PBS "Destination America" Sisters Mahnaz and Farah became independent women in America. Both later returned to Iran as adults, where they would be torn apart by Iranian politics during the reign of the shah. Mahnaz became a minister in the shah's government and advocated for women's rights, while Farah and her husband joined the cause of the revolution. Ultimately, Mahnaz and Farah both had to flee Iran in fear for their lives.
Monday, June 27, 2005
PBS "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" / By Margaret Warner Since his historic election Friday, the president-elect of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has pledged to govern as a moderate and sworn Iran would continue its nuclear program. Afkhami says, "For the first time, all of the basic structures of power in the Islamic republic are uniformly in conservative hands."
Thursday, March 17, 2005
National Geographic News / By John Roach The arrival of the spring equinox on Sunday will cue Persians to party. Far from a gardening rite, the equilibrium of day and night marks the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. "[Nowruz] is a celebration of the renewal of nature after the slumber of winter, so to speak, and along with it the human response to that awakening of the Earth," said Mahnaz Afkhami.
Monday, December 29, 2003
The Washington Post / By Caryle Murphy Neda Toloui-Semnani left Iran 22 years ago as a 2-year-old. She grew up in the District, graduated from the University of Maryland and now works for a nonprofit group in the Iranian capital of Tehran. As a result, Toloui-Semnani is closer than most Iranian Americans to the unfolding tragedy in her homeland brought on by Friday's devastating earthquake. "In a strange way, it feels like 9/11 all over again. There are the same feelings of shock and trauma," Toloui-Semnani, 24, said in a telephone interview yesterday. "The difference here is that the numbers are astronomical. Also, there is nobody to blame. I don't know if that makes it better or worse."
Friday, October 17, 2003
To The Point KCRW Los Angeles / By Warren Olney / Listen Muslim countries traditionally offer few leading roles for women. Does the selection of the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize change the equation? Can democracy be realized in Muslim nations if women there do not have equal rights? We get views from Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, an associate professor of political science, specialized on the issues of Islam and democracy, the founder and president of Women-s Learning Partnership, the director of an Islamic Center and a former U.S diplomat.
Friday, October 10, 2003
WBUR Boston NPR / Listen Shirin Ebadi becomes the first Muslim woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize. Ms. Afkhami’s reaction is one of pure joy for Shirin Ebadi as well as for women representatives from around the world, especially in Muslim-majority countries. “It is fantastic to see this kind of support for voices of moderation, voices of reason”.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
BBC / By Sue MacGregor Sue MacGregor gathers together some of the most senior of the Shah of Iran’s court who became exiles from their country shortly after the revolution which saw Ayatollah Khomeini take power.
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Interview with Mahnaz Afkhami, secretary general of Women’s Organization of Iran (WOI), 1970-1978, and Iran’s minister of women’s affairs, 1975-1978. 2003 / Foundation for Iranian Studies / Bethesda, MD Gholam Reza Afkhami, ed. Iranian women gained significant rights and became considerably more active and effective socially, politically, and economically between 1963 and 1978. Mahnaz Afkhami was secretary general of the Women’s Organization of Iran (WOI), 1970-1978, and Iran’s minister of women’s affairs, 1975-1978. In this book she discusses how women propelled the progress they made in Iran’s patriarchal society, how the government’s worldview, politics, and policies affected their progress, and how relevant to their cause was their presence on the international scene and...
Thursday, June 14, 2001
The Globe And Mail A broken heart was the cause of death…
Wednesday, June 13, 2001
The Independent / By Rose George “Leila’s situation has really drawn attention to the human suffering that goes into these cataclysmic events,” says Mahnaz Afkhami, who has edited a book on Iranian women in exile, and runs the Foundation for Iranian studies in Washington. Leila and her family resonated with Iranians in life; her death speaks even more powerfully of the debris of history.
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Saturday, October 1, 2005