While Hooman Majd gives a very succinct description of being a pedestrian in Tehran, it helps to see what exactly he might have dealt with every day. So here are some YouTube videos just showing traffic along with street scenes in Tehran. The last video is a POV of someone crossing the street!
To get a sense of what Tehran looks like I’m going to link to a few photo galleries from photographers on Flikr to get a sense of how big the city is and what it would look like if you walked down the street.
Mehrdad Rajabi – Great scenic shots of Tehran during the day and at night
-sina- I’m linking to his general page. He has made 4 trips to Tehran. A lot of great street shots.
Roland Wich – Tehran and other shots of Iran
El-Len – I’m linking to her ‘people of Iran’ photo album but it’s worth it to go back to her gallery to see the rest of her pictures.
Boris Le Montagner – more people of Iran
This post is about explaining Iran’s special place in the Islamic world. Here are some great articles on Khomeini-ism, the conflict been different religious branches, and Iran’s evolving views on theocracy and populism with an Islamic framework.
U.S. Institute of Peace – The Iran Primer: Iran and Islam
Places of Peace and Power – Shi’a Islam
Council on Foreign Relations – Religion and Politics in Iran
Stratfor – In Iran, Political Change At a Measured Pace
Al-Jazeera – Iran’s Election Campaigns
Pew Research – Restrictions on Women’s Religious Attire (world)
New York Times – Cautiously, Iranians Reclaim Public Spaces and Liberties Long Suppressed
Many of you will remember Jimmy Carter/Ronald Reagan’s Iran Hostage crisis but might not know much about Iran’s before or after that crisis. Here are some helpful timelines that encompass Iran’s ancient history to it’s modern history. Here is a great analysis of Iran-U.S. relations from Congressional Quarterly.
Here is an interview between NPR’s Dave Davies and Hooman Majd about The Ministry of Guidance Invites You To Not Stay. You can either read the transcript or listen to the interview. The interview itself is around 33 minutes and worth the listen if you have the time.
August’s book will be The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay by Hooman Majd. As always you can get copies at our Circulation Desk on the first floor. The discussion will be August 29th.
True Story Book Club 