Akhtar Sabet, daughter of Hossein and Havva, was born in the town of Sarvestan in the south of Fars Province. She was a happy, intelligent, selfless, devoted, disciplined, and committed person who lived a simple life. She was a woman with a strong personality and a rich social education, and the latest entry in my… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Akhtar Sabet, 25 years old
Many readers have reached out to me to tell me they find these stories that I am telling as part of the #OurStoryIsOne campaign to be quite heartbreaking. And yes, they are–but at the same time, they are incredibly powerful. These women were killed because they stood up for justice and love, for equality and… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Shahin (Shirin) Dalvand, 25 years old
Allow me to go on a little tangent here before delving into the story of Simin Saberi, part of my ongoing #OurStoryIsOne project. As I was looking up the various documents about her on the Archives of Bahá’í Persecution in Iran, I came across an article about Seyyed Zia MirEmadi. As I understand it, its… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Simin Saberi, 24 years old
After being arrested twice in a row in November 1982 (read part 1 our #OurStoryisOne here if you missed it), Roya and her mother were transferred from Sepah to Adelabad prison on 4 January 1983, with her father following some time later. Roya was kind to all her fellow inmates regardless of their beliefs or… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Roya Eshraghi, 23 years old (part 2)
There has always been, at least in the spaces that I have been in throughout my life, a focus on Mona Mahmoudnejad. And it was and still is shocking that a mere 17-year-old would be put to death by hanging for the reasons Mona was. But 23 isn’t that much more, the age Roya Eshraghi… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Roya Eshraghi, 23 years old (part 1)
You met Mona Mahmoudnejad in my last post (here). At this point in the story, she is 17 years-old, living in Shiraz, expecting to be expelled from her high school because of her Faith, and teaching Bahá’í children’s classes. On the evening of 23 October 1982, Mona was arrested together with her father. Although the… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Mona Mahmoudnejad, 17 years old (part 2)
The most well-known name in the 10 women executed in June 1983, that I will cover in my #OurStoryisOne series, is that of Mona Mahmoudnejad. I mean, there is something particularly poignant and disturbing about a 17-year-old being hung because of the strength of her Faith. How was she such a threat, you know? Just… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Mona Mahmoudnejad, 17 years old (Part 1)
Although I was really young, I still remember the phone calls, usually late at night, during which the adults’ voices would increase in pitch: “Allo? Allo? Allo! Iran? Iran?!?” I should have been in bed, but I knew something was up. My memories of course are extremely hazy because I was a toddler, and the… Read More #OurStoryIsOne: Ten Bahá’í Women Martyred in Shiraz 40 Years Ago
I was thrilled last month to receive a pan free, courtesy of T-Fal and Influenster, in exchange for a review. It’s been a rough winter, to put it mildly, in between dealing with a landlord who, shall we say, wouldn’t accept anything except what he wanted, which was against the law (but he insisted was… Read More Product Review: T-Fal Platinum Non-Stick Unlimited Collection, 26 cm Sauté Pan
Review of ‘Maame’, by Jessica George—Must Read Summary here. What an incredible read. It was moving on so many levels, but ultimately uplifting. At the age of 25, Maddie is the primary caregiver for her father, who has advanced Parkinson’s. Her mother spends long periods of time in her native Ghana—and by long, I mean… Read More Book Review Round-Up: December 2022