The Ayatollah Begs to Differ

Hooman Majd, the grandson of an eminent ayatollah and son of an Iranian diplomat, offers a nuanced portrait of modern Iran that bridges the gap between Western perception and local reality. Writing with wit and insider access, Majd navigates the paradoxes of a nation that is simultaneously fiercely proud of its Persian heritage and mystified by its international isolation. He explores the country through the lenses of its Muslim, Shiite, and Persian identities, arguing that the regime's stability relies heavily on the cultural value of privacy behind "Persian walls."

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.