The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran

I give this book 4 star. After finishing first chapter, I was about to stop reading the book but since I was curious about her activism, decided to keep reading and was not disappointed. She is a fine journalist and book flows smoothly when she gets to explaining her work. How she breaks the rules while remains on the course. I was pleasantly surprised and appreciated the positive influences Kambiz had in her life. One could see in pages of the book, how he was with her at all the right moments, provided sound advise, supported her emotionally and loved her.This is a heroic journey of a determined woman to excellence. Growing up in rural Iran with chaos of revolution aftermath, stumbles on, gets back up and learns to educate herself and find her destiny. This is the story of Iran. To know Masih Alinejad is to know Iran.She was not daughter of elite family with modern lifestyle, her instinct told her she has to be free, to be equal with her brother. That is why she was attracted to stealthy reading of banned books as she quote her brother “One day you’re reading Marx, the next you are reciting Quran,” and forms the “Faryad-e Kaveh” Group and end up in jail. She was lucky, forming a political club is considered as “sedition” by government, many at her condition were executed or handed long term jail sentences only few years earlier. Reading further, one can see how the underground political parties and guerrillas infiltrating these student clubs and radicalizing them as it appeared in their first pamphlet “Shabnamehs”.The question weather life was better during the Shah’s time or not still is the question of new generation. Cyber space and social media afforded people to see pictures and video clips of life then and see a resemblance with what they see in modern societies and wondering why their parents revolted? But at this time not many parents would give Masih’s father answer “No. No and no. We had more money, but we didn’t have God’s government.“ Corruption is so rampant that nobody is shy to admit it.She is saying that “The revolution was supposed to benefit families like ours, the downtrodden, the meek, and the poor.” The answer is indeed one of the purpose of revolution or as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said then was to benefit the downtrodden, the meek, the poor. And worked for some of them. But when those downtrodden, the meek, the poor who took power, they did not like to share with others downtrodden, the meek, the poor. Majority of current figures of government are from poor families of Shah’s time. As stealthy freedom pages of Masih Alinejad shows, still there are more than enough supporter of this government among those downtrodden, the meek, the poor, as well as lower middle class, who are not afraid of to confront the protesting women in streets, buses and metro knowing they are being video taped for uploading to Masih’s Youtube and Facebook pages.Women resistance to compulsory hijab was started much earlier then March 8, 1979 as she narrates after she is saying: “It was only after the triumph of the revolution that many women realized that they had willingly ceded their rights and brought about a regime that demanded their subjugation.” Indeed women, during the months of unrest, demonstrations and strikes before fall of the Shah’s government, assembled in large numbers and declared they are not going to allow women rights being pushed back. After the official implementation of hijab mandate, women all over the country resisted hijab at work and street, but mostly left leaning political leaders ordered their protesting female members to stop protesting to not weaken anti Imperialism momentum.

Overall, I recommend this book, the portion I got through. I learned a lot about Iran but I grew tired of reading about every story she pursued as a journalist, and I’m a journalist! Where she really lost me was about half way through when she was blown away by a trip to Lebanon. All the freedoms she encountered were unbelievable to her, and yet in the next few pages she finally travels to the West (Britain) and gives a few sentence description about how cold the people were. That was your first impression after living in Iran your entire life? I couldn’t believe it.

Not an easy read but well worth the time.

An amazing story, it really opens the mind to what is happening in Iran at this current moment. Must read

The book follows the life story of Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and human rights activist, from her beginnings in an impoverished agricultural village in northern Iran through her career as a journalist in Teheran to her meteoric rise as a human rights activist based in London and New York. Without the benefit of a high school degree, and forbidden by law from qualifying for a press pass, she talked her way into becoming a reporter and journalist covering political events in the Iranian parliament and the theocratic hierarchy that controlled it. Her press pass was revoked after she exposed a widespread scheme of corruption, but she continued as a journalist and columnist, escaping the later brutal crackdown of the Ahmadinejad regime which closed most opposition papers and jailed, beat and killed scores of other journalists. Masih herself had been brutally detained while in high school after posting placards advocating for a more free and open society. Her courage and determination are extraordinary, as she keeps telling us. Her personal history is quirky and fascinating by any standards. The story of her marriage and pregnancy hardly fits into any cultural construct. She makes an understandable and compelling case for the inhumanity of the forced wearing of the hijab by all girls and women – and the complicity of foreign diplomats who cover their heads while visiting Iran. The story lags somewhat near the end as she details her encounters with movers and shakers of the media. I ended up admiring her body of work without feeling any great fondness for the person behind it – but then I’ve never met her.

I have often heard that the Iranians are wonderful welcoming people. Unfortunately they are governed by a stifling regime that seeks to remove joy and freedom from their world. We must not judge the people based on the government actions. The people are not supporting their elections which are truly a sham.

I heard about Iran's efforts to kidnap Masih and thought she m must be someone important. I read the book and am sad I finished the book, thinking it's over... Until I read the Facebook page.. This woman will never be over. Her story will never be over, . inspiring and she has opened a door for woman to understand each other and stand united.. Thank you Masih

Masih tells her story of how, since her childhood, she was able to see how girls and women were treated unfairly in Iran. As she grew up, she became outspoken, and although she was punished severely throughout her life, her spirit could not be tamed. Over time, she has become a leading force fighting for women’s rights, especially for Iranian women. I am in awe of this brave woman!!

This book is a chronicle of how one woman's determination to fight against oppression can lead the way to millions of women finding their voice against patriarchy. Right now, as the Western news media is awash with stories of brave Iranian women removing their compulsory hijab as a protest against the brutal murder of an activist who protested against compulsory veiling of women , this books shers an incredible insight of how truly limiting this rule can be for women in Iran. While everyone was busy sidelining the issue of women's rights in Iran in favour of other pressing political and economic issues, reading Alinejad's account gave me a true insight of the stifling suppression of the rights of women and its starch injustices. It makes sense to understand why women will risk everything for their freedom to unveil. Why this is a lot more than just the veil, this is a fight for equality, of justice, and humanity.

The true story of an Iranian village girl with a huge fighting spirit and a hunger for life, truth and fairness. Fearless and passionate Masih challenges the oppression in Iran.I knew a little about Iran’s oppressive society but now realise just how much I didn’t know, understand or appreciate. Very similar to so many of us westerners including our governments. I thought I’d never say this but hurrah for social media to give people a voice when they can’t speak out in their own countries. We are so lucky in the western world to have such freedom.Masih’s relentless fight to expose the hypocrisy, corruption and absurdity of Iranian law put her life at risk but her commitment is relentless and she continues to fight against compulsory hijab in Iran.Masih’s story is feminism at its most passionate. A pure, fearless spirit. A very brave women who tells a wonderful description of her life and many challenges.I laughed, I cried, I fumed at the injustices but I was sorry to finish it and will recommend it to all.Keep up the fight Masih and thank you for enligtening me.

A tremendous account of life in Iran. It is inspiring and well written. Women in the west should take a leaf of her book as freedom is running out . Also it is a great example to all sold out journalists out there. Towards the end it lingers a bit with distracting details, I felt. For instance it was intriguing that the author could move to such a classy and expensive London neighbourhood just like that after expressing financial distress in pages preceding the move. But this is just one of my pet hates ... if you embark on details I want to know all. Keeping the narrative tighter avoids swerving .

As the author herself states in her acknowledgments, this is the story of her journey from a village in northern Iran to the metropolis of New York and international journalism. Born to illiterate and devout parents, she was unconvinced by the teachings they tried to impart, and in high school defied her father and the customs of her village by refusing to wear a chador. From then on it was one piece of "mischief" after another until, still in school, she was arrested, detained and interrogated. At this point she started to realise that her "mischief" was considered by others to be more serious than she had imagined.

“Wind through my hair”! The title definitely describes the most basic human right! If we believe that women are also human!! This meaning that all human beings need to feel the wind in their hair, without an unwanted cover on their hair!! This is not just a biography of Masih Alinejad! This is persian history starting from 1979, after an Islamic extremist took over a liberal country called Iran 🇮🇷 by abusing their faith and religious believes!! It’s a brilliant read, I couldn’t put down the book! It made me feel sorry for the population, struggling to gain their basic rights! It made me cry and laugh with the writer’s sense of humour, at the same time! It’s a must read for whom going to judge Masih Alinejad! As the saying says “little knowledge is dangerous”! Only one suggestion though! This book needs to be translated to Farsi to allow People in Iran to read who aren’t fluent in English!