Sürgün Kadınlar

by Mahnaz Afkhami, Mehmet Harmancı (translator)

If, as has been said, exiles, refugees, and emigrants are the defining figures for the twentieth century, the thirteen women of Women in Exile give unforgettable life to the metaphor. Their stories offer a rare and special opportunity to witness the harrowing experience of flight and dislocation and to marvel at the resilience of the human spirit. "I am an exile, " writes Mahnaz Afkhami. "I have been in exile for fifteen years. I have been forced to stay out of my own country, Iran, because of my work for women's rights. I recognized no limits, ends, or framework in this work outside those set by women themselves in their capacity as independent human beings. The charges against me are 'corruption on earth' and 'warring with God.' Being charged in the Islamic Republic of Iran is being convicted. There is no defense or appeal, although I would not have known how to defend myself against such a grand accusation as warring with God anyway. There has not been a trial, not even in absentia, and no formal conviction. Nevertheless, my home in Tehran has been ransacked and confiscated, my books, pictures, and mementos taken, my passport invalidated, and my life threatened repeatedly." Attempting to come to terms with her own life in exile, Mahnaz Afkhami sought out and talked with twelve other women, from all parts of the globe, most now settled in the United States. With her, we meet Samnang of Cambodia, survivor of a bloody march to nowhere who now teaches preventive health practices; Azar, whose flight took her through the Iran-Turkish mountains on horseback, protected by no government, sought by two, who now manages a major publications program and two healthy children; Maria Teresa, beaten, raped, and tortured in El Salvador after the assassination of her husband, who now travels around the world on behalf of human rights; Ngoc-Ho, a doctor in Vietnam, whose small child did not survive a six-day flight by boat, who is now a leader in the Vietnamese community as wel

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Mahnaz Afkhami is Founder and President of Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP), and Executive Director of Foundation for Iranian Studies both based in Bethesda, Maryland. She was born in Iran, spent her teen years and early adulthood in the U.S. and returned to Iran at age 27 to teach English Literature. She later became the first and only Minister for Women’s Affairs in Iran. She was exiled in the U.S. while on official business with the UN in New York during the Iranian Revolution. Afkhami is currently in the midst of writing a new book on the history of the women's human rights movement from a unique "South-South" pov.

Mahnaz’s leadership in the non-governmental, academic, governmental, international, and activist spheres has helped enable women in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia to make choices that impact their own lives and the lives of their families and communities.

She has authored and co-edited numerous publications, among them Muslim Women and the Politics of Participation (Syracuse, 1997), Faith and Freedom: Women's Human Rights in the Muslim World (Syracuse, 1995), In the Eye of the Storm: Women in Postrevolutionary Iran (Syracuse, 1994), Women in Exile (University of Virginia, 1994), and Women and the Law in Iran (1993). Among the training manuals she has co-authored are Claiming Our Rights: A Manual for Women's Human Rights Education in Muslim Societies (1996), Leading to Choices: A Leadership Training Handbook for Women (WLP, 2001), and Leading to Action: A Political Participation Handbook for Women (WLP, 2010), and Victories Over Violence: Ensuring Safety for Women and Girls A Practitioner’s Manual (WLP, 2012).

Afkhami has appeared on the BBC, CNN, and PBS and in numerous television and radio interviews on NPR, BBC Persian, VOA Persian and other international outlets.

Mahnaz currently resides in Maryland, USA with her husband Gholam Reza Afkhami. She has a son, Asef Babak Afkhami, and two grandchildren.

Reviews

[sdw · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do we best understand the experiences of women in exile? Afkhami provides space for these women's voices. The book is structured around thirteen testimonies of women from different locations and experiences of exile. As the work unfolds, the complexities of individual lives intermingle with political and economic circumstances outside of individual control. Afkhami's work suggests the commonalities that can be found in the particularities of experiences and the value of women's perspectives, reflections, and lives.

[La Noche Oscura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It worths it to learn about the lives and stories of the women who fought for their rights and had to leave everything they loved behind. It's a well-written tribute to all of them.