage Publishers, Inc. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The Washington Post: “SMELL OF A FRAME-UP” by Alfred Friendly from The Washington Post, July 6, 1966 © by The Washington Post. Reprinted by permission.
READING GROUP QUESTIONS
AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What are Nafisi’s “things I’ve been silent about”? Are there things you have been silent about, and why?
2. In this memoir, Nafisi candidly describes the positive and the negative aspects of her childhood relationship with both her father and her mother. Looking back, which parent ultimately had the most influence on the author’s life? How did the relationships change and develop over time? In what ways do you feel that they were healthy or unhealthy, and why?
3. In many ways the most powerful relationship in the book is the mother-daughter relationship between the author and her own mother, and the struggles they face in adjusting to each other’s personality and expectations, both personal and cultural. Do you think this tension came from the two women’s similarities or differences? Do you see any parallels to relationships within your own family?
4. Nafisi writes that “as a family we were fond of telling stories.” Describe the different kinds of stories her father and mother embraced. How were these “fictions” similar or different, and what purpose did they serve? In what ways do you see the author continuing this family habit, or in what ways do you see her breaking from it?
5. Talk about the theme of silence in the book. Is silence either always a bad choice or always a good one? How does it relate to personal and cultural repression? Do you consider silence a freedom or a constraint?
6. Nafisi talks about the personal becoming the political. Name three examples of this theme from the book, and discuss the implications of the intersection of public and private in each case.
7. In the Prologue, Nafisi writes, “Approval! My parents taught me how deadly this desire could be.” What do you think she means by this? Do you agree that the longing for approval can be dangerous, and if so, in what ways?
8. Nafisi describes the different social, cultural, and religious atmospheres in Iran that shaped the experiences of four generations of women in her family. How were Azar’s grandmother’s experiences similar or different from her daughter Negar’s? What about Azar and her mother? Discuss the ways in which each woman’s experience may have shaped her personality and approach to life. Do you see historical comparisons to women’s experiences in your own family?
9. Aunt Mina frequently uses the phrase “Another intelligent woman gone to waste.” What does it mean for these women to have “gone to waste”? Can you list five women in Things I’ve Been Silent About who fall into this category? Was there anything, in your opinion, that they could have done to prevent themselves from going “to waste”? Are there public figures, or women in your own life, who mi
ght also fit this description? How are their experiences similar to or different from those of the Iranian women in the book?
10. The stories of the Shahnameh play a large role in this memoir. Who are the Persian literary heroines with whom Nafisi identifies most closely, and why? What relevance do these fictional women have to her own life and to the lives of the women around her?
11. “My father used to say half jokingly that his years in jail were his most fruitful.” How did those four years in jail affect the arc of Father’s life, and life for the whole Nafisi family? Metaphorically, what other jails are there in the book, and what are the effects on the lives of those trapped inside them? Father found a way to flourish artistically and intellectually during his incarceration. Could it be argued that this kind of confinement is actually beneficial, in some ways, for the development of personality and ideas? Why or why not?
12. Nafisi says her mother “knew my father would be unfaithful to her long before he even considered it.” Are there conditions that justify infidelity, do you think, or is it always indefensible? Would you consider marriage without love as a form of infidelity?