Host Noam Weissman sits down with acclaimed Iranian-American writer Roya Hakakian to trace the complex and often misunderstood history of Persian Jewry. Roya shares her personal story growing up Jewish in Iran before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, explores why the country shifted from relative tolerance to theocratic repression, and reflects on why millions of Iranians today remain deeply secular despite their fundamentalist regime. Noam and Roya discuss why Iranian society feels poised for change—and why history teaches us that no regime lasts forever.

Here is a link to Roya Hakakian's homepage, bio and work.

Here is a link to Roya Hakakian's memoir, Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran.

Please get in touch at noam@unpacked.media.

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media.

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