Iran Awakening - 3027 Words

Jessica Muhr May 2nd, 2012 History of the Middle East â€Å"Iran Awakening† â€Å"One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country† This book, â€Å"Iran Awakening†, is a novel written by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Ebadi weaves the story of her life in a very personal and unique way, telling the account of the overthrow of the shah and the establishment of a new, religious fundamentalist regime in which opposition to the government are imprisoned, tortured, and murdered. By simply reading the Prologue, one can see the love Ebadi has for Iran and her people. This love that Ebadi has for the oppressed of Iran is a theme that appears throughout the book and seems to be a large factor behind her drive to stand up for those who cannot stand up for†¦show more content†¦By the summer of 1978, protests had grown larger, making it impossible to avoid them. In early August, a crowded cinema in Abadan was burned to the ground. This horrific event burned 400 people alive. The shah blamed this event on religious conservatives; Khomeini accused the SAVAK, the regime’s secret police, which was a force o f legendary brutality against the government’s opponents. This tragedy pushed many Iranians against the shah. They now realized that the shah was not merely an American puppet. Ebadi herself says that she was ‘drawn’ to the opposition. She says that it did not seem a contradiction for her, an educated professional woman, to back it (Ebadi, 33). She had no idea that she was backing her own eventual defeat. Ebadi uses something close to irony as she describes a morning when she and several judges and officials stormed into the minister of justice’s office. The minister was not there, instead a startled elder judge sat behind the desk. â€Å"He looked up at us in amazement and his gaze halted when he saw my face. â€Å"You! You of all people, why are you here?† he asked, bewildered and stern. â€Å"Don’t you know that you’re supporting people who will take away your job if they come to power?† â€Å"I’d rather be a free I ranian than an enslaved attorney,† IShow MoreRelatedThe Modern Middle East641 Words   |  3 PagesThe Modern Middle East Student’s Name University The Modern Middle East The Middle East is a region of Western Asia and Egypt; some of the countries in this region are Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. According to Anderson, Seibert Wagner (2006), this region is of vast geo-economic importance and since ancient times, it has been a center of world affairs. This part matters to almost all superpowers. The geographic factors that contribute to theRead MoreThe Promotion Of The Westphalian System At The Core Of1683 Words   |  7 Pagesnations principles and destiny selfish interests, those nations are saying the same in regard to American principles. 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Their youth is continuously being watched to insure their clothing and hairstyles are acceptable and if they are even affiliated with a protest, they could beRead MoreThe Study Of Gender Inequality2827 Words   |  12 PagesThe Study of Gender Inequality in Islamic Iran Early in the term I read the book Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi and grew fascinated with her account of life in Iran before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution. In this touching memoir, she describes the 1979 revolutionary takeover of Ayatollah Khomeini, who overthrew the shah and established an Islamic State, fusing together religious and political life. The result was a unique combination of theocratic and democratic authority, completely unprecedentedRead MoreThe Internet And The World Wide Web1490 Words   |  6 Pagestaking place in countries such as Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, not what news published. The revolution was successful due to the influence of digital technology and the spread of western culture. The Arab spring was always better described as an awakening: the real revolution is not so much in the street as in the mind. The internet, social media, satellite television and the thirst for education—among Arab women as much as men—cannot co-exist with the deadening dictatorships of old.6 This quoteRead MoreGeorge F. Kennan Served As An American Diplomat Essay1750 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence both politically, economically and on the standards of the nation’s foreign policies. Throughout many administrations, the Middle East has been a hot bed of activity during the Cold War and Post-Cold War eras. This region includes today an Iran who is searching for ways to acquire the means to build a nuclear arsenal. Iraq, a nation that encountered a power vacuum after the removal of US troops following the invasion and occupation of the nation. That vacuum was used by a terrorist organizationRead MoreAtomic Mysteries Essay1338 Words   |  6 Pagespossesses nuclear weapons (Gladstone A4). 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