The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran

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It's a hit!

A must read for anyone concerned with - or about - U.S.-Iranian relations. Majd (grandson of an Ayatollah who taught many of Iran's current power ... (show more)

A must read for anyone concerned with - or about - U.S.-Iranian relations. Majd (grandson of an Ayatollah who taught many of Iran's current power brokers, and a distant cousin of former Iranian president Rasfanjani) presents a view inside Iran with insight absent from most Western writing. With a foot in both cultures, but most closely identifying with the reformers and his American citizenship, his commentary explains mysteries such as "Why was Musavi never arrested?" [He's a respected cleric, and were the Supreme Leader to permit the secular authorities to arrest a cleric, his own authority would be diminished] and "Why does Ahmadinejad act the way he does?" [It's a long story, but it is a combination of personal character and cultural norms] The most valuable concept to take away is simple: Even if the reformers succeed in winning the government, they are no more likely to wildly embrace the West or the United States than Ahmadinejad himself. (show less)

 

 

by Harry A Frank

No, it's a flop!

The author is hundred percent Iranian and hundred percent American; the book is hundred percent repetitive and hundred percent long winded. Fine in... (show more)

The author is hundred percent Iranian and hundred percent American; the book is hundred percent repetitive and hundred percent long winded. Fine introduction for those who are totally unfamiliar with Iran - for them it puts a nation into perspective. But for those who do follow international affairs with some curiosity other than headline news, the book disappoints for a variety of reasons.

Majd tells us his lineage is impeccable, Khatami knows him, that he knows a lot of people - wealthy Iranians mostly. He also informs us about the import of 'ta'arouf', 'yeki bood; yeki-nabood', 'laat'...but he comes across as incapable of connecting the dots. This is a pastiche at best and a rediscovery of a homeland that the author forgot for a helluva long time. More, the book suffers inexorably from long-winded sentences that test the reader's patience to the limit. An editor perhaps, Mr. Majd? Or simply a good reader-friend who could have told you to avert this disaster? Sample this:

"Khatami, who still has the ear of the Supreme Leader and will remain influential in Iranian politics for years to come, was himself influenced by traveling around the eastern United States, always on commercial flights (including Jet Blue one-class-service flight from Boston to New York, where the security agents accompanying us managed to get seats in the middle of the aircraft, much to the surprise and trepidation of some of the passengers who, when they saw the bearded and turbaned Khatami and the half-dozen bearded men with him - to say nothing of the SWAT team, machine guns at the ready, surrounding the jet on the tarmac - asked to be let off the plane)."

Sorry, the book has a great title but it just doesn't hold the reader's attention. Ideally, it should have been half its size and more pithy to strike home the message. Message? What? Tell me... (show less)

 

 

by Smarth Bali

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  Majd, who's spent his life with one foot in the West and one in the Middle East is the perfect guide for Americans interested in gaining knowlege about Iranian culture. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ is at once a work of cultural anthropology and insider politics. Touching upon topics ranging from the tradition of overt politesse called ta'arouf that dominates social exchanges to the careful selection of Ahmendinejad's shabby wardrobe, Majd creates a vibrant image of the people of Tehran and ... (show more)

  Majd, who's spent his life with one foot in the West and one in the Middle East is the perfect guide for Americans interested in gaining knowlege about Iranian culture. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ is at once a work of cultural anthropology and insider politics. Touching upon topics ranging from the tradition of overt politesse called ta'arouf that dominates social exchanges to the careful selection of Ahmendinejad's shabby wardrobe, Majd creates a vibrant image of the people of Tehran and beyond. This book is not, however, a beginner's primer on Iranian history. Those whose knowlege of modern Iranian politics, like my own was, is based mainly on seeing Peresepolis and following last June's election may quickly find themselves confused by a barrage of politicians and revolutions. Nevertheless, the book is an illuminating and important read. The Iran Majd knows and describes is not one who's goal is to destroy the West, but one determined to prove the legitimacy of a national culture not based on American influence. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on Oct 03, 2009 at 12:08AM

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  For those interested in what Iran's future holds, and how that future is shaped by Iran's past relationship with the West, Majd's book is a must-read. Majd concludes that Iran will probably never be a "democracy" of the sort American policymakers would like to see, but explains why such a result is not only unlikely but undesirable to most Iranians. Majd shines a light on the important if limited democratic freedoms Iranians possess, and shows that Iran's political scene is less p... (show more)

  For those interested in what Iran's future holds, and how that future is shaped by Iran's past relationship with the West, Majd's book is a must-read. Majd concludes that Iran will probably never be a "democracy" of the sort American policymakers would like to see, but explains why such a result is not only unlikely but undesirable to most Iranians. Majd shines a light on the important if limited democratic freedoms Iranians possess, and shows that Iran's political scene is less predictable, and more open, frank, and competitive, than Western popular media lets on. The book contains important lessons for Americans, who just voted out a leadership team that (a) wrongly branded the Iranian regime as identically despotic to the North Korean regime, and (b) seriously considered invading or bombing Iran to remove that regime. The elections of Khatami and Ahmadinejad show the relative freedom and unpredictability of the Iranian democratic process, and "The Ayatollah Begs To Differ" is a useful (and entertaining) look at what drives that process. The paperback edition also contains a new preface that addresses the recent, disputed re-election of Ahmadinejad. Majd has stated in interviews that he believes the election was deeply flawed and should be nullified; his excellent book shows how much Iranians stand to lose if that doesn't happen. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on Aug 08, 2009 at 05:43PM

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