Overview

On Tuesday 13 September 2022, all Mahsa Amini has planned is a day shopping in Tehran. Her birthday is next week. But she is arrested as she comes out of the subway – the Guidance Patrol deem her hijab inadequate. On Friday she is pronounced dead. By Sunday, women have taken to the streets across Iran, setting their headscarves on fire and cursing the Supreme Leader. Months later, workers down their tools and businesses close. The battle-cry everywhere: Women, Life, Freedom. This isn’t a passing protest wave; something has changed irrevocably. Arash Azizi guides us through Iran ablaze, history being made in real time. From an International Women’s Day celebrated inside Iran’s most notorious prison to mass strikes in Kurdistan, ordinary Iranians are taking risks to fight for a better future. Even as the regime spills blood in retaliation, Iranians have not given up. Today one thing’s clear: no Supreme Leader can turn the clock back. A different Iran is within sight; Azizi shows us what it might look like.

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Reviews

'In What Iranians Want, Arash Azizi achieves what has eluded many historians and journalists. His latest book is a personal story about one of the most important events in the modern history of Iran: the protests and upheavals that followed the 2022 murder in police custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. I’ve known Arash for many years. He lives and breathes Iran every day and he cares deeply about his people. And he is steeped in his country’s politics, society and culture, which allowed him to write a book that is a good read and an important reference for anyone who wants to learn about Iran and Iranians today. Arash’s personal stories and memories make his book feel like the diaries of an eye-witness and not mere analysis by an observer-in-exile. His retelling of historical events is precise, illuminating, while his narrative style stays informal and accessible. What Iranians Want is an important achievement and a great addition to the rich library on modern Iran.' -- Maziar Bahari

'In What Iranians Want, Arash Azizi achieves what has eluded many historians and journalists. His latest book is a personal story about one of the most important events in the modern history of Iran: the protests and upheavals that followed the 2022 murder in police custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. I’ve known Arash for many years. He lives and breathes Iran every day and he cares deeply about his people. And he is steeped in his country’s politics, society and culture, which allowed him to write a book that is a good read and an important reference for anyone who wants to learn about Iran and Iranians today. Arash’s personal stories and memories make his book feel like the diaries of an eye-witness and not mere analysis by an observer-in-exile. His retelling of historical events is precise, illuminating, while his narrative style stays informal and accessible. What Iranians Want is an important achievement and a great addition to the rich library on modern Iran.' -- Maziar Bahari 'Deeply moving, thoughtful and thought-provoking, What Iranians Want is a homage to the Iranian people, especially women, and their struggles for life and freedom.' -- Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

Author Information

Arash Azizi is a historian and the author of The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions. He has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, New Lines Magazine, Toronto Star and Jacobin, and several of his book-length translations have appeared in Iran and elsewhere. He lives in New York City. @arash_tehran

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