THERE WASN'T MUCH AT THE GAS STATIONS EITHER wore ent Jour canst TAM SO SORRY, DARLING, Fe BEEN RON NING AROOND THe WHILE DAYIVE GAT & SPUTTING HEADACHE. YOU KON WHAT? FA TOST GONG TO FILL UP THE TANKS. AND THEN WELL TRY WE DON'T Flu CANS, OTHERWISE THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE. ALRIGHT. TOO BAD. ‘BUT 00 YOU KNOW. WHAT'S GONG ON? THE PRESS ISN'T SAYING ANYTHING. SH 00 UL THRO TONES, EVERY MORNING | HAVE STRAWBERRY SODA, TO DRIVE 40 MILES $0 THAT YOU CAN HAVE A PEACEFUL UFE, HOW am | GOING TO 90 THAT WITH NO COR? HUH? THATS WHY I NEED CANS, FOR GASOLINE! CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? THE CAR RUNS ON Gast! TF Tex OS UNTH TWO IN THE MORNING, WE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T GO TO ANY RESTAURANT, OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING IT'S A HuGe Mess" IAG COMBED THE REFINERY AT agaDan' RAL NAS MY MOTHER "S CHIEDAOOD| FRIEND. SHE LIVED IN ABADAN WITH HER HUSBAND AND TWO KIDS. 38FIRST WE WENT TO MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, WE KEPT RINGING THE DOORBELL, BUT SHE’S DEAF. I'M SORRY. THEY DID HAVE & REALLY NICE. HOUSE. WE SPENT OUR VACATION THERE A Few YEARS EARLIER 9, YOU DID THE THAT HOUSE COST A RGAE THING COMING ee ILLION, A AAILLION OP Rl. = eS IW SMOKE! CAN YOU maagine THAT?MALI AND HER FAMILY SPENT A WEEK WITH US, THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK TO SELL THE TEWELRY AND START OVER AGAIN. MALI'S MOTHER WAS BITTER AND HARD TO DEAL WITH (AND DEAF), BUT THEY WERE HAPPY AT OUR PLACE. THEN, ONE DAY, WE WENT TO THE SUPER MARKE “ne, THe REFUEES HAVE DES” ceNpeD ON TEARAN, YOO CAN'T HAHAHA! GET avOrTHNG TO.GAT ANNIMERE, HAHAHAHA! a2THey Take \_[my neanecr EVEN SAD sHe HeaRD EVERVTHING, <= THAT THEIR WOMEN ARE PROSTITUTING, THERE, WE'RE GONG TO HAVE TO WATCH OUR HUSBANDS. ‘ANYWAY, AS EVERYONE fir's TermieLe, war) KNOWS : “SOUTHERN ‘YOURE SAVING! I FELT $0 ASHAMED FOR MYSELF... 8L THEKEY THE IRAGI ARMY HAD CONQUERED THE CITY OF KHORRAMMSHAHR, THEIR ARMS WERE MODERN, BUT WHERE IR2Q HAD QUALITY, WE HAD QUANTITY. COMPARED 70 IRAQ, IRAN HAD A HUGE RESERNOIR OF POTENTIAL SOLDIERS. THE NUMBER OF WAR MARTYRS EMPHASIZED THAT DIFFERENCE, CAN YOO HELP : RON Wow Gan NOT $66? THEY'RE me STYUE MY Bone ALL THEY caxi"TO How Fe AHN aN ORORRBD HOw MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED. MAN DIES, A NUPTIAL THE STREETS ARE PACKED CHAMBER 1S BUILT FOR HIM. WITH NUPTIAL CHAMBERS. Guat wa, THE BES MAN! Gan syMesicauLy array CARNAL KNOWLEDGE: IT Was devious THAT MANY OF THE FIGHTERS s (OUR COUNTRY HAs Died wIRGINNS. ALWAYS KNOWN, war. an MARTYRS, $0, LIKE MY FATHER SAID: “WHEN 3 BIG WAVE THAT'S VERY PERSIAN. THE, [PALOSOPHY OF RESIGNATION 94TREMEMBER MY INITIATION. IT WAS THE FIRST THEN THE LOUDSPEAKERS STARTED TO SING. DAY OF CLASS AFTER SUMMER VACATION, BABABABABAS HEY TROOPS OF... BE s READY, 1 BE READY e/ LET'S GO CHILDREN, ON THE HEART ! cS) waned! wade! HITTING YOURSELF IS ONE OF re COUNTRYS RITUALS. DURING we iam PRES 26AFTER A LITTLE WHILE, NO ONE. TOOK THE TORTURE SESSIONS SERIOUSLY ANYMORE, AS FOR PAE, | IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING FUN OF THEM. THE MARTYRS! EVERY SITUATION OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LAUGHS: LIKE WHEN WE HAD TO KNIT WINTER, HOODS FOR THE SOLDIERS... ‘STOP THAT! OR TUL GALL THE PRINCIPALIE YOU'RE AS WORTHLESS AS. YOUR DECORATIONS! YOU'RE WORTHLESS! You HEAR ME?! WORTHLESS!".., SaTRAPI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE GROUND? 1M SUFFERING, CAN'T YOU $EE?, (OR. WHEN WE HAD TO DECORATE THE CLASSROOM FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE REVOLUTION, WHO SAID THAT? WHO WAS IT? woes SHE HAVE THE COURAGE TO STAND UF? iF NOT, YOU'LL ALL BE PUNISHED! WELL? WHO Was IT P27 oFT THINK THAT THE REASON WE WERE $0 REBELLIOUS WAS THAT OUR GENERATION HAD KNOWN SECULAR SCHOOLS. OBVIOUSLY, THEY CALLED OUR PARENTS I STOP RIGHT THERE. YOU'RE SAVING THAT WE DONT KNow How To EDUCATE. OUR CHILDREN? ‘YOUR CHILDREN HAVE NO RESPECT FOR ANYTHING. NO SELF-CONTROL! THE Basis. OF EDUCATION COMES FROM THE FAMILY! USTEN, WE'RE AT WAR. ALOT. OF CHILDREN DONT EVEN HAVE SCHOOL THESE DAVE. YOURS. HAVE a RARE OPPORTUNITY, $0 YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY'RE WELL-BEHAVED! THEY CON 0 FORBIDDEN. TO PLAY Like THE KIDS THEY ane 7? TANNaN, THAT’S HOw IT Is! EITHER THEY OBEY THE LAW, OR THEY'RE EXPELLED! iF Hain 1S AS STIMULATING 4S YoU Say, THEN YOU NEED TO SHAVE YOUR MUSTACHE! 98GIRLS HAD TO MAKE WINTER, HOODS FOR THE SOLDIERS, GUT BOYS HAD TO PREPARE TO BECOME SOLDIERS. € HI MRS. NASRINE. ‘You DON’T LOOK WELL. = \ MRS, NASRINE WAS OUR MAID. ITs A PLASTIC key PAINTED GOL, S0, TELL Me, WHAT'S WRONG? THEY Gave THIS TO MY SON AT SCHOOL. THEY TOU THE Q0vS THAT IF THEY WENT TO WAR AND WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BIE, THIS KEY WoULD] GET THEM INTO HEAVEN, VE SUFFERED $0 MUCH. | RAISED MY FIVE KIDS. WITH THE WATER OF MY TEARS, NOW THEY WANT TO TRADE THIS KEY FOR MY CLDEST SON... 99 NO, MY CHILD. I'M NOT OK. "6 OK, CRY, LET YOURSELF GO. TLL MAKE SOMME TEA, BUL MY URE, UWE BEEN FAITHFUL TO THE RELIGION. IF IT'S COME 70 THIS... WELL, I CONT BELIEVE, 2D THE eH, WHat b0e% He SAY? i \THEY TOLD HIM THAT IN PARA DISE THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF FotD, WOMEN AND HOUSES: MADE OF GOLD AND DIAMGNDS. LISTEN, CHILD, THOSE ARE JUST ‘JRADE-UP STORIES! WHAT HELL? WHAT PARADISE? HEY! PEYMAN?..AWHAT?... NEXT WEEK YOU'RE HAVING A PARTY PML ASK MY MOM, BRING Hi HERE, FUL ON THE Way, | THOUGHT OF MY COUSIN PEYMAN, HE WAS ALSO FOURTEEN. THNK AG0UT WHEN YOURE GROWN UP. YOU Wilt GO TO COUEGE. YOUU BECOME Sonmescey. ey TEL ME, AT SCHOOL, DID THEY GIVE You THE Keys TO PARADISE? 400SHAKAG WAS ANOTHER COUSIN: ie HADNY ‘WAR ramen aust as He bean Mis PAILITARY SERVICE. THEY SENT HIM TO THE FRONT RIGHT AWAY, = 000H! SHAHAB! MOM, PEYAKAN INVITED ANE. TO A PARTY. CAN GO? 11'S NUTS! THEY HYPNOTIZE THEA AND JUST TOSS THEM INTO GATTLE, 2S00UTE CARNAGE.THE KEY TO PARADISE WAS FOR POOR PEOPLE. THOUSANDS OF YOUNG KIDS, PROMISED A BETTER LIFE, EXPLODED ON THE MINEFIELDS WITH THEIR KEYS AROUND THEIR NECKS, MEANWHILE, GOT TO GO TO MY FIRST PARTY. NOT ONLY DID MY MOM LET AAE GO, SHE ALSO KNITTED ME & SWEATER FULL OF HOLES AND MADE ME & NECKLACE WITH CHAINS AND NAILS. PUNK ROCK WAS IN. LWAS LOOKING SHARP, 102TT WASN'T TOST THE BASEMENTS, THE INTERIORS OF HOMES ALSO CHANGED. BUT IT WASN'T ONLY BECAUSE OF THE IRAQI PLANES MOM, WHAT'RE YOU DOING? AGAINST FLYING GLASS GURING 4 ROMEING AND THE BLACK CURTAINS ARE THE OTHER NIGHT, TWO GUARDIANS OF THE REVOLUTION PATROLS PAID THEM. A VISIT. .sTHEY FOUND RECORDS AND VIDEO- CASSETTES AT THEIR PLAGE, A DECK OF CARDS, A CHESS SET. IN OTHER WORDS, EVERYTHING THAT'S BANNED. 105 ‘ACROSS THE STREET. THEY'RE ‘TOTALLY DEVOTED TO THE NEW REGIME. A GUMPSE OF WHAT GOES JON IN OUR. HOUSE WOULP BE ENOUGH SOMEONE TOLD US YOU WERE PLANNING, & PARTY, YOU KNOW THAT IT'S STRICTLY FORBIDDEN! HIS WIFE CRIED SO MUCH THAT THEY FINALLY LET HER. OFF WITH A HEFTY FINE. QUT HE CAN'T WALK ANYMORE AON YOU SEE WHY I'M PUTTING UP THE CURTAINS. WITH THe PARTIES We HAVE ON THURSDAYS GND THE CARD GAMES ON MONDAYS, AWE HAVE TO Be CAREFUL.TN SPITE OF abl THE DANGERS, THE PARTIES WENT ON. "WITHOUT THEM IT WOULDN'T BE PSYCHCLEGICALLY BEARABLE,” SOME Selb. “WITHOUT PARTIES, WE MIGHT AS WELL TUST BURY OURSELVES NOW,” ADDED THE OTHERS. MY UNCLE INVITED US TO HIS HOUSE TO CELEBRATE THE GIRTH OF MY COUSIN, EVERYONE WAS THERE. EVEN GRANDMA WAS DANCING. DAMN! POWER OUTAGE !! eae Ne 147 WE HAD EVERVTHING. WELL, JEVERVTHING THAT WAS FORBIDDEN. EVEN AUCGHOL, GALLONS OF IT. (AY UNCLE WAS THE VINTNER. HE HAD BUILT & GENUINE WINE MAKING LAB IN HIS. BASEMENT. 406 a Zane 15 a KMD Jaseee cee gare ere My raruen| BEER TT VERY WELL LICE A PRO. MARS. NASRINE, WHO Wes ALSO HIS CLEANING LADY, CRUSHED THE GRAPES.BND MY AUNT DID TOO. RU rs accuser, ero cain A) SUDDENLY, SIRENS STARTED TO WAIL... aa ie | \ an T FOUND MYSELE WITH THE KEWBORN BABY WE HAD BEEN CELEBRATING IN ABOUT THEFORGIVE HIM. LISTEN, 1 COULD You'Re LOCky TO Have THIS r BE YOUR MOTHER. HOW OLO WOMAN FOR YOUR WIFE, OTHER= napaieabe Ee one seen ARE YOU? SIKTEEN?, WISE YOU'D ALREADY BE IN HELL! SNE Ge TU MY DAUGHTER IS THELYE SEE WHAT YOU HAVE: AT HONE:) FORGIVE HIM... THEY FOLLOWED US ALL THE WAY HOME. GRANDIAA! MARTI! WHEN WE'RE HOME, GET GUT FIRST. VLL TRY TO sTatl HIM, FLUSH ALL THE ALCOHOL DOWN THE TOILET. DON'T WORRY DEAR. IR USED. TOIT, WHEN YOUR, FATHER WAS AUNE, TWAS Always: HIDING HIS TRACTS. ‘MUST YOU REALLY COME UPSTAIRS? pil ee OUR ELDERY NEIGHBOR HAS 2 HEART CONDITION, TERE NODES IF HE'S FRIGHTENED ley THE NOISE, IT COULD KILL HIM 409DIABETES, TUT LIKE MY MOTHER! LHAVE DIABETES, MY BOY. If 1 DON'T DRINK A LITTLE SYRUP, ‘50 YOU UNDERSTAND 17's URGENT! VAM GOING To PAINT. HURRY UP! | DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER YOUR FATHER CAN STALL THEM! Hey, You DIDN'T WHERE INDEED! THER FAITH Sew cert HAS NOTHING 70 DO WITHe\ THE WAR HAD BEEN GOING ON FoR Two YEARS WWE WERE USED TO IT. 1 WAS GROWING UP AND: TEVEN HAD FRIENDS OLDER THAN ME. YESTERDAY ON THE NEWS THEY SAID WE. DESTROVED 1% IRAQI PLANES. RIGHT AFTER JON THE BBC, | HEARD THAT IN FACT THE IRAQIS. YEAH! AT KANSAS ON TORDAN ANENUE. DON'T LOOK AT IE LIKE THAT WE'LL CLIMG THE WALL. a4 HEY, THERE'S THE BELL, DoN“T You HAVE CLASS? Ha HA HA Ha! HA HA Hal T'S PERFECTLY CLEAR. EVERY DAY THEY TELL OS THAT lwe'Ve DESTROYED TEN PLANES AND FIVE TANKS. IF YOU ISTART FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR, THAT MAKE: THOUSAND PLINES AND THREE THRUSAND TALKS DESTROYED |EVEN THE AMERICANS DON'T HIVE AN ARIAY THIS B16. NO, WE'VE GOT PaYsicaL EDUCA TION BUT WE'RE NOT GOING WE'RE GOING FOR GURGERS. All, YOU NEEDED WAS SOME MONEY. 1 HAD ALREADY BROKEN THE RULES ONCE BY GOING TO THE DEMONSTRATION IN “39. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME HADJORDAN AVEAUE WAS WHERE THE | [IF SOME PUBLIC PLACES HaD SURVIVED THE REGIMES REPRESSION, TEENAGERS FROM NORTH TEHRAN | J EITHER IT WAS TO LEAVE US A LITTLE FREE SPACE, OR ELSE IT WAS OUT (THE NICE MEIaHEORHBODS) HONG | [OF IGNORANCE. PERSONALLY, THE LATTER THEORY SOUNDED MORE LIKEL OUT. KANSAS Was ITS TEMPLE, | | THEY PROBABLY HADN'T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT “ANSAS” WAS Ee Veau, If He GETS caudier, He’ GET a ebez cor! WERE IN THE STREET DURING A BOMBING, WE SHOULD LIE DOWN IN, THE SIRENS WENT OFF. THE GUTTER FOR SAFETY. 112THE WONDERFUL DAY WAS SPOILED BY MY MOM, you DARE TO Ue STRAIGHT TO MY Face? UT Atl THAD Was RELIGION CLASS! T DON'T GIVE A DAMN! You ‘YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW OR ELSE YOU'LL BE PUNISHED TWICE! owt yeu MEET Dao wen! YOU WERE FOURTEEN? You'Re NOT FOURTEEN! ARE Vou GENS 70 Ge. WHEN YOU GROW UP7? IW THIS COUNTRY YoU HAVE TO KNOW EVERY-| THNG BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO SURVIVE I 18 0 MAYBE IT'S, é WHO CUT CLASS? BND YOU JUST LIED AGAIN! THE ‘SCHOOL CALLED AND SAID YOU HAD GRAMMAR THIS AFTERNOON MAKE MY MOTHER LESS ANGRY, SUT IT HADN'T WORKE! picraror | You are THe GUARDIAN OF THE REVOLUTION OF THIS HOUSE |SOMEWHAT LATER, THE IRANIAN ARMY HAS. RETAKEN KHORRAMSHAHR WHR THE FOURTH TIME THIS MONTH. EVEN IF IT'S TRUE, WHAT MAY 160 TO THE DIFFERENCE DOES TT MAKE JeasemenT, ma’am?, ‘70 Us? YES, MISS SATR=PI) IN FACT, IRAQ PROPOSED A SETTLEMENT, AND SAUDI ARABIA WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR RECONSTRUCTION, TO RESTORE PEACE TO THe BUT OUR GOVERNMENT WAS AGAINST IT. WE REFUSE THIS iMPOSED PEACE!THE ONE THAT STRUCK ME MOST BY ITS GORY IMAGERY WAS: "TO DIE A MARTYR: IS TO INJECT BLOOD INTO THE VEINS OF SOCIETY.”ar aM dR | crus vs Clea