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Title: Persian Pilgrimages: Journeys Across Iran
ISBN: 0393051196
Author:
Afshin Molavi
Publicate Date: 2002-10
Publish: 2002-10
List Price: $25.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $1.99
Amazon Merchant Price: $20.24
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Well-written, informative book about contemporary Iran
It is very rare that you can find such an informative, well-balanced book on Iran. Afshin Molavi's book (the same book is also confusingly titled as "Soul of Iran" in paperback) is an excellent history, travelogue, diary, and collection of dialogues and anecdotes with and about Iranians. This is a rare book that I feel truly gives a fair and balanced presentation of the country and its people. This is neither a repudiation of Islam/glorification of the Shah as most books about Iran seem to be, nor is it a panegyric for Khomeini or justification for the revolution. This book gives us a good introductory history of Iran, Persian poetry, and Islam, and includes informative dialogues and anecdotes about Iran that shows their relevance today. If you have any interest in Iran, the Middle East, or Shi'a Islam, this book is a must read.
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2: interesting book about modern Iran (with flaws)
This is a good book on modern Iran. But anyone who reads it should be aware that it has a major flaw. Or a blind spot actually. The author is a member of the Iranian exile community. He is very good at seeing things from his point of view, but he doesn't understand the other point of view in Iran. He represents people who were on the losing side of a revolution and still can't in their hearts admit why the revolution happened.
His observations of people he meets are good. His ability to weave in material from Iranian cultural and political history are excellent. But he ignores the people, viewpoints and culture he doesn't agree with.
Nobody talks much about it, but there is and has been for a long time a clash of civilizations going on within Iran. On one side are the Islamists and on the other is the secular persian elite made up of the wealthy in the major cities. Both groups are convinced that "the people" of Iran are on their side. But like most political disputes, both sides are wrong.
The book rightly points out the anger at the government and the anger ove r the economic situation in the country. But where the book is wrong is in not understanding that anger doesn't translate into wanting to roll back everything thats happened since 1979 or sign up to another attempt to replace Islam with Persianism. There is a section of the country obviously who want those things, but its not big enough to run the country.
In some ways, Molavi reminds me of the Russian or French aristocrats who fled their respective revolutions. They mean well sometimes, but they don't fully understand the reality of their own country anymore and can't offer anything to it aside from trying to bring back the past. They understand the culture, but when they go back they are travellers out of time. In the best case, these people eventually fail and adapt to the new reality of the country or simply don't go back. In the worst case, they go back, get power for a brief period but get pushed out of the way quickly. Ahmed Chalabi in Iraq comes to mind as the most recent example.
Its a wonderful enlightening book for people who don't know much about Iran. But it has to be read carefully. It will show whats wrong with Iran, but its useless in terms of showing what the majority of people want in terms of a future.
The book is unintentionally useful in understanding the mentality of the Iranian exile community (particularly in the US). Just as Iraqi exiles promised that our troops would be greeted as liberators when we invaded Iraq, the Iranian exile community often these days promises that the government in Iran needs just a little push and it will fall. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every attempt from outside to push at the Iranian government has ended up strengthening it. As much as Iranians may hate their government, that doesn't mean they will go along with turning the clock back to 1979.
The world really needs a well-written book that presents and examines both perspectives in Iran. But Iranians are so polarized that I doubt it will happen anytime soon.
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3: when a royalist writes about his lost treasure
In my opinion there are two Iranians. The Iran represented by the thieves and the scoundrels who supported the Dictator homosexual Shah of Iran and who took off right after he was disposed of his power by the brave students. This group held so much power in Iran and stole the wealth of the hard working Iranians. Europe and America was their play ground. While Iran had so much natural resourced, this barbaric savage group, controlled everything. The poor were left uneducated and their child mortality rate was one of highest in the world. Shah lived in palaces where toilets and showers were solid Gold. While the majority of Iranian went hungry and destitute.
The other groups constitute those who supported the revolution (mainly students and intelligentsia) . This group still believe in the dream Khomeini and his Mullahs had for Iran. But with the US economic embargo against Iran since 1979, it is hard for Iran to achieve its potential. Of course the youths who never saw how their parents lived under that despot (H.I.M) think America is their friend. America has never been friend to the Iranians except to those who wanted to hand Iran's recourses on a silver platter or a golden toilet.
What's funny is those who supported Shah are now living as second class citizens in America feeding their worthless children the same propaganda the usa media inflicts daily on its citizenry as showed by the previous reviewer. I had the misfortune of meeting such people in school, and most of them especially the girls are semi-prostitutes without morals or direction. Now they went the good women of Iran to follow their immoral lifestyle.....No thanks!
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4: Americans Need To Read Molavi
Afshin Molavi is one of the best authors writing about today's Iran.
This book is of his return and travels to post-Khomeini Iran, through her cities. He meets the people on the street. Gets opinions and feelings about the mullah ridden society it is today and stories about a better life there was under H.I.M.
This book is fascinating and provoking. The stories about all of those young men who sacrificed their valuable, prescious lives because in the Iran-Iraq War made me break down and cry.
Please American people realize that Iran is a nation with one of the youngest populations and these young Iranians have no hatred for America or the West. Iranians are very Western minded. Truthfully, we look at Arabs as little better than savages. Remember, we are your cousins. We share the same origins. Help the youth of Iran who desire freedom to achieve their goals. If you want democracy in the Middle East it will sooner come to a stronger, modernist power like Iran before the backwater that is Iraq. Do not think that the sick old men who sit in power represent the Iranian people.
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5: Fascinating book on modern Iran
This is another of these travel books where the author (typically a journalist, in this case an Iranian-American who writes for the Washington Post) goes to a country, travels around, meets and interviews people, and tells you about them, and their country. In this case, the author spent two years in his native country of Iran, making a series of pilgrimages to various shrines that commemorate religious leaders, fallen soldiers, and so forth. He talks with everyone from the guy who sells fruit in a stall in Tehran to computer engineers who wish to emigrate to veterans of Iran's war with Iraq. In between he gives you brief histories of the various regions and personalities that people Iran's history.
The writing here is very good, and the subject matter is fascinating. I didn't know, for instance, that there was a Jewish community left in Iran. I also was pretty surprised by the number of religious clerics who don't approve of the way the Ayatollahs are running the country, and that some of them are of the opinion that involvement in politics corrupts those involved (looking at modern American politics would tend to confirm that, I think). There are many interviews with various people who reflect differing points of view in Iranian culture, politics, and life.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. The author is careful not to take sides, pointing out that during the Shah's reign there were many drawbacks in Iranian life, and that the Ayatollahs haven't been able to cure the problems, and in fact have probably increased them. Though the book is dogged by a few typos here and there, it didn't bother me enough to bring things to the level of subtracting a star, and frankly the subject and content are very interesting.
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