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The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran
A revealing look at Iran by an American journalist with an insider’s access behind Persian walls
The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, now an American citizen, Hooman Majd is, in a way, both 100 percent Iranian and 100 percent American, combining an insider’s knowledge of how Iran works with a remarkable ability to explain its history and its quirks to Western readers. In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, he paints a portrait of a country that is fiercely proud of its Persian heritage, mystified by its outsider status, and scornful of the idea that the United States can dictate how it should interact with the community of nations.
With wit, style, and an unusual ability to get past the typical sound bite on Iran, Majd reveals the paradoxes inherent in the Iranian character which have baffled Americans for more than thirty years. Meeting with sartorially challenged government officials in the presidential palace; smoking opium with an addicted cleric, his family, and friends; drinking fine whiskey at parties in fashionable North Tehran; and gingerly self-flagellating in a celebration of Ashura, Majd takes readers on a rare tour of Iran and shares insights shaped by his complex heritage. He considers Iran as a Muslim country, as a Shiite country, and, perhaps above all, as a Persian one. Majd shows that as Shiites marked by an inferiority complex, and Persians marked by a superiority complex, Iranians are fiercely devoted to protecting their rights, a factor that has contributed to their intransigence over their nuclear programs. He points to the importance of the Persian view of privacy, arguing that the stability of the current regime owes much to the freedom Iranians have to behave as they wish behind “Persian walls.” And with wry affection, Majd describes the Persian concept of ta’arouf, an exaggerated form of polite self-deprecation that may explain some of Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s more bizarre public moments.
With unforgettable portraits of Iranians, from government figures to women cab drivers to reform-minded Ayatollahs, Majd brings to life a country that is deeply religious yet highly cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet with democratic and reformist traditions—an Iran that is a more nuanced nemesis to the United States than it is typically portrayed to be.
The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, now an American citizen, Hooman Majd is, in a way, both 100 percent Iranian and 100 percent American, combining an insider’s knowledge of how Iran works with a remarkable ability to explain its history and its quirks to Western readers. In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, he paints a portrait of a country that is fiercely proud of its Persian heritage, mystified by its outsider status, and scornful of the idea that the United States can dictate how it should interact with the community of nations.
With wit, style, and an unusual ability to get past the typical sound bite on Iran, Majd reveals the paradoxes inherent in the Iranian character which have baffled Americans for more than thirty years. Meeting with sartorially challenged government officials in the presidential palace; smoking opium with an addicted cleric, his family, and friends; drinking fine whiskey at parties in fashionable North Tehran; and gingerly self-flagellating in a celebration of Ashura, Majd takes readers on a rare tour of Iran and shares insights shaped by his complex heritage. He considers Iran as a Muslim country, as a Shiite country, and, perhaps above all, as a Persian one. Majd shows that as Shiites marked by an inferiority complex, and Persians marked by a superiority complex, Iranians are fiercely devoted to protecting their rights, a factor that has contributed to their intransigence over their nuclear programs. He points to the importance of the Persian view of privacy, arguing that the stability of the current regime owes much to the freedom Iranians have to behave as they wish behind “Persian walls.” And with wry affection, Majd describes the Persian concept of ta’arouf, an exaggerated form of polite self-deprecation that may explain some of Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s more bizarre public moments.
With unforgettable portraits of Iranians, from government figures to women cab drivers to reform-minded Ayatollahs, Majd brings to life a country that is deeply religious yet highly cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet with democratic and reformist traditions—an Iran that is a more nuanced nemesis to the United States than it is typically portrayed to be.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2008
113 people are currently reading
3225 people want to read
About the author
Hooman Majd
5 books72 followersBorn in Tehran but educated in the West, Hooman Majd is the author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ (an Economist and Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2008) and The Ayatollahs' Democracy: An Iranian Challenge, as well as his most recent book, The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay. He lives in New York City.
Hooman Majd has also written for GQ, Newsweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The New Republic, The Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Politico, The New York Observer, Interview, The Daily Beast, and Salon, among others. He has also published short fiction in literary journals such as Guernica, The American Scholar, and Bald Ego.
Majd has also served as an advisor and translator for President Mohammad Khatami and translator for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on their trips to the United States and the United Nations, and has written about those experiences.
Majd's maternal grandfather was the Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Assar (1885-1975), who was born to an Iraqi mother and an Iranian father. The Ayatollah, along with other contemporary ulema, overcame traditional opposition to serve as a professor of philosophy at the University of Tehran. His own father, whose origins were in the village of Ardakan, Iran, became representative of a "middle class" that was "pro-democratic and pro-modernization".
Raised in a family involved in the diplomatic service, Majd lived from infancy abroad, mostly in the US and in England but attending American schools in varied places, such as Tunis and New Delhi. He boarded at St Paul's School in London, England and attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He stayed in the US after the 1979 revolution and finished his college education in the US.
Hooman Majd has also written for GQ, Newsweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The New Republic, The Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Politico, The New York Observer, Interview, The Daily Beast, and Salon, among others. He has also published short fiction in literary journals such as Guernica, The American Scholar, and Bald Ego.
Majd has also served as an advisor and translator for President Mohammad Khatami and translator for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on their trips to the United States and the United Nations, and has written about those experiences.
Majd's maternal grandfather was the Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Assar (1885-1975), who was born to an Iraqi mother and an Iranian father. The Ayatollah, along with other contemporary ulema, overcame traditional opposition to serve as a professor of philosophy at the University of Tehran. His own father, whose origins were in the village of Ardakan, Iran, became representative of a "middle class" that was "pro-democratic and pro-modernization".
Raised in a family involved in the diplomatic service, Majd lived from infancy abroad, mostly in the US and in England but attending American schools in varied places, such as Tunis and New Delhi. He boarded at St Paul's School in London, England and attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He stayed in the US after the 1979 revolution and finished his college education in the US.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
April 9, 2012
This is my third book on Iranian culture in the past year or so, and I'm fascinated. Tehran is on my list of places to visit.
Before I rip apart this book, let me first say I recommend it because it is an interesting, thoughtful analysis of the Iranian psyche.
Majd's writing style is maddeningly frustrating. I almost threw the book against the wall a half-dozen times during the first 100 pages. The man cannot write a simple sentence. An entire paragraph in this book may have one period, obviously at the end. It is not uncommon to find a sentence in this book with three parenthetical clauses, a hyphenated clause and four other asides in commas.
Imagine you ask someone the following. "Where did you get that bracelet"? They might reply, "I was at a Peace Conference yesterday where the sponsors handed them out". Majd might reply, "Yesterday, which was the 12th of August (and last year on that date I was in Berlin for a music festival, a city where one can find terrific music and great donuts - I love donuts), I was at a Peace Conference (which is strange since I have never been to a conference before for peace or any other topic), where the sponsors, who were very stingy in almost every regard, even making one pay for a terrible coffee (I prefer Starbucks), gave us these cheap, blue, plastic bracelets, which chafe the wrist and look, from a fashion viewpoint, horrible, so that we would remember the conference fondly". And that would be a short, concise reply by Majd's standards. Imagine 250 pages of that?
After a while, I began to chuckle when I came to one of his incredibly elongated sentences. Towards the end of the book, I became used to the style, which is terrifying.
Anyway, the book is well worth reading. Majd delves in to the complex, contradictory Iranian personality in more depth than Lipstick Jihad or Reading Lolita in Tehran, although both of these books are better than The Ayatolla Begs to Differ. What struck me most was the stupidity of the Bush Administration in dealing with Iran. They completely misunderstood, or "misunderestimated" as Bush would say, the Iranian government. With a more considered approach, and with an appreciation for Iranian-American history, Bush could have avoided much of the trouble that has arisen with Iran lately. But that is asking too much from a simpleton and his arch-conservative cronies. The true Axis of Evil had at the center of its spokes the Bush Administration. I hope the only time we hear from them again is in the broadcast of their trials for their barbaric acts while running this country. Hmmm, I digress. Where did I learn to do that?
Before I rip apart this book, let me first say I recommend it because it is an interesting, thoughtful analysis of the Iranian psyche.
Majd's writing style is maddeningly frustrating. I almost threw the book against the wall a half-dozen times during the first 100 pages. The man cannot write a simple sentence. An entire paragraph in this book may have one period, obviously at the end. It is not uncommon to find a sentence in this book with three parenthetical clauses, a hyphenated clause and four other asides in commas.
Imagine you ask someone the following. "Where did you get that bracelet"? They might reply, "I was at a Peace Conference yesterday where the sponsors handed them out". Majd might reply, "Yesterday, which was the 12th of August (and last year on that date I was in Berlin for a music festival, a city where one can find terrific music and great donuts - I love donuts), I was at a Peace Conference (which is strange since I have never been to a conference before for peace or any other topic), where the sponsors, who were very stingy in almost every regard, even making one pay for a terrible coffee (I prefer Starbucks), gave us these cheap, blue, plastic bracelets, which chafe the wrist and look, from a fashion viewpoint, horrible, so that we would remember the conference fondly". And that would be a short, concise reply by Majd's standards. Imagine 250 pages of that?
After a while, I began to chuckle when I came to one of his incredibly elongated sentences. Towards the end of the book, I became used to the style, which is terrifying.
Anyway, the book is well worth reading. Majd delves in to the complex, contradictory Iranian personality in more depth than Lipstick Jihad or Reading Lolita in Tehran, although both of these books are better than The Ayatolla Begs to Differ. What struck me most was the stupidity of the Bush Administration in dealing with Iran. They completely misunderstood, or "misunderestimated" as Bush would say, the Iranian government. With a more considered approach, and with an appreciation for Iranian-American history, Bush could have avoided much of the trouble that has arisen with Iran lately. But that is asking too much from a simpleton and his arch-conservative cronies. The true Axis of Evil had at the center of its spokes the Bush Administration. I hope the only time we hear from them again is in the broadcast of their trials for their barbaric acts while running this country. Hmmm, I digress. Where did I learn to do that?
March 9, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Like millions of other Americans, I am in the active process these days of increasing my knowledge base regarding the Middle East and Southeast Asia, from its former level of "zero" to a new level of "more than zero." But this of course immediately presents a problem to armchair scholars -- namely, with a subject so vast, where do you even start when you know literally nothing? For example, it's definitely important to understand the complex feudal empires that ruled these areas during what's known in the West as the Middle Ages, although such study doesn't even begin to explain the region in the here and now; but by concentrating solely on contemporary issues, one misses entirely the strong cultural background that led to these attitudes in the first place. Do you filter all your information through the all-important subject of religion in this section of the world? If so, then how do you begin to understand the actions of West-friendly reformers? But then without a solid grounding of religious education, how do you even begin to understand something like the Taliban, and why they seemingly have a surprising amount of support from people who aren't particularly violent or reactionary themselves?
So thank God, then, for books like the recent and fantastic The Ayatollah Begs to Differ by Hooman Majd, because it's actually several things at once -- not just a primer on historical issues regarding the old Persian Empire, but a field guide to the modern Iran it became, an on-the-ground report about daily life inside a working theocracy, even a funny Bill-Bryson-style travelogue about a clueless Westerner smoking opium with random strangers, participating in a self-flagellation festival, and going skiing at a bling-bling-filled Muslim mountain resort. And in fact Majd is in a uniquely great position to be telling a story like this; after all, he was born into an Iranian family of high political influence (both during the last years of the Shah and the first years of the Islamic Republic that came after), but then eventually moved to New York and became a senior executive within the entertainment industry (and a contributing writer to Andy Warhol's Interview magazine, back when it was still good), making him simultaneously an insider and outsider to modern Iranian culture, about as perfect a position to be in to relate to fellow Americans exactly what daily life is like over there these days.
And indeed, over the course of several trips he makes there during the waning years of the Bush administration, Majd presents us with a nation profoundly more complex than most Americans even have a clue concerning, a place where the historical and modern clash in sometimes amusing, sometimes tragic ways -- a society that in theory is an open democracy, with public elections and a strong emphasis on basic human rights, yet ruled at the top by a circle of religious experts whose judgments are not allowed to be questioned, a country that creates elaborate public dress codes but are then ignored by half the population with no repercussions (well, except around elections, when conservative candidates will initiate morality crackdowns to look good in the eyes of voters, almost exactly what you see during American elections as well). And in fact that's probably Majd's most surprising conclusion of all, that current Iran is not actually too terribly different than Bush's America in the early 2000s, a "free" society but full of draconian rules but that most citizens then promptly ignore, leading back to that free society it's supposed to be, but with the whole thing manifested in this overly complicated, seemingly contradictory way.
And Majd tells us this story in a great way too, by gaining access to events and people that he can only pull off by being from a politically connected family -- over the course of this easily readable 250-page manuscript, we get to sit in on interviews with high-ranking government officials, attend booze-and-pot-filled parties full of urban liberal hipsters, witness a series of ultra-conservative religious rituals in the country's rural wastelands (think the Islamic version of a Pentecostal tent revival in the Deep South, full of writhing true believers speaking in tongues), and of course eavesdrop on a whole series of private home-based salons and dinner parties, centered around middle-class family gardens and friendly afternoon opium sessions (the Iranian equivalent of cigars and cocktails among businessmen), which is where the vast majority of the nation's collective decisions are very quietly made. And this of course is the biggest contradiction of all concerning modern Iran, as Majd so deftly shows us through conversation and example, the simultaneous superiority and inferiority complexes that most Iranians suffer from (caused respectively from the clash between their ancient Persian past and more recent colonial days), resulting in a society where among other things one is perfectly free to publicly criticize the government, just as long as you don't do it too loudly or attract too much attention (and wow, talk about the Bush years in a nutshell).
It's a fascinating book full of all kinds of surprising and paradigm-shifting conclusions, and I have to admit that I've had my entire worldview concerning Iran profoundly change just from this book alone. It's the perfect kind of informational title for most Americans, funny and entertaining even as it teaches much-needed basic lessons about Islam and Persia, and it comes today highly recommended to nearly every person on the planet, Iranians themselves included.
Out of 10: 9.8
Like millions of other Americans, I am in the active process these days of increasing my knowledge base regarding the Middle East and Southeast Asia, from its former level of "zero" to a new level of "more than zero." But this of course immediately presents a problem to armchair scholars -- namely, with a subject so vast, where do you even start when you know literally nothing? For example, it's definitely important to understand the complex feudal empires that ruled these areas during what's known in the West as the Middle Ages, although such study doesn't even begin to explain the region in the here and now; but by concentrating solely on contemporary issues, one misses entirely the strong cultural background that led to these attitudes in the first place. Do you filter all your information through the all-important subject of religion in this section of the world? If so, then how do you begin to understand the actions of West-friendly reformers? But then without a solid grounding of religious education, how do you even begin to understand something like the Taliban, and why they seemingly have a surprising amount of support from people who aren't particularly violent or reactionary themselves?
So thank God, then, for books like the recent and fantastic The Ayatollah Begs to Differ by Hooman Majd, because it's actually several things at once -- not just a primer on historical issues regarding the old Persian Empire, but a field guide to the modern Iran it became, an on-the-ground report about daily life inside a working theocracy, even a funny Bill-Bryson-style travelogue about a clueless Westerner smoking opium with random strangers, participating in a self-flagellation festival, and going skiing at a bling-bling-filled Muslim mountain resort. And in fact Majd is in a uniquely great position to be telling a story like this; after all, he was born into an Iranian family of high political influence (both during the last years of the Shah and the first years of the Islamic Republic that came after), but then eventually moved to New York and became a senior executive within the entertainment industry (and a contributing writer to Andy Warhol's Interview magazine, back when it was still good), making him simultaneously an insider and outsider to modern Iranian culture, about as perfect a position to be in to relate to fellow Americans exactly what daily life is like over there these days.
And indeed, over the course of several trips he makes there during the waning years of the Bush administration, Majd presents us with a nation profoundly more complex than most Americans even have a clue concerning, a place where the historical and modern clash in sometimes amusing, sometimes tragic ways -- a society that in theory is an open democracy, with public elections and a strong emphasis on basic human rights, yet ruled at the top by a circle of religious experts whose judgments are not allowed to be questioned, a country that creates elaborate public dress codes but are then ignored by half the population with no repercussions (well, except around elections, when conservative candidates will initiate morality crackdowns to look good in the eyes of voters, almost exactly what you see during American elections as well). And in fact that's probably Majd's most surprising conclusion of all, that current Iran is not actually too terribly different than Bush's America in the early 2000s, a "free" society but full of draconian rules but that most citizens then promptly ignore, leading back to that free society it's supposed to be, but with the whole thing manifested in this overly complicated, seemingly contradictory way.
And Majd tells us this story in a great way too, by gaining access to events and people that he can only pull off by being from a politically connected family -- over the course of this easily readable 250-page manuscript, we get to sit in on interviews with high-ranking government officials, attend booze-and-pot-filled parties full of urban liberal hipsters, witness a series of ultra-conservative religious rituals in the country's rural wastelands (think the Islamic version of a Pentecostal tent revival in the Deep South, full of writhing true believers speaking in tongues), and of course eavesdrop on a whole series of private home-based salons and dinner parties, centered around middle-class family gardens and friendly afternoon opium sessions (the Iranian equivalent of cigars and cocktails among businessmen), which is where the vast majority of the nation's collective decisions are very quietly made. And this of course is the biggest contradiction of all concerning modern Iran, as Majd so deftly shows us through conversation and example, the simultaneous superiority and inferiority complexes that most Iranians suffer from (caused respectively from the clash between their ancient Persian past and more recent colonial days), resulting in a society where among other things one is perfectly free to publicly criticize the government, just as long as you don't do it too loudly or attract too much attention (and wow, talk about the Bush years in a nutshell).
It's a fascinating book full of all kinds of surprising and paradigm-shifting conclusions, and I have to admit that I've had my entire worldview concerning Iran profoundly change just from this book alone. It's the perfect kind of informational title for most Americans, funny and entertaining even as it teaches much-needed basic lessons about Islam and Persia, and it comes today highly recommended to nearly every person on the planet, Iranians themselves included.
Out of 10: 9.8
October 17, 2008
I liked this book, if more for the three major points he made about Iranians than the writing or the form. In fact, the form was a bit annoying. He moved back and forth between his journalistic narrative of his own visits, and history of modern Iran. But to the major points.
First, he talk about an interesting idea, that of "ta'arouf," or hospitality. This is a rough translation, because its more like polite chit-chat that one encounters with every transaction with another human being outside your family. It's interesting, because it can be very calculated at times, but it also shows that extreme generosity is a very important notion for Iranians (and why they sometimes are astounded in their interactions with Americans).
Second, he talked about "haq", or "rights." This was interesting given the nuclear issue right now, and the reason why Iranians on the whole - even those who hate Ahmadinejad - support Iran's bid for nuclear fuel. They view it as a "right" (because of their sovereignty), just as they view low oil prices, low food prices, and various other things as "rights" (not our typical use of "rights," which is much more formal than material). This puts a lot of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric in context (even though he really has no control of the nuclear stuff, but rather the Supreme Leader).
Third, he explains the whole martyr thing of Shia Islam. The name "Shia" comes from the phrase "shi'at Ali," i.e. followers of Ali. Ali who was murdered, and more importantly his son Hussein, who was killed in the battle of Karbala, form much of the Shia view of the world, their view of a small David, fighting against a large goliath.
Overall, it was a good book.
First, he talk about an interesting idea, that of "ta'arouf," or hospitality. This is a rough translation, because its more like polite chit-chat that one encounters with every transaction with another human being outside your family. It's interesting, because it can be very calculated at times, but it also shows that extreme generosity is a very important notion for Iranians (and why they sometimes are astounded in their interactions with Americans).
Second, he talked about "haq", or "rights." This was interesting given the nuclear issue right now, and the reason why Iranians on the whole - even those who hate Ahmadinejad - support Iran's bid for nuclear fuel. They view it as a "right" (because of their sovereignty), just as they view low oil prices, low food prices, and various other things as "rights" (not our typical use of "rights," which is much more formal than material). This puts a lot of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric in context (even though he really has no control of the nuclear stuff, but rather the Supreme Leader).
Third, he explains the whole martyr thing of Shia Islam. The name "Shia" comes from the phrase "shi'at Ali," i.e. followers of Ali. Ali who was murdered, and more importantly his son Hussein, who was killed in the battle of Karbala, form much of the Shia view of the world, their view of a small David, fighting against a large goliath.
Overall, it was a good book.
April 3, 2009
So I am on this Iran kick right now and this was written in the past year and I had heard the author being interviewed on NPR and he sounded pretty moderate, pro-Iranian and very educated and so I put a hold on this book at our local library and I guess it was pretty popular, because I had to wait several months for it.
Unlike all the other books that I have read about Iran, this one was not a sweet story about growing up in Iran, spending most of one's years abroad and then returning as a stranger to one's own country.
Nor was it a persons view about Iran mostly spent behind the very sheltered, Northern Tehran where the affluent live and where I spend all of my time on my own visits to Iran.
The author who is an Iranian/American raised by two Iranian parents in the U.S, has a deep interest in Iran, its politics and culture and it appears a deep desire to enlighten the reader as to modern Iran's ways and particularly the Islamic aspect of the Republic. He seems to be aiming this book more at an American audience and attempts to educate them on Iranian politics, history and particulary Shia Islam and how it seeps into every part of life in Iran.
He is related to ther former, very popular, reformist and liberal Iranian president Khatami and so he has some very personal conversations with him and he is not shy in saying that he is a supporter of that President and not a fan of the current, very unpopular president Ahmadinejad.
He does not take sides, presents facts very matter of factly and I found the book educational and an important read for someone wanting to get to know modern day Iran.
Unlike all the other books that I have read about Iran, this one was not a sweet story about growing up in Iran, spending most of one's years abroad and then returning as a stranger to one's own country.
Nor was it a persons view about Iran mostly spent behind the very sheltered, Northern Tehran where the affluent live and where I spend all of my time on my own visits to Iran.
The author who is an Iranian/American raised by two Iranian parents in the U.S, has a deep interest in Iran, its politics and culture and it appears a deep desire to enlighten the reader as to modern Iran's ways and particularly the Islamic aspect of the Republic. He seems to be aiming this book more at an American audience and attempts to educate them on Iranian politics, history and particulary Shia Islam and how it seeps into every part of life in Iran.
He is related to ther former, very popular, reformist and liberal Iranian president Khatami and so he has some very personal conversations with him and he is not shy in saying that he is a supporter of that President and not a fan of the current, very unpopular president Ahmadinejad.
He does not take sides, presents facts very matter of factly and I found the book educational and an important read for someone wanting to get to know modern day Iran.
February 24, 2015
I really liked this book. Really, really liked it. The author's style is pretty hit or miss, either you'll love it or think its horrible. I thought it was very witty and funny, mostly because the sense of humor is similar to my own (and ironically, very Iranian).
For me, this was almost like reading an autobiography of myself from the perspective of a more witty, less religious, better connected person. A lot of the references were pretty funny, because I had experienced them myself and had many memories associated with them. I'm not sure how a person with much less knowledge about contemporary Iranian culture, coming from a different background would perceive it, and whether they'd understand some of the more subtle jokes, but I would hope they'd enjoy it as much as I did.
In the end, a much more appropriate title to the book would have been "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: 100 reasons I love Khatami, with occasional insights on Iranian culture". Though I didn't see anything particularly wrong with that.
For me, this was almost like reading an autobiography of myself from the perspective of a more witty, less religious, better connected person. A lot of the references were pretty funny, because I had experienced them myself and had many memories associated with them. I'm not sure how a person with much less knowledge about contemporary Iranian culture, coming from a different background would perceive it, and whether they'd understand some of the more subtle jokes, but I would hope they'd enjoy it as much as I did.
In the end, a much more appropriate title to the book would have been "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: 100 reasons I love Khatami, with occasional insights on Iranian culture". Though I didn't see anything particularly wrong with that.
May 10, 2018
Whatever nebulous conception most Americans have of the Middle East, Iran should stand apart. Not because it is currently DC's designated enemy, but because Iran is different. Its people are not Arabs, the state religion is a markedly different of Islam than that practiced and promoted by its Sunni neighbors, and its political constitution is its own, a curious fusion of theocracy and democracy which was self-invented. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ profiles Iran as a nation of paradox, a place increasingly secular but ruled by clerics, driven by both aggressive insistence on its rights and an internal ritual of utter deference and hospitality.
When I began reading this over the weekend, it wasn't in anticipation of the House of Saud's current business partner in the White House stirring foreign policy turds. Bush's obsession with Iran, and Obama's later difficulty in coming to a concordance with them, made me increasingly curious and even fascinated by the land formerly known as Persia. Hooman Majd mentions here that Persia was formally dropped in the 1930s in favor of the older Iran, both to invoke a glorious ancient past and to buff over the inglorious recent past, when old Persia was an increasingly bedraggled object in a tug of war between Russia and the United Kingdom. Iran's foreign policy is driven primarily by a need for self-protection, from both its Arab neighbors and from interference from farther points. The two often intersect, as when the United States abetted Saddam Hussein's eight year war against Iran.
Foreign policy is only a small part in this guide, however. Majid is Iranian-American, but not the kind who bemoans that Iran is not more like Europe and the United States. He has close ties with a former president of Iran, the reformer Mohammad Khatami, and his father was a leading cleric. His warm regard for Iran is not predicated on what it can do differently, but what it has done already and can mature. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ includes some of the usual "experiencing Iran" chapters, like his Ashura experience in Qom and anecdotes about traffic and family life, as well as unique interviews with friends of his in Iran -- like the aforementioned minister Khatami. Majd's book is draws on time spent in Iran just as Khatami's administration was being replaced by the more strident one of Mamoud Ahmadinejad, whose aggressive posture against the west over nuclear development was cheered by many in Iran who thought their country was the whipping boy of the international community. Majd is not a fan of Ahmadinejad, however, despite his sympathy for Ahmadinejad's working class supporters. One worrisome aspect of Ahmadinejad for Majd is the man's fervent religiosity; he is not merely observant, but anticipates the imminent end of the world and is willing to talk about it, much to the dismay of the leading clerics who do not believe theology and eschatology are the province of the uninitiated.
Although I've read a fair few books on modern Iran in the last few years, even so The Ayatollah Begs to Differ offered a lot of insight. I've read previously how common exterior walls are in Iranian residential architecture, for instance, keeping outsiders firmly at bay -- but Majd writes that the law also respects this boundary, and that Iranians tolerate so much social policing in the community because they are largely left alone inside their own homes. Majd's extensive chapter on Iranian ritual ta'arof was both amusing and informative; I've encountered numerous world-travel memoirs that marveled at Iranian hospitality. Although this strikes me as attractive to a small degree, the way its expressed by Majd seemed exasperatingly drawn out. Taking a cab involves an endless spiel of "How much do I owe?", "No, sir, I am your humble servant this was my honor, please go", "No, I insist I pay, how much?", "God forbid sir, it was nothing", etc. Eventually the bow-haggling stops and honest money changes hands. Majd also notes that while the language is outwardly deferential, this ritual of civility is also competitive, and practitioners of the 'dark' ta'arof like to reduce their rival to begging them to accept the money or the favor.
When I began reading this over the weekend, it wasn't in anticipation of the House of Saud's current business partner in the White House stirring foreign policy turds. Bush's obsession with Iran, and Obama's later difficulty in coming to a concordance with them, made me increasingly curious and even fascinated by the land formerly known as Persia. Hooman Majd mentions here that Persia was formally dropped in the 1930s in favor of the older Iran, both to invoke a glorious ancient past and to buff over the inglorious recent past, when old Persia was an increasingly bedraggled object in a tug of war between Russia and the United Kingdom. Iran's foreign policy is driven primarily by a need for self-protection, from both its Arab neighbors and from interference from farther points. The two often intersect, as when the United States abetted Saddam Hussein's eight year war against Iran.
Foreign policy is only a small part in this guide, however. Majid is Iranian-American, but not the kind who bemoans that Iran is not more like Europe and the United States. He has close ties with a former president of Iran, the reformer Mohammad Khatami, and his father was a leading cleric. His warm regard for Iran is not predicated on what it can do differently, but what it has done already and can mature. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ includes some of the usual "experiencing Iran" chapters, like his Ashura experience in Qom and anecdotes about traffic and family life, as well as unique interviews with friends of his in Iran -- like the aforementioned minister Khatami. Majd's book is draws on time spent in Iran just as Khatami's administration was being replaced by the more strident one of Mamoud Ahmadinejad, whose aggressive posture against the west over nuclear development was cheered by many in Iran who thought their country was the whipping boy of the international community. Majd is not a fan of Ahmadinejad, however, despite his sympathy for Ahmadinejad's working class supporters. One worrisome aspect of Ahmadinejad for Majd is the man's fervent religiosity; he is not merely observant, but anticipates the imminent end of the world and is willing to talk about it, much to the dismay of the leading clerics who do not believe theology and eschatology are the province of the uninitiated.
Although I've read a fair few books on modern Iran in the last few years, even so The Ayatollah Begs to Differ offered a lot of insight. I've read previously how common exterior walls are in Iranian residential architecture, for instance, keeping outsiders firmly at bay -- but Majd writes that the law also respects this boundary, and that Iranians tolerate so much social policing in the community because they are largely left alone inside their own homes. Majd's extensive chapter on Iranian ritual ta'arof was both amusing and informative; I've encountered numerous world-travel memoirs that marveled at Iranian hospitality. Although this strikes me as attractive to a small degree, the way its expressed by Majd seemed exasperatingly drawn out. Taking a cab involves an endless spiel of "How much do I owe?", "No, sir, I am your humble servant this was my honor, please go", "No, I insist I pay, how much?", "God forbid sir, it was nothing", etc. Eventually the bow-haggling stops and honest money changes hands. Majd also notes that while the language is outwardly deferential, this ritual of civility is also competitive, and practitioners of the 'dark' ta'arof like to reduce their rival to begging them to accept the money or the favor.
January 31, 2013
Cover Gushing Worthiness: I’m not quite fond of the cover for the paperback edition which is also the edition I own. I don’t think it captures the essence of Iran quite well because Iran is a country with more than just women dressed in Black Chadors. This cover
captures Iran much more vividly, with its eye of Ayatollah Khomeini; a household name and prominent religious and political figure in Iran’s contemporary history and the people moving about. So in conclusion, the hardcover edition get’s my vote for a good cover.
Review: I first heard about The Ayatollah Begs to Differ from goodreads where it appeared as a recommendation under my Middle East shelf. First of all I have to say I love the name of the book. I think it’s what first drew me to clicking the image and reading the synopsis. I think the title of the book is provocative and I mean this in a good way. I think as soon as people hear the term “Ayatollah” their minds kick into over drive and think about Ayatollah Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution and Iran of course. However this book is more; it captures a country that is trying to modernize whilst holding onto its deep religious and Shi’ite heritage.
For those who don’t know what an Ayatollah is; simply put “Ayatollah” translates into “sign of God” but in Iranian Shi’ism it is referred to a revered member of the Ulema (Islamic religious class)*.
Hooman Majd has been described as both “100% Iranian and 100% American” by one of his friends and I found that to be quite interesting; especially since I’ve also grown up in two different countries and I don’t really know if I’m both 100% Canadian and 100% Sri Lankan. Majd is a child of both nations and I believe that is the reason he can give such a good insight to Iran and provide a humorous take while at it.
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ is not a book about politics per say, even though there is a focus on it, but rather it is about the lives of ordinary Iranians living in a regime that many Western audiences would deem unjust and non-democractic. I think the important message that I came away with after reading this book is how Democracy may work in Iran. Former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran- Mohammad Khatami says
I personally thought that statement was powerful because it helped me understand the potentially intertwined relationship between Democracy and Islam.
I thought the people Majd spoke to in this book were interesting and had a certain whimsical characteristic to them. I liked learning about the female taxi driver who had two children and a sick mother to look after, the middle-class Persian family whose son-in law was part of the Revolutionary Guard but found time to play football with his friends, the French and the British people living in Iran, former President Khatami and the reformist Ayatollah Mousavi Bojnourdi were all people from different walks of life who tried to make the best in a regime as the one in Iran. I think learning about the reformist Ayatollahs was one of the important aspects of the book, especially since people may be uninformed about them since most people associate Ayatollahs as conservative hardliners and Khomeini of course.
What is important about this book is it paints a picture of the everyday Iranian. Someone who has hopes and may dream of a better life, someone who does the best in a system and someone who is quite proud of their heritage. This is something that I too have encountered in my encounters with a few Iranian people; Iranians are very proud and nationalistic people. Sometimes it can come across as being racists towards other cultures, but it is not necessarily. As a country that has suffered from so many invasions identity is important to them, just like it is for people in other countries. I think Majd explains in this conundrum of proud Iranian nationalism well in the book. Another thing that I found interesting was the explanation of using both “Iran” and “Persia” to distinguish the country. The explanation is a bit too long to give in a review, but if you have the opportunity to read the book, you’ll see what I mean.
Apart from the book being informative I liked Majd’s writing a lot. It was humorous and sarcastic in a way that had me actually laughing out loud at some points. When I say some of the things out loud to explain it to people it doesn’t sound funny, but when you read the book you understand the humour. The book didn’t read like a textbook and it isn’t mean to be one. I personally didn’t find it to be flat and there wasn’t anything I would have taken out because everything held a significant meaning and explained how Iranian people interpreted things. What I liked most was learning about Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami. Until now I didn’t really know anything about him, but I was glad to have learned more about him and his moderate view. I think he explains the context of Iran very well in his talks with Majd. Also we do gain a bit of insight into the ruling Religious Class of Iran, probably one of the most hated elements by the West in regards to the country. I think Majd explains their leadership well in the book in a concise manner.
Overall, The Ayatollah Begs to Differ was an enjoyable read. I learned a lot about Iran;a country which remains as a puzzle for most Islamic history students because of its secrecy and current position in the eyes of the west. To learn about every day Iranians was eye-opening and it helped to understand the country a bit more. I will definitely pick up Hooman Majd’s other book The Ayatollahs' Democracy the Ayatollahs' Democracy: An Iranian Challenge an Iranian Challenge.
My Rating: 4/5
Would I recommend it? Yes
*The definition for an Ayatollah was taken fromAn Introduction to Islam.
captures Iran much more vividly, with its eye of Ayatollah Khomeini; a household name and prominent religious and political figure in Iran’s contemporary history and the people moving about. So in conclusion, the hardcover edition get’s my vote for a good cover.Review: I first heard about The Ayatollah Begs to Differ from goodreads where it appeared as a recommendation under my Middle East shelf. First of all I have to say I love the name of the book. I think it’s what first drew me to clicking the image and reading the synopsis. I think the title of the book is provocative and I mean this in a good way. I think as soon as people hear the term “Ayatollah” their minds kick into over drive and think about Ayatollah Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution and Iran of course. However this book is more; it captures a country that is trying to modernize whilst holding onto its deep religious and Shi’ite heritage.
For those who don’t know what an Ayatollah is; simply put “Ayatollah” translates into “sign of God” but in Iranian Shi’ism it is referred to a revered member of the Ulema (Islamic religious class)*.
Hooman Majd has been described as both “100% Iranian and 100% American” by one of his friends and I found that to be quite interesting; especially since I’ve also grown up in two different countries and I don’t really know if I’m both 100% Canadian and 100% Sri Lankan. Majd is a child of both nations and I believe that is the reason he can give such a good insight to Iran and provide a humorous take while at it.
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ is not a book about politics per say, even though there is a focus on it, but rather it is about the lives of ordinary Iranians living in a regime that many Western audiences would deem unjust and non-democractic. I think the important message that I came away with after reading this book is how Democracy may work in Iran. Former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran- Mohammad Khatami says
Democracy in Iran deserves a much higher status than it occupies today…Democracy in the West is shaped by their culture and history; and our Democracy will be shaped in accordance to our own culture and history. I don’t mean Liberal Democracy. Democracy means the government is chosen by the people and they have the power to change it if they are unhappy, but Islam is one of the foundations of our culture and it will influence our democracy. Of course Islam must adjust to democracy as well.
I personally thought that statement was powerful because it helped me understand the potentially intertwined relationship between Democracy and Islam.
I thought the people Majd spoke to in this book were interesting and had a certain whimsical characteristic to them. I liked learning about the female taxi driver who had two children and a sick mother to look after, the middle-class Persian family whose son-in law was part of the Revolutionary Guard but found time to play football with his friends, the French and the British people living in Iran, former President Khatami and the reformist Ayatollah Mousavi Bojnourdi were all people from different walks of life who tried to make the best in a regime as the one in Iran. I think learning about the reformist Ayatollahs was one of the important aspects of the book, especially since people may be uninformed about them since most people associate Ayatollahs as conservative hardliners and Khomeini of course.
What is important about this book is it paints a picture of the everyday Iranian. Someone who has hopes and may dream of a better life, someone who does the best in a system and someone who is quite proud of their heritage. This is something that I too have encountered in my encounters with a few Iranian people; Iranians are very proud and nationalistic people. Sometimes it can come across as being racists towards other cultures, but it is not necessarily. As a country that has suffered from so many invasions identity is important to them, just like it is for people in other countries. I think Majd explains in this conundrum of proud Iranian nationalism well in the book. Another thing that I found interesting was the explanation of using both “Iran” and “Persia” to distinguish the country. The explanation is a bit too long to give in a review, but if you have the opportunity to read the book, you’ll see what I mean.
Apart from the book being informative I liked Majd’s writing a lot. It was humorous and sarcastic in a way that had me actually laughing out loud at some points. When I say some of the things out loud to explain it to people it doesn’t sound funny, but when you read the book you understand the humour. The book didn’t read like a textbook and it isn’t mean to be one. I personally didn’t find it to be flat and there wasn’t anything I would have taken out because everything held a significant meaning and explained how Iranian people interpreted things. What I liked most was learning about Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami. Until now I didn’t really know anything about him, but I was glad to have learned more about him and his moderate view. I think he explains the context of Iran very well in his talks with Majd. Also we do gain a bit of insight into the ruling Religious Class of Iran, probably one of the most hated elements by the West in regards to the country. I think Majd explains their leadership well in the book in a concise manner.
Overall, The Ayatollah Begs to Differ was an enjoyable read. I learned a lot about Iran;a country which remains as a puzzle for most Islamic history students because of its secrecy and current position in the eyes of the west. To learn about every day Iranians was eye-opening and it helped to understand the country a bit more. I will definitely pick up Hooman Majd’s other book The Ayatollahs' Democracy the Ayatollahs' Democracy: An Iranian Challenge an Iranian Challenge.
My Rating: 4/5
Would I recommend it? Yes
*The definition for an Ayatollah was taken fromAn Introduction to Islam.
The Ayatollahs may from time to time silence dissent at home, they may rule autocratically, and with their infuriating manners they may annoy and even repulse many in the West. But they rule for now with the confidence that they do not face a population that seeks to overthrow them. As long, that is, as they don’t lose their Persian sensibilities.
August 25, 2022
Picked this up somewhere recently - I think it was for sale in my local library
What a fascinating read - knew very little about Iran beforehand but this book made me feel like I'd gone on a whole trip through the country
Highlights include the fact that Iranian officials don't wear ties (and this is a very big deal) and the fact they deliberately named the street the British Embassy is on after Bobby Sands, the IRA activist who died in British custody.
This definitely will need a reread in the future.
What a fascinating read - knew very little about Iran beforehand but this book made me feel like I'd gone on a whole trip through the country
Highlights include the fact that Iranian officials don't wear ties (and this is a very big deal) and the fact they deliberately named the street the British Embassy is on after Bobby Sands, the IRA activist who died in British custody.
This definitely will need a reread in the future.
March 12, 2019
A fascinating read that combines astute observation and unique insight into life in the Islamic Republic. Majd illuminates the contemporary Iranian psyche with effortless prose, sharp wit, and an interesting perspective. The book, published in 2008--in the middle of the Ahmadinejad years--is a bit outdated now, but relevant and provocative nonetheless.
August 16, 2025
While published a while ago, this book offers great insight into Iranian political, cultural, and religious values from someone who was in a lot of rooms where important things happened through his role as interpreter.
March 13, 2009
Hooman Majd says that when he travels to Iran his Persian side emerges, but when he comes back home to New York City, his fully Westernized modern man comes back. This perspective is unique and helpful as Majd attempts to explain that when the revolutionaries yelled, "Death to America" that they didn't literally want us in the U.S. all to die.
I had the serendipity of reading this book in tandem with Deer Hunting With Jesus by Joe Bageant, and the comparison between fundamentalist Christians with fundamentalist Shiite Muslims was just stunning. I discovered that a theocratic United States would no doubt be a much scarier place than Iran because at least in Iran, the government is not as interested in legislating inside the bedroom. The public and private worlds of Iran appear to be very different places (not a huge surprise if you've read Brooks' Nine Parts of Desire or any of the other modern books about Iran that have come out in the last ten years), and the opinions and lives lived behind closed doors have a lot more freedom than we often assume.
I loved the rich tapestry of life that Majd paints for the reader; rather than just focusing on rich Iranians, he also shows us the lives of the religious, the working class, Revolutionary Guards and opium-eaters. His egalitarianism and comfort with all strata of society makes this an engaging read sure to open your mind.
I had the serendipity of reading this book in tandem with Deer Hunting With Jesus by Joe Bageant, and the comparison between fundamentalist Christians with fundamentalist Shiite Muslims was just stunning. I discovered that a theocratic United States would no doubt be a much scarier place than Iran because at least in Iran, the government is not as interested in legislating inside the bedroom. The public and private worlds of Iran appear to be very different places (not a huge surprise if you've read Brooks' Nine Parts of Desire or any of the other modern books about Iran that have come out in the last ten years), and the opinions and lives lived behind closed doors have a lot more freedom than we often assume.
I loved the rich tapestry of life that Majd paints for the reader; rather than just focusing on rich Iranians, he also shows us the lives of the religious, the working class, Revolutionary Guards and opium-eaters. His egalitarianism and comfort with all strata of society makes this an engaging read sure to open your mind.
February 2, 2014
This is a far superior book to my first Majd (The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay: An American Family in Iran) and offers genuine insight to the Iranian psyche - high and low, religious and secular, political and apolitical. It's not without weaknesses though: To say Mr. Majd can be long-winded is an understatement but it's a style you get used to and it's oddly in keeping with a supposed aspect of the Iranian character Majd keeps returning to. The real annoyance is how repetitive the telling can be and there are times it becomes frankly exasperating.
Overall it's a worthy read but I can't help but feel a stronger editor would have elevated this from fair to very good.
Overall it's a worthy read but I can't help but feel a stronger editor would have elevated this from fair to very good.
February 3, 2014
A fascinating (although at times short sighted and rather white-washed) look into Iranian culture under the current regime. As Iran is one of the most important topics of the day, it was vital for me to read as much as possible on the topic. Although the book provided a first hand look behind the scenes of the Iranian government, Majd is too close to power and too comfortable with his privileged position to actually critique the government or discuss the nastier aspects of fundamentalist rule.. As he says himself, "I have also served on a few occasions as an unpaid adviser to the Islamic Republic, bringing me into close contact with Presidents Khatami and Ahmadinejad...." The book is like a fantastic first hand witness, but unless you can cross examine them, you can never know the truth.
February 11, 2021
Probably read this book in 2008?
An excellent, excellent book. Very well written explanation of the main paradoxes and Inconsistencies of Iran—- my own Interest began when reading about Evin prison, and how easily one can get thrown in there.
For sure, I recall a great explanation between Shia and Shiite Islam, as well as an exploration of the dualities of a culture that idolizes all things French, but yet also is steeped in a religion that disapproves of ostentatious show and modern “indecencies” of the infidel West
An excellent, excellent book. Very well written explanation of the main paradoxes and Inconsistencies of Iran—- my own Interest began when reading about Evin prison, and how easily one can get thrown in there.
For sure, I recall a great explanation between Shia and Shiite Islam, as well as an exploration of the dualities of a culture that idolizes all things French, but yet also is steeped in a religion that disapproves of ostentatious show and modern “indecencies” of the infidel West
December 15, 2017
I liked the book because it was a nice contrast from so many of the anti-Iranian books out there, but it's a bit of an apologia for the regime. The author is able to get access to some of the top clerics, but he seems a bit too close to them to be objective? Anyway, it's a useful antidote to so many cartoonish depictions of the crazy evil clerics of Iran.
February 16, 2021
This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about Iranian culture as a whole. I’ve heard criticisms of Majd’s long, comma-filled sentences, but I feel that this adds a conversational tone that benefits the book. At times, it does lead to confusion, but those instances are the outliers (in my experience). I really enjoyed this book.
September 23, 2017
This is a book for those who want to learn far more about Iran and Islam. Hooman Majd is a very skilled writer. A very clever man, travelling with high ranking officials from Iran in America, translating for Iranian speakers at the UN. He really does know his subject. But he is not afraid to expose the other side of Islam in Iran. What goes on behind the walls of the home, alcohol, marriage for an hour for the convenience of sex, opium smoking. But there is positive side of Islam. I became quite sympathetic about their attitude America. Why asks Majd, should Iran be dominated by America when it only wants to co-exist. The same could be said of North Korea. Much of the present nuclear problems in North Korea and potentially today in Iran are, I believe the fault of Trump. President Khatami said in an interview with the author that if he'd been negotiating with Bill Clinton instead of Bush then the outcome would be very different. If Hilary Clinton was President instead of Trump then the nuclear race would be very different. I don't think that Iran would be a threat and North Korea would be easier to reign in.
A weakness of the book, and not the author's fault is that I bought it from a charity shop. I would have loved to have read the updated version. But, I shall definitely be reading more by Majd and book about North Korea.
A weakness of the book, and not the author's fault is that I bought it from a charity shop. I would have loved to have read the updated version. But, I shall definitely be reading more by Majd and book about North Korea.
April 21, 2018
Fascinerende indblik i den iranske kultur, som den tager sig ud fra en iranskfødt amerikaner. Den var et godt supplement til "Understanding Iran" af William R. Polk, som jeg læste før min ferie til Iran.
De kontraster og selvmodsigelser som Hooman Majd præsentere er underholdende og interessante, og de viser en lidt anden (og mere hverdagsagtig) side af Iran.
Jeg kunne godt have ønsket mig at bogen handlede lidt mindre om den tidligere præsident Mohammad Khatami - og måske lidt mere om Hooman Majds bedstefar, som var Ayatollah?
De kontraster og selvmodsigelser som Hooman Majd præsentere er underholdende og interessante, og de viser en lidt anden (og mere hverdagsagtig) side af Iran.
Jeg kunne godt have ønsket mig at bogen handlede lidt mindre om den tidligere præsident Mohammad Khatami - og måske lidt mere om Hooman Majds bedstefar, som var Ayatollah?
August 23, 2022
poor writing.
June 10, 2019
Economist calls this book as affectionate, I think this the apt word for it. Hooman Majd talks about the Iranian culture, its issues w.r.t politics, views of the people etc. It is a good book to understand what Iran is all about. The book is a bit old and talks about the times of Ahmedinejad and the author also has some biases, naturally, but it gives a good perspective of what modern Iran is.
April 10, 2014
An okay introduction to the Iranian psyche and the way in which it affects politics, political rhetoric, and the population’s tolerance for a conservative theocracy. The topic is fascinating, and Majd makes a compelling case that Westerners routinely misinterpret the nature and nuance of Iranian issues due to their lack of cultural fluency. For example, Westerners react strongly to the hijab and other enforced women’s clothing standards as a powerful (*the most* powerful?) embodiment of theocratic oppression, but Iranian women fighting for gender equality view the hijab with neutrality or at most as a low priority for change. Or: Shia Islam tends to reinterpret events in the spirit of David and Goliath, where faithful Shias are always cast in the role of taking a stand against the big bullies of the world. Given this worldview, fiery rhetoric against Israel or absolute refusal to bow to the U.S.’s nuclear demands are completely in line with the Persian character, and do not necessarily represent an intent to take decisive action. Majd focuses on the idea of ta'arouf, or hospitable chit-chat that sometimes appears absurd (“How much do I owe you for the cab ride?” “No no, it was my honor.” “No really, your driving was superlative, I must pay you.” “I couldn't possibly.” Etc), but that is also a subtle power play in negotiations. If the American stereotype is a somewhat graceless straight shooter who means what he says, the Iranian stereotype is the opposite. No wonder we can’t make heads or tails of each other.
The author’s background allows him to be an insightful guide to the Western reader. By birth, he is connected to some of the highest ranking political families in the country, and is fluent in both the language and the social rituals. As a journalist, he is naturally inquisitive and interested in better understanding Iranians beyond the intellectual classes, at times participating in activities deemed demeaning by his peer group (lazing an afternoon away smoking opium with middle class characters, participating in fervent populist religious ceremonies, etc.). He is also fully western, having resided in the west his entire life (diplomat’s son), been educated in Anglo schools, and settled as a non-practicing Muslim in cosmopolitan Manhattan. When he talks of “our government,” he means the U.S. government. He is well positioned to offer insightful political commentary, explain the nuance of curious cultural norms, and laugh along with you at the apparent absurdities.
The book’s major challenge is the storytelling style. Hooman Majd writes as if he were weaving together a story in the Middle Eastern oral tradition: the narrative weaves between anecdotes, gets sidetracked, circles back, interrupts the interruptions with other tales, moving sideways rather than forward with no discernible overall structure. His sentences have around five sub-thoughts and sub-clauses; his chapters aren’t so much filled with tangents as are a collection of loosely grouped stories. Instead of clearly introducing political characters and their roles in the Iranian government, he offers snippets here and there and finally delves in 2/3rds of the way through the book (by which time, if you were able to keep track of names, you’ve already gotten to know the political personalities pretty well). For a westerner used to temporal linearity and directness, the organization feels meandering, unsatisfying, and frustrating, even though looking back the quality of the content is high and the conclusions reached were profound.
The author’s background allows him to be an insightful guide to the Western reader. By birth, he is connected to some of the highest ranking political families in the country, and is fluent in both the language and the social rituals. As a journalist, he is naturally inquisitive and interested in better understanding Iranians beyond the intellectual classes, at times participating in activities deemed demeaning by his peer group (lazing an afternoon away smoking opium with middle class characters, participating in fervent populist religious ceremonies, etc.). He is also fully western, having resided in the west his entire life (diplomat’s son), been educated in Anglo schools, and settled as a non-practicing Muslim in cosmopolitan Manhattan. When he talks of “our government,” he means the U.S. government. He is well positioned to offer insightful political commentary, explain the nuance of curious cultural norms, and laugh along with you at the apparent absurdities.
The book’s major challenge is the storytelling style. Hooman Majd writes as if he were weaving together a story in the Middle Eastern oral tradition: the narrative weaves between anecdotes, gets sidetracked, circles back, interrupts the interruptions with other tales, moving sideways rather than forward with no discernible overall structure. His sentences have around five sub-thoughts and sub-clauses; his chapters aren’t so much filled with tangents as are a collection of loosely grouped stories. Instead of clearly introducing political characters and their roles in the Iranian government, he offers snippets here and there and finally delves in 2/3rds of the way through the book (by which time, if you were able to keep track of names, you’ve already gotten to know the political personalities pretty well). For a westerner used to temporal linearity and directness, the organization feels meandering, unsatisfying, and frustrating, even though looking back the quality of the content is high and the conclusions reached were profound.
January 13, 2009
Excerpts:
"I thought of Fuad, my Jewish-Iranian friend from Los Angeles who had explained to me his perspective on Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial with no small measure of admiration for what he saw as the finest example of Persian ta'arouf one-upmanship. Ahmadinejad, Fuad reasoned, had in effect said to the Europeans...that he couldn't believe that Europeans had been or could be such monsters (and this at a time when Iran was being portrayed as monstrous). "You're not monsters," Ahmadinejad was saying. "Surely not? Surely you're a great civilization," a sentiment that could only compel the Europeans, and particularly the Germans, to respond in effect, "No, no, no, we were. We really were monsters. The very worst kind." And by further asking why Israel had had to be created by them, he was essentially getting the Europeans to admit that they were entirely capable of genocide again."(43)
"Lying on the floor, one smokes shir'e upside down: unless you're an expert, you need an assistant to guide the inverted pipe to the open flame. One puff and your head starts floating, pain now an adversary that appears vulnerable to conquest; two or three puffs and you experience a high that is serenely beautiful: problems fade away, anxiety and pain surrender, and nothing, you think, can take away the beauty. Not even a full-scale invasion by the U.S. military."(71)
"In Shia Islam, the twelfth, or last, Imam is believed to have never died, merely disappeared, and will one day reveal himself to us as the Messiah. The Muslim Messiah, that is, and according to believers Jesus Christ will appear at the same time by his side as his follower."(83)
"I don't think he [Khatami:] was quite aware of the irony that the "fundamentalists" he spoke of in America were closer in philosophy to Muslim fundamentalists, his political enemies, than to anyone else in the West. It strikes me often while I am in Iran that were Christian evangelicals to take a tour of Iran today, they might find it the model for an ideal society they seek in America."(196)
"I thought of Fuad, my Jewish-Iranian friend from Los Angeles who had explained to me his perspective on Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial with no small measure of admiration for what he saw as the finest example of Persian ta'arouf one-upmanship. Ahmadinejad, Fuad reasoned, had in effect said to the Europeans...that he couldn't believe that Europeans had been or could be such monsters (and this at a time when Iran was being portrayed as monstrous). "You're not monsters," Ahmadinejad was saying. "Surely not? Surely you're a great civilization," a sentiment that could only compel the Europeans, and particularly the Germans, to respond in effect, "No, no, no, we were. We really were monsters. The very worst kind." And by further asking why Israel had had to be created by them, he was essentially getting the Europeans to admit that they were entirely capable of genocide again."(43)
"Lying on the floor, one smokes shir'e upside down: unless you're an expert, you need an assistant to guide the inverted pipe to the open flame. One puff and your head starts floating, pain now an adversary that appears vulnerable to conquest; two or three puffs and you experience a high that is serenely beautiful: problems fade away, anxiety and pain surrender, and nothing, you think, can take away the beauty. Not even a full-scale invasion by the U.S. military."(71)
"In Shia Islam, the twelfth, or last, Imam is believed to have never died, merely disappeared, and will one day reveal himself to us as the Messiah. The Muslim Messiah, that is, and according to believers Jesus Christ will appear at the same time by his side as his follower."(83)
"I don't think he [Khatami:] was quite aware of the irony that the "fundamentalists" he spoke of in America were closer in philosophy to Muslim fundamentalists, his political enemies, than to anyone else in the West. It strikes me often while I am in Iran that were Christian evangelicals to take a tour of Iran today, they might find it the model for an ideal society they seek in America."(196)
December 3, 2008
Hooman Majd, born in Tehran but educated in the West has written a book that is simultaneously from an insider perspective as well as from an outsider perspective. His father was an Iranian diplomat, but Hooman Majd is now a US citizen.
He traveled through Iran and across the US with various Iranian political figures and met with the likes of current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as former presidents like Mohammad Khatami. Because of Majd's family's history (his grandfather was also an Ayatollah) he was granted access to a lot of places and people that others probably wouldn't have been able to get to. He also did a lot of "man on the street" type research as well attending things like the Ashura festival and just talking to regular Iranians on the street.
I found it an interesting mix of personal story/travelogue, general history and journalism with a dash of reflection and interpretation/analysis thrown in.
In addition to discussing heavy topics like Iran's nuclear program, he also discusses things like the Islamic Republic's ban on their politicians wearing neckties. We also see things many Westerners know little about, such as the high walls surrounding Iranian homes that give them a great measure of privacy and freedom to do what they want behind closed doors with little to no outside interference.
Of course, he discusses the political feeling in the country and the Islamic form of government versus liberal democracy and the old revolution and discusses what he feels people there want, namely more social freedoms and not liberal democracy.
The book is a great look at a country we hear a lot about, but don't know very much about. Though a lot of it is anecdotal, there's a lot of big picture stuff too. Majd has done a great job of showing his love for the country of his birth as well as for his adopted homeland...that's what makes him the perfect person to write this book.
He traveled through Iran and across the US with various Iranian political figures and met with the likes of current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as former presidents like Mohammad Khatami. Because of Majd's family's history (his grandfather was also an Ayatollah) he was granted access to a lot of places and people that others probably wouldn't have been able to get to. He also did a lot of "man on the street" type research as well attending things like the Ashura festival and just talking to regular Iranians on the street.
I found it an interesting mix of personal story/travelogue, general history and journalism with a dash of reflection and interpretation/analysis thrown in.
In addition to discussing heavy topics like Iran's nuclear program, he also discusses things like the Islamic Republic's ban on their politicians wearing neckties. We also see things many Westerners know little about, such as the high walls surrounding Iranian homes that give them a great measure of privacy and freedom to do what they want behind closed doors with little to no outside interference.
Of course, he discusses the political feeling in the country and the Islamic form of government versus liberal democracy and the old revolution and discusses what he feels people there want, namely more social freedoms and not liberal democracy.
The book is a great look at a country we hear a lot about, but don't know very much about. Though a lot of it is anecdotal, there's a lot of big picture stuff too. Majd has done a great job of showing his love for the country of his birth as well as for his adopted homeland...that's what makes him the perfect person to write this book.
May 28, 2010
As a resident of a country under the threat of nuclear attack by Iran, I can’t help but be curious about Iran and its mentality. I was hoping this book would improve my understanding of Iran – the culture, the psyche, the day-to-day life, what have you. While I did receive little snippets of each of these things here and there in the book, they failed to add up to a cohesive whole.
When I first began this book, I was put off by what I thought were Hooman’s apologetics. I began composing a snarky review of which I felt exceedingly proud and I eagerly read on, seeking more ammunition for my review and hoping to finish the book quickly so I could post. But as I read on, I began to feel perplexed. Was Hooman apologizing in fact? Sometimes he actually sounded critical. Maybe he was really trying for a tone of detached, balanced reporting? It was hard to tell.
So my initial righteous indignation rapidly gave way to a feeling of confusion, especially as I confronted a mixture of writing styles and wondered what this book was really trying to be. Memoir? History? Journalism? Anthropology? What was Hooman really trying to do here? I would read passages about Iranian history and government, followed by drawn-out descriptions of Hooman’s visits to opium houses and mosques, followed by didactic explanations of Iranian sociocultural concepts like ta’arouf (exaggerated displays of self-abasement which are apparently a requisite aspect of Iranian good manners) and haq (insistence on one’s rights, although the rights prioritized by Iranians differ from the rights Westerners would defend). The writing made things even more confusing – rambling, tangential run-on sentences made Hooman’s train of thought (such as it was) very difficult to follow.
I agree with the goodreads reviewer who compared reading multiple memoirs about Iran to the blind men and the elephant. I wouldn’t recommend bothering with this one, though.
When I first began this book, I was put off by what I thought were Hooman’s apologetics. I began composing a snarky review of which I felt exceedingly proud and I eagerly read on, seeking more ammunition for my review and hoping to finish the book quickly so I could post. But as I read on, I began to feel perplexed. Was Hooman apologizing in fact? Sometimes he actually sounded critical. Maybe he was really trying for a tone of detached, balanced reporting? It was hard to tell.
So my initial righteous indignation rapidly gave way to a feeling of confusion, especially as I confronted a mixture of writing styles and wondered what this book was really trying to be. Memoir? History? Journalism? Anthropology? What was Hooman really trying to do here? I would read passages about Iranian history and government, followed by drawn-out descriptions of Hooman’s visits to opium houses and mosques, followed by didactic explanations of Iranian sociocultural concepts like ta’arouf (exaggerated displays of self-abasement which are apparently a requisite aspect of Iranian good manners) and haq (insistence on one’s rights, although the rights prioritized by Iranians differ from the rights Westerners would defend). The writing made things even more confusing – rambling, tangential run-on sentences made Hooman’s train of thought (such as it was) very difficult to follow.
I agree with the goodreads reviewer who compared reading multiple memoirs about Iran to the blind men and the elephant. I wouldn’t recommend bothering with this one, though.
May 13, 2009
Ta'arouf and haq. If for no other reason (and there are a lot of other reasons,) Americans like me, should read this book (it's good) to learn the depth of these two thought systems in Persian culture. Ta'arouf is the practice of extreme self-deprecation in very polite society, as in an exchange that might sound like this: "Please, you first." "No, after you, I am not deserving as you,..""No, you are great, I am a dog..." It's used to advantage in politics and business.
To really understand the nuances I need to read--at least--a whole book. And this is a good one, because the author is Iranian and western (his writing sounds like it has an American accent.) If I'm pressed for one criticism, it is that he uses parentheses excessively. (If you can't fit all your thought into a sentence, maybe you're trying to say too much at once.)
Now I think I understand that Ahmadinejad was probably speaking with ta'arouf and haq to his home audience last week when he implied that Americans need to aplogize (again) to Iran; 'What?' we said, 'again?''
I agree with others' opinions that this should be required reading for many.
To really understand the nuances I need to read--at least--a whole book. And this is a good one, because the author is Iranian and western (his writing sounds like it has an American accent.) If I'm pressed for one criticism, it is that he uses parentheses excessively. (If you can't fit all your thought into a sentence, maybe you're trying to say too much at once.)
Now I think I understand that Ahmadinejad was probably speaking with ta'arouf and haq to his home audience last week when he implied that Americans need to aplogize (again) to Iran; 'What?' we said, 'again?''
I agree with others' opinions that this should be required reading for many.
Read
June 5, 2016Third book on Iran in a year perhaps...after Empire of the Mind and Iran Awakening. Most enjoyable. An endearing book - more about Iranians - than perhaps about Iran. Examines Persian traits like taarouf, their sense of pride and privacy, their conflicts with the society and their interface with the world at large. While, one might argue that the book offers a window to the upper class (maybe even ruling class), Tehran culture but is an honest portrayal of a nation - quite unfairly bracketed as evil by the US. The book is engaging and a very easy read.
January 9, 2010
Hooman Majd is an Iranian who now considers himself a westerner. The book is part travelogue and part memoir. His insight into Iran is unique, but at times dull, and in this kind of book goes unchallenged. In its best moments, the book captures well the current youth movement of this country that has set itself up to be in a constant state of revolution. It's a great look into this country's culture, I just wish it were boiled down a bit more.
December 30, 2010
I liked this book a lot... Probably because I believed that there is more to Iran than the West likes to make us think so... Iran is not part of the axis of evil... It's just a country which often is not understood by the West... More importantly, it's a country which dares to confront the West... I a world dominated by western-biased media, confronting the West could translate into a really, really bad image of oneself...
August 7, 2020
I wish the author would have written simple declarative sentences, instead of long, meandering, disorganized and discombobulated clauses. Being a non-native English speaker, i had to go back several times to re-read and learn what was the point being made. Nonetheless, it's a good insight into post-revolution modern Iran; feels both like a travel memoir and a political commentary. Worth a read for anyone wanting to know the life in Islamic Republic of Iran.
October 17, 2008
Reading it now, but so far it seems like a great way to show the world what Iranians are really like. Such diversity, culture, history, and beautiful and fun people can not be defined by the word "terrorist" nor the phrase "axis of evil". Maybe if people care to read this book there won't be a "war" with Iran.
So far, I love it.
So far, I love it.
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