TULY 4982, WE WERE AT MY AUNT’ PLACE, THE INTERNAL WAR HAD BECOME A BIGGER ISSUE THAN THE WAR AGAINST IRAQ. ANYONE SHOWING THE Tale, STOP SMOKING! IM OUR, NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HEAR GUNSHOTS EVERY DAY, THe UTCHER TOLD ME HES SEEN KIDS EXECUTED IN THE STREET WITHOUT EVEN HAVING BEEN JUDGED. THE SHAME OF IT. THE STRESS 1 GET FROM EVERY GUNSHOT | HEAR, IS AAUCH WORSE FOR AE THAN THE CIGARETTES. “SINCE HE HAD SENT HIS OLDEST SOM TO HOLLAND, UNCLE TAHER HAD HAD TWO HEART ATTACKS. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN TO SMOKE, WHEN IT THINK ABOUT IT, IN Gap THAT MY SON IS SoFeLY ABROAD. BUT WITH THE BORDERS, CLOSED, HOW AM VENER GOING TO SEE HIM AGAIN? THE BORDERS WERE CLOSED FOR THREE YEARS BETWEEN 4980 AND 4355 HOW MANY TIMES DIDI SAY TO MY WIFE, “COME ON, LET'S JOIN HIM,” SHE DIDN'T WANT TO. SHE INVOKED HER. COUNTRY, HER FAMILY, ETC, ET. anyway, FM JALREODY 59. BUT THOSE POOR 20- YEAR-OLDS WHO GET SLAUGHTERED. 148SOME DAYS LATER CAN YOU AGING? A THIRTEEN, FeuR TeeN-YEAR-OLD CHILD, ALONE IN A COUNTRY WHERE HE Deen’ EVEN SPEAK THE LANGUAGE ? ARQUT TAKER, HIS SON LEAVING HAS GONE HIM IN (VE NEVER SEEN HIM UKE THAT. GET REAL. UP TOA CERTAIN Jee, You NeeD YOUR PARENTS, THEN LATER, THEY NEED YoU. Yourd BE BETTER OFF AWITHOUT NAIL POLISH. YOU COULD GET ARRESTED, SOMETIMES IT SCARES ME HOW BLUNT SHE IS. MeL POT my HANDS IN DAY POCKETS. / | tl yi |UNCLE TAHER HAD JUST SUFFERED HIS THIRD HEART ATTACK. WE WERE OFF TO THE HOSPITAL, RED CRESCENT TRUCKS WERE PULLED UP IN FRONT OF THE HOSPITAL, CALLING FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE BLOOD FOR THE WAR WOUNDED. THERE WERE SO MANY OF THEM. Give BLOOD! Give BLOOD! ONCE INSIDE THE HOSPITAL | FELT EVEN WORSE. TI aor ee Osa Ten Ma ) at THE END OF cg THE HALL TO THE e oat RIGHT. eS rNHE NEEDS OPEN HEART SURGERY, GUT THEY'RE NOT EQuiPpED ‘HERE. THEY TOLD METHAT HE HAS TO BE SENT To ENGLAND Ha a Bia SURPRISE. THE DRECTOR ]WaS HER, FORMER. WINDOW WASHER, ‘OCTED AS IF SHE BINT RECOGNIZE, IN “FO NOD OFFENDING HIM. MY HUSBAND HAD HIS THIRD HEART ATTACK. HE NEEDS MEDI CAL CARE OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. THEY THREW A GRENADE...THEY WANTED TO ARREST SOME COMMUNISTS WHO WERE HIDING NEAR QUR PLACE, AND THEY THREW & GRENADE..TAHER COULDN'T DEAL WITH (Tu. WHEN | CAME INTO THE LIVING ROOM, HE WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR... TO 00 THAT, He NEEDS A PERMIT, THEY GAVE IE THE NAME OF TTHE HOSPITAL DIRECTOR. IF HE AGREES, TaHER WiLL GET A PASSPORT $0 HE CAN G0. WWE'Us DO 0uR BEST. 16 GOD WILLS IT, HE'UL GET BETTER, EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON GOD. 1 NEED YOUR AUTHORIZATION 50 HE CAN GET A PASSPORT ! a2 SINCE THE BORDERS WERE CLOSED, ONLY VERY SICK PEOPLE GE THEY GOT A PERMIT FROM THE HEALTH ANINISTRY) WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE. Fr'S CH THE UTM FLOOR, NUMBER 404) © ¢ ‘ALL THAT CREEPY WINDOW WASHER HAD TO DO TO BECOME DIRECTOR OF THE HOSPITAL WAS TO GROW A BEARD AND PUT ON A SUIT! THE FATE OF MY HUSBAND DEPENDS OM A WINDOW WASHER! NOW HE’S 50 RELIGIONS THAT HE WON'T LOOK A WOMAN IN THE, EVE. THE PATHETIC FOOL!AFTER THE DIRECTOR, WE WENT TO SEE THE CHIEF OF STAFF, DR, FATE LOOK IN THIS ROOM. THEYRE ALL VICTIMS. OF CHEPNICAL WEAPONS! MA’AM, WE WiLL PO WHAT WE CAN, WE ARE TERRIBLY STRAPPED AT THE MOMENT. THE GERMANS SELL CHEMICAL WEAPONS TO IRAN AND IRAQ, THE WOUNDED ARE THEN SENT TO GER/MANY TO BE TREATED. VERITABLE HUMAN GUINEA PIGS. Wn ake YOO FELON ETE NCE RE LESS WONT AAV OSBAND TO Ger WEL CALI DOWN, DEAR » | aT. ear WORRY 122WE WENT "70 SEE AN ACQUAIN- TANCE OF MY FATHER'S, KHESRO, HIS CROTHER AND AIY UNCLE ANOOSH WERE IN PRISON TOGETHER DURING THE REIGN OF THE SHAH, 81, THE BROTHER OF ANOOSH? COME J LOOK, €B1, A WHOLE MONTH'S woek, JUST FOR THE STAMP, HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE A PASSPORT? Frias 16 NILOUPAR . HER BROTHER WAS MY MESSENGER BOY. THEY ARE LOOKING ALL OVER FOR HER. BECAUSE SHE'S & COMMUNIST. 1 SINCE THEY SHUT DOWN 14 PUBLISHING COMPANY, I'VE REEH PRINTING FAKE PASSPORTS. Bl SELLERS. YOU WANT ONE? 2S MY DAUGHTER, MANDANA KHOSRO’S DAUGHTER HAD LEFT WITH HER PAOTHER RIGHT AFTER THE REVOLUTION. 123, WHEN THEY LET HIM OUT, BeOTHER STARTED ch 70 COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY DEMONSTRATIONS. HE TOLD ME THAT] ‘THe CHIEF OF THE New EXECUTIONERS | WAS HIS TORTURER. IN THE SHAH'S PRISON. HE SAW IT WITH HIS OWN. EVES, HE SAID "RHOSRO, | CANT TAKE any MORE! 1 MADE HIM A FAKE PASSPORT AND HE SOUGHT POLITICAL ASYLUM IN SWEDEN, ‘YOU CAN COME IN THEY'RE FRIENDS. THEY'VE BEEN SEARCHING THe HOUSES OF EVERYONE IN HER FAMILY. THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE SHE'S SAFE.BF TER NEGOTIATING A PRICE, THE He’S COME TO, HE WANTS Ac TO See You. « 1 SAW KHOSRO. HE Cant MAKE A PASSPORT FOR TAMER BY WEDNESDAY. Look AT How LITTLE} MARTI IS GROWING, OP. ONE DAY SHE'LL LEAVE AND YOU'LL SEE HOW HARD IT IS TO LOSE YOUR KIDS. AuTWO DAYS LATER, NILOUFAR, AND EXECUTED. THE ElGHTEED D COMMUNIST, WAS SPOT TEL THE NEVER GOT TO SEE HIS SON. As— ao) 4 Aq | ie ) 3 AYER PETER [RT ONGIE DED, THE RDERS WERE RERPORED Al Ganéhtrs an 10 eet paLeoteTe [ray G00. JUST LOOK AT MEIN THIS PICTURE, WITH THE SCARF ON MY HEAD. SHE SURE DIDN'T LOOK VERY HAPPY. IN FACT, SHE WAS UNRECOGNIZABLE. WOK AT THE LAST PAGE: “IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO TRAVEL IN OCCUPI€D PALESTINE WITH THIS DOCUMENT.” AS SOON AS I GET MY WWE WANT T0 SPEND SOME 5 PASSPORT, WE'LL GO TIME TOGETHER, TUST THE BAH TURKES FOr nia oe fe twit oF US roma rew vas.) | || THE BADE owl, TO TURKEY, IF YOURE TAKING & TRIP, WHY NOT GO ro euROPE. OR THE [UNITED STATES?! if YOU WANT 5 TO BRING YOU BACK SOME PRESENTS, JUST ASK, Taree war enor (gets See memaTe,® (RENEE US wa Suey oo, KIM WILDE AND: ONE OF TRON MAIDEA. WHAT CAN YOU BRING ME BACK’ FROM TURKEY ? SHIGH-KEBIBG ? 126FIRST THING AFTER THEY GOT TO ISTANBUL, THEY WENT TO BUY THE POSTER: AS SOON AS THEY WERE IN THE HOTEL, THEY SET TO FINONG A way. [WE COULD Fee THEM AND HIDE THEM IN THE LINING OF THE SUITCASE! a2u4 AND THEN MAY MOTHER HAD A. GREAT IDEA...ARRIVING AT TEHRAN'S MEHRAGAD AIRPORT. TM WALKING LIKE FRANKENSTEIN. 2) frovoure wor. yeu wre] . lcomeueTeLy varuRa, YOU'RE SURE YOU'VE GOT NOTHING ILLEGAL? ‘50, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT WeTH YO? ALCOHOL? PLAYING CARDS?) MUSIC? FILM? CHESS SET? MAGAZINES 7... YOU REALIZE THAT IF | FIND ANYTHING ILLEGAL, I" SIR, PLEASE, vo We Really LOOK UKE. SMUGGLERS? 129fe a7 Na (oN lh Zi aA ae1 PUT MY POSTERS UP IN MY ROOM, ND JAY DENIM TACKET WITH THE JRICHAGL TACKSON BUTTON, ND OF COURSE, MY HEADSCARF. y NOT FAR. ON GANDHI ANENUE. ue EX \ AS FoR an TRANIAN MOTHER, MY MOM WAS VERY PERMISSIVE. (ONLY Kagan Two O€ THREE OTWER GIRLS WHO COULD GO OUT ALINE AT THRTeeA, aaaFOR A YEAR NOW, THE FOOD SHORTAGE HAD BEEN RESOLVED BY THE GROWTH OF THE BLACK MARKET. HOWEVER, FINDING TAPES WAS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, ON GANDHI AVENUE YOU COULD FIND THEM SOMETIMES. AREA, BEE GEES , VAZOO, JULIO IGLESIAS, Se ee Pt ESTEVIE VONDER TIKAEL MACKSON, THEY WERE GUARDIANS OF THE REVOLUTION, THE ANOMEN’S BRANCH. THIS GROUP HAD BEEN ADDED IN 14382, TO ARREST WOMEN WHO WERE IAMPROPERLY VEILED, (LIKE ME, FOR EXAMPLE.)THEIR TB WAS TO PUT US BACK ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW BY EXPLAINING THE DUTIES OF MUSLIM WOMEN. AND YOU WEAR THIS JACKET FoR BasKeTBALL 609? TT WAG OBVIOUS THAT SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT PUNK WAS WHAT bOI SEe HERE? MICHAEL JACKSON! THAT ‘SYIAGOL OF DECADENCE? TIGHT JEANS LIKE THESE?? THERE WAS MO ALTERNATIVE. [HEP 70 UE L WEAR. THESE BECAUSE | PLAY BASKETBALL. NO, 177% MALCOLM X, THE LEADER OF BLACK MUSLIMS IN AMERICA 0 ess, GE IN THE EAR. e'RE Taide vou BOW 70 THe COMMITTEE, 33 THE COMMITTEE WAS THE HO OF ITHE. GUARDIANS OF THE REVOLUTION,[aT THe COMMITTEE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO INFORM MY] PARENTS. THEY COULD DETAIN ME FOR HOURS, OR FOR BAYS, | COULD BE WHIPPED. IN SHORT, ANYTHING. COULD HAPPEN TO ME. IT WAS TIME FOR ACTION. VAR SORRY Ma’AM! ILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN MA‘AM, MY MOTHER'S bean. mY STEPMOTHER IS REALLY CRUEL AND IF DON'T GO HOME RIGHT WAY, SHE'LL KILL ME. fcue‘eL OURN ME WITH SHE’LL MAKE MY THE CLOTHES IRON! FATHER Put ME IN AN ORPHANAGE, MAYBE SHE BELIEVED ME, MAYCE SHE JUST PRETENDED TO. BUT, MIRACULOUSLY, SHE LET ME GO. BACK HOME... MARSI! WHAT. HAPPENED: HAVE You BEEN CRYING? NO MOM. I'M SUST. TIRED, WA GOING TO AY ROOAA aot err PRETTY CoSY, , CONSIDERING. THE GUARLIANS 9 WERE THE KIDS IN OF THE REVOLUTION DIDN'T AMERICA WHOAO #7 FIND MV TAPES THERE WAS NO Way | COULD TELL THe TRUTH, SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE LET ME GO OUT ALONE AGAIN, FTO EBOA MIS GWN WAY CF CALIAING DOWN. 134WG eT TO KEEP US FROM FORGETTING THAT WE WERE AT WAR, IRAQ OPTED FOR A NEW STRATEGY. | HEARD THEY'RE GOING TO USE WHAT ARE YOU SAVING? WE'RE BALLISTIC MISSILES AGAINST US. NOT AT WAR WITH THE SOVIET UNION. | DON'T BELIEVE THE IRAQIS HAVE WEAPONS LIKE THAT. FROM THE IRAQ! BORDER TO TEHRAN IT’S THOUSANDS OF MILES. PNISSILES THAT CAN GO THAT FAR COST A FORTUNE! WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE RUMERS SAY! WE IRANIANS ARE OLYMPIC CHaii= BIOS WHEN TT COMES TO GOSSIP. ‘SHE'S RIGHT. WE Love TO You SEEM TO HAVE THE EVEN WHEN YOU $6 SOMETHING EXAGGERATE.. OPPOSITE SYMPTOM WITH YOUR OWN EYES, YOU NEED CONFIRMATION FLOM THE B6C MY NATURAL OPTIMISM JUST LEADS ME TO BE SKEPTICAL aSMOM'S PESSIMISM SOON WON QUT OVER DAD'S OPTIMISM, IT TURNED QUT THAT THE IRAQIS OID HAVE MISSILES. THEY WERE CALLED "SCUDS” AND TEHRAN BECAME THER TARGET. Hen THE SRENE WENT ON I NEANT WE MSE — —— Wee NRUTES To RMOW (e'THE cob tn Cone, | ff CONSIDERING THE DAMAGE THeY 00, WHETHER IT'S THe SAME THING, cireenence:! THE THREE MINUTES Seemed LIKE THREE DAYS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, REALIZED JUST HOW MUCH DANGER. WE WERE IN. YOU WON'T DEAR. HPROpISE YOU! ee 5 es sos eee 136NOW THAT TEHRAN WAS UNDER ATTACK, MANY FLED, THE CITY WAS DESERTED. AS FOR US, WE STAYED. NOT JUST OUT OF FATaLISM, If THERE Was TO BE A FUTURE, IN MY PARENTS’ EVES, THAT FUTURE WAS UNKED TO MY FRENCH EOUCATION, OND TEHRAN WAS THE GHLY PLAGE I COULD aer Ir. ‘SOME PEOPLE, MORE CIRCUMSPECT, TOOK SHELTER I THE BASEMENTS CF 616 HOTELS, WELL-KNOWN FOR THeIk SAFETY. APPARENTLY, THER REINFORCED CONCRETE srevcruRes WERE 60 MBPROOF ONE EXAMPLE WAS OUR NEIGHBORS, THE B28A-LENYS. THEY WERE AMONG THE Few JewisH FAMILIES THAT HaD ISTAVED AFTER. THE REVOLUTION. PAR, BABA-LEVY SAID THEIR ANCESTORS HAD COME THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO, AND IRAN WAS THEIR HOME. ast . THEIR DAUGHTER NEDA WAS 2 QUIET GIRL WHO DIDN'T PLAY ‘MUCH, BUT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT ROMANCE FROM TIME TO TIME. (ONE DAV A BLOND PRINCE. WITH BLUE EVES WILL COME UND TAKE Me TO HIS CASTLE... ‘$0 LIFE WENT ON.|ON ONE DAY, UKE ANY OTHER: MOM, CAN | HAVE SOME MONEY?) IWANT TO GET SOME JEANS ‘4000 TUMANS ? ES e OK, "WL TAKE THE TEANS, AND THESE EARRINGS. BOOMIII IF SOMEONE HAD TIMED ME, 1 A MISSILE HAS TUST EXPLODED r THE TAVANR NEIGHBOR HOE, Wat Sbeeb eecono,MY BUILDING AND THE BABA- LEMS WERE AT THE END OF ‘THe STREET. se Cy OUR Vibe ‘AND HE LET ME THROUGH.DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK UP. | LOOKED AT MY TREMBLING LEGS | COULDN'T G0 FORWARD, UKE IM A NIGHTMARE. 440WHERE DID IT HIT? (ic oaonrs woos) | | LATEST Hey, MOM, THEY WELL, | DON'T KNOW. 1 KNOW ITS SATURDAY 16 THE. WERENT, 11’ SaTuRDAY, YOU SATURDAY. 0? Jewish SABBATH. RIGHT? KNOW. WHEREVER THEY ARE, JENS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO HOME. 17S TRUE THAT THEY Vou KNOW THE TAPE | PUT OM THE WINDOWS 2] WEREN'T VERY OBSERVANT. Fr WORKED PERFECTLY. ALL THE WINDOWS UTHINKE YOU'RE RUGHT. ARE BROKEN, BUT THERE'S NOT “A PIECE OF THEY MUST Have STAYED @ROKEN Guage IN THE HOUSE AT THE HILTON Cound ELL THAT MY MOTHER WAS TRYING 16 CHANGE THE SUBIECT. auaWHEN WE WALKED PAST THE BABA-LEVY'S HOUSE, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, | COULD FEEL THAT SHE WAS DISCREETLY PULLING PAE AWAY. SOMETHING TOLD ME THAT THE BABA-LEVYS Hab BEEN AT HOME. SOMETHING CAUGHT AY ATTENTION. | SAW A TURQUDISE BRACELET. IT WAS. NEDA’S. HER AUNT HAD GIVEN IT TO HER FOR HER FOURTEENTH DON'T KNOW WHAT: eictHpay. e ) lA NO SCREAM IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE REUIEVED ARY SUFFERING AND MY ANGER Aafee ee AFTER THE DEATH OF NEDA GABA-LEVY, MY LIFE TOOK A NEW TURN. IN 1984, | WAS FOURTEEN AND A Reael. ANYMORE RAHAT ARE VOD DOING WITH Tlar eaaceler? Get 0 Be mai now ononée Tes OUER, MY DEAD rua ere sce Boot las a IPF FRO FoReivpen 70 6 sweat TOWEL OND ean 1 HAD LEARNED THAT You SHOULD] ALWAYS SHOUT LOUDER THAN YOUR AGGRESSO WITH ALL THE JEWELRY YOU STEAL FROM US, YOU Te MOORE STIUL WEBRING MUST BE MAKING 4 PILE TEWELRY TOMCRROW.. OF MONEY. wuar MARTI HapPenco? J) HIT THE PRINCIPAL excuse me! UDION'T MEAN IT! 143AFTER | WAS EXPELLED, IT WAS A REAL STRUGGLE TO FIND ANOTHER, SCHOOL THAT WOULD ACCEPT ME. HITTING THE PRINCIPAL WAS a. VERITABLE CRIME. BUT THANKS TO MY AUNT, WHO KNEW SOME BUREAUCRATS IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, THEY MANAGED TO PLACE ME IN ANOTHER SCHOOL. AND THERE... ‘SINCE THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC Wes, FOUNDED, WE NO LONGER HAVE POLITICAL PRISONERS. MY UNCLE WAS IMPRISONED BY THE SHAH'S REGIME, BUT IT WAS THE ISLAANIC REGIME. THAT ORDERED HIS EXECUTION. You SAY THAT WE DON'T HANE POLITICAL PRISONERS, HOW DARE YOU UE TO ANYMORE . BUT WE'VE. US UKE THAT 2 GONE FREOAA %000 PRISONERS UNDER. THE ‘SHAH TO 300,000 UNDER YOUR REGIME. nuOBVIOUSLY, THAT EVENING MY FATHER GOT A PHONE CALL, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY 00 TO THE YOUNG GIRLS THEY 50 A GUARDIAN OF THE REVOLUTION MARRIES HER... IT WAS THE PRINCIPAL OF PRARTIS SCHOOL. APPARENTLY SHE TOLD OFF THE RELIGION TEACHER. SHE YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO NILQUFAR? THE GIRL YOU MET AT KHOSRO'S HOUSE? THE MAN WHO MADE. PASSPORTS ? BND TAKES HER. VIRGINITY BEFORE EXECUTING HER. DO YOU LpeRST aN WHAT THAT MANS??2] aus PAAYBE YOU'D LIKE HER TO END UP LIKE Hina TOO ? ‘You KNOW THAT IT’S AGAINST THE LAW TO KILL A VIRGIN. IF SOMEONE $0. MUCH AS TOUCHES 4 HAIR ON YOUR Head, EL KILL Him?UT HOW DO VOU KNOW THAT FoR SURE ‘NO. YOUR MOTHER'S RIGHT. IF THE GIRL DIES, THE MANE THEY TUST EXECUTED HER! TRADITIONALLY, WHEN HUSBAND HAS TO’ GIVE THE GIRL Gers MARRIED, THE Dawe T0 HER FAMILY, HUSBAND Is SUPPOSED TO PAY HER A DOWRY. THATS WHAT HAPPENED WITH NILOUFAR, AFTER SHE WAS EXECUTED, TO MAKE SURE HER AWFUL FATE Was ONDER STOOD, THEY SENT £00 TUMANS® TO HER PARENTS THAD NO IDEA. 500 TUMANS FOR THE UFE BND VIRGINITY OF AN INNOCENT GIRL. EQUNALENT 10 $5.00 AUL NIGHT LONG, I THOUGHT OF THAT PHRASE: “TO DIE A MARTYR IS TO INTECT BLOOD INTO THE VEINS OF SOCIETY.” NILOUFAR WAS A REAL MARTYR, AND HER BLOCD CERTAINLY DID NOT FEED OUR SOCIETY'S VEINS 46LWENT TO SEE THE PRINCIPAL TODAY. SHE ASSURED ME THAT SHE HAD NOT SENT A REPORT THIS TIME. BUT CONSIDERING THE PERSON YOU ARE AND THE. EDUCATION YOU'VE RECEIVED, WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU LEFT IRAN, HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES? We WANT TO TALK TO YOU. YooR MOTHER aN 1 Have DECIDED FIST oF All, eecaUSE 17's EASIER TO GET AN AUSTéian visa, ano secon oecause MY B05 PRuenD ENS IN aesotA, BE VOU REMEMBER HER? ZOZO? SHERINE’S MOM? THERE'S A FRENCH SCHOOL YOU'RE GOING ON AHEAD OF oT I'M ONLY FOURTEEN! IN VIENNA. ONE OF THE US. WE HAVE SOME BUSINESS. You TRUST ME? eecr m eoRove! “rp Fake care ce, we. fe — Jaw vou 2 Few MONTHS MoO'RE FOURTEEN AND enew How rexcuerr ARE YOO GOING, To DO THERE ? YOU UP. ABOVE ALL, | Aue