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Omid, Ghazal |
A frightening memoir of growing up under Iran’s male-dominated
oppressors, confirming that the mad ayatollahs have, in 27 years,
wrecked a once-vibrant nation and destroyed its culture. Omid’s
Iran is a dysfunctional society in a “coma of ignorance,” led
by “mindless fanatics.” Males
are obsessed with money and hymens. Women, if they aren’t
victims, have sold out and joined the Pasdar spies who hound female
violators of the ayatollahs’ decrees. Throughout, Omid displays
numerous perceptive, valuable observations:
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Ayatollah Khomeini’s command of Farsi was so weak he could barely be understood; his mullahs took the Shah’s palaces after the overthrow, then cornered the black market for food to become “even richer” than the Shah; 70 percent of Iran’s villages have been destroyed or abandoned under the mullahs. She also harbors no illusions about Iran’s wickedness: “If Iran becomes a nuclear power,” she warns, “the world should start digging, either their shelters or their graves...” What is most riveting, however, is her striking journal of personal pain within her abusive family—her brother forced her into persistent incest, her wealthy father humiliated her and abandoned the family to destitution and she was forced to battle her way out of one arranged engagement after another. Little wonder she has emerged on the far side, in Vancouver, as a brittle manic-depressive finding it difficult to outrun her past. Omid wrote most of Living in Hell in a single month while under a therapist’s care, imbuing the work with a powerful sense of urgency. Passionate and commanding. —Kirkus Discoveries
Kirkus Discoveries, VNU US Literary Group, 770 Broadway, New York, NY
10003 646-654-4602 fax 646-654-4706 | |
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Nuvo Magazine Review by: Jim Tobler "Ghazal Omid wrote the entire first draft of this remarkable book in an incredible 29 days. While in may appear to be strident treatise on man's inhumanity to women (and there are elements of that to be sure), this book is a passionate plea for more tolerance, understanding, and respect in human relationships. Ms. Omid, Iranian born, has written a riveting account of her trial-by-fire early years, but even more fascinating is her boundless senses of optimism as she makes her way in Canada. That is what raises this book above the increasing number of autobiographical self-indulgences that dot the moonscape of most bookstores. Living in hell is worth seeking out." --- JT Vancouver Sun Life in Iran was life in hell, says local author Ghazal Omid doesn't mince words in the title of her nearly 500-page memoir about growing up in Iran. It's called Living in Hell."I am certainly not the only woman who has suffered. I am just one of the few who dares to tell it like it is," she writes near the beginning.Omid, 35, came to Canada nine years ago and lives in Vancouver. In her book, subtitled A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces, she tells of feeling second-rate, despite having been a bright child, interested in photography and medicine.Boys are regarded as superior in Iran, she writes. "A numskull boy is favoured over a Mensa-eligible girl simply because he is a boy."A Muslim, she grew up mainly in Isfahan. At the age of nine, she was aware of being a witness to history when the shah was overthrown and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to power. One of her chapters about the 1979 revolution is called "A Turban Replaced a Crown."At university, Omid was outspoken. She expected men to treat her as an equal. She voiced opinions critical of the regime. She defied certain rules about dress.When she was at university, she was hounded by government-watchdog women who were called "the Fatimeh commandos. "The day I arrived back at school, the woman that we called Fatty Commando told me that I had to wear a veil .... I was wearing a scarf with a clip in front. Without my permission, she grabbed the front of my clipped, tucked-in scarf and pulled it out of my uniform and told me, 'The clip isn't allowed; it has to go.'In a dramatic chapter called "Abduction by the Pasdar" (a Pasdar is a member of the Revolutionary Guard), Omid writes about being kidnapped by the Islamic secret police. She leapt from the speeding car, was dragged and hurt -- and then, fortunately, was rescued by people on the street. She also writes of having been molested by a close male relative and being unable to say anything, for fear of bringing shame on her family. Living in Hell (Park Avenue Publishers, 486 pages, $36.95, ISBN 0-9759683-0-0) is too long; it would have benefited from more pruning, shaping and trimming. But at a time when Westerners are avidly reading memoirs about Iran, such as Christopher de Bellaigue's In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs and Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels, it's good to be able to share the memories of a writer who lives here. First to Inspire Christian Magazine Living In Hell Living In Hell is a tale of struggle against mindless oppression. The author fled her native Iran only when it became impossible for her to continue delivering her message. The book recounts an insider's view of the revolution, the US embassy hostage crisis and the war. Having studied Islam for 17 years, counseling with many Shiah scholars. Her studies are documented in the Afterword and address many questions people might have about Islam. Her research affords insight into why Muslim countries seem to be prone to terrorism and examines the link between poverty, ignorance and terrorism. Persian Mirror Interview by Persian Mirror Author of the book Living in Hell, Ghazal Omid currently lives in Canada. Having lived through turmoil in Iran, Ghazal made a decision to move to Canada. After years of bottling up her story, she finally decided to write about her experiences. I read the news and questioned my mother about our country's history and future. I saw and lived the Islamic revolution up close and, even at that age, questioned Khomani's motives. Abuse of children and women is very common in our culture. Unfortunately, it is well hidden because some is practiced as either religion or cultural celebration. As a former victim of this kind of abuse, I know how it feels and how it must be stopped. I am probably the first Iranian woman to stand up and say enough is enough. We need to value and respect women more than just words and little girls must be protected. I hope I have started a mission and I that won't be the last. | |