A compelling trip in a world unknown to me
I would thank you for introducing me to your misterious and fascinating country through “The Gaze of the Gazelle”. It was a compelling trip in a world unknown to me, from which i could learn a lot! Thanks

Giulia

It’s just like life itself, you laugh and cry at the same time

This is not an ordinary autobiography, it’s the socio-political history of Iran after the Islamic Revolution, with all its incredible ups and downs. It’s just like life itself, you laugh and cry at the same time, astonished by witnessing the love of human beings for freedom and truth. It’s an honest work through which you will not only get to know a generation, but a whole nation. You’ll find out how one can be religious and atheist at the same time; a prisoner and a freeman at the same time.

Guita Garakani, Iranian author

Your book is a really good challenge for me to keep following my dream, a dream of a common person

Dear Arash, I was born in 1972 so let’s say we have the same age… I couldn’t help it, while I was reading your book I was constantly making comparisons between your life and mine…While you were 10, while I was 9..and so on …and the major feeling coming out was a feeling of guiltiness for living such a confortable life without almost realizing it.

I knew nothing about Iran except its geographical position and what the media allow us to know..and your book fullfilled my desire and interest towards such different culture…. like a great picture taken from the inside, I would have never had the chance to see it without your book.

What I find really amaizing is the power and the courage of people like you, like your parents, like Neda, like hundreds of other young boys and girls in Iran, that despite all kinds of repression do not give up and they speak out loud what they belive in…even facing death…

I was educated never to say anything about what was going on in my mind or what my opinion was, never ask, never speak….keep everything in the heart. So your book is a really good challenge for me to keep following my dream, a dream of a common person, nothing special, just the need to expressing myself my own personal way.This courage I never had, so far…

So thank you for your beautiful book and thank you for your courage which I so much admire.

Thank you for reading these words

Best regards, E.M.

Thank you for making me appreciate my freedom…

Thank you Arash, I want to thank you for making me appreciate my freedom to be and do whatever I want and feel. Thank you for letting me know lot of things about your beautiful country. Thank you for letting me know about the story of your country, of its culture through the innocent but critic eyes of a little smart boy, of an adolescent and of a young man as you was and I am. Thank you for letting me knowing Neda, the Voice of freedom. Last but not least thank you for letting me cry, on a plane, reading the last page of your beautiful book “The Gaze of the Gazelle” just few hours ago, reading words of hope for the present.

Nothing personal just wanted you to know how much you impressed me with your words. Again thank you

Damiano

Your book hit my the soul…

Sorry but I write with translator, my name is Romina, I am writing from Italy (ancona-marche). I read the book In the Eyes of the Gazelle (the Gaze of the Gazelle: Negli occhi della gazzella), it was so beautiful!

I tried to understand better what you meant, jihad, Basij, imams, mullahs, jinn, Shari’a, Tudeh and other terms … I have seen many pictures, women with hijab, your wonderful mountains, the lights of Tehran in the evening, the moon, the stars, Iran is really a beautiful world!

I found pictures of Neda when she died, and I have them saved on my PC, sometimes I look at those beautiful eyes that only the Iranian women have … Her smile is forever caught in the middle, then it’s your book, which hit my soul, I would like to thank you for the gift that you gave me, your story, your writing about your life, your emotions … I can never forget!

I thank you very much for what imprinted on my heart!

I’m talking to my friends about your work, I would like to share this excitement with them!

I hug you my friend!

with great affection

romi

Hope iran and all muslims finds peace and freedom one day..

When you said in Iran your book is not available… I didnt take that as a surprise…. i hate how women are treated in the Islamic countries, it winds me up just like Neda Ogha Soltan, that women are treated like this… its a country of beastly men who oogle at women in the first place then say they are too atrractive… of for allahs sake, fear allah, they treat women like dirt.. its soo wrong and against islam the way they kill, and women are meant to give up their children if they divorce and marry someone else… what the hell..How can they get away with all these atrocities! I hate how they have interpreted islam and stone women to death!!! men have a right to run… oh my god!!1 man made rules and regulations!!!! Shaitan is in these peoples heads.. afghan, yemenis, pakistan, dubai, arab rules are all mental… Hope iran and all muslims finds peace and freedom one day.. and womens rights are back! inshallah

Zaara

Re Iranian freedom from repression

Dear Arash Hejazi,

I have seen on television and the internet, human rights abuses in Iran which I find disturbing, and in particular, I was moved by a TV programme this evening on More4 about Neda, in which you expressed your opinions about the situation.

I have heard about an Iranian group of protestors called the PMOI in Camp Ashraf, in Iraq. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information about these people. I would be grateful if you please give me your opinion on this as simply as you can, but also explaining such opinions:

Are they genuinely freedom fighters for democracy, or are they violent terrorists, and even a cult?

Are they seen by the majority as a good or bad force for change within Iran? Do the people in Iran express opinions about the PMOI (if they have any) out of fear, or out of ignorance or out of genuine choice?

Also, do you feel regime change would lead to genuine democracy; would regime change be better for the people of Iran, or would it simply put other despots in power? How is regime change possible/best achieved when any uprisings are so brutally crushed with the protestors tortured and killed?

By God, the Iranian proestors are brave!

I do hope you get back to me.

Wishing all Iranians a better life with freedom from repression + with best wishes,

Steve

I will not forget your words and your courage

Im Elisa from Italy. I write to you because i want to say to you thank you for have report the real situation about Iran in your book ” The Gaze of the Gazelle”. And thank you for your courage: it’s the same courage that i see in all iranian people. I will not forget your words and your courage. Iran is important for me and im very sad for what happened:human rights are violated every day. I feel Iran as part of my heart. I hope Iran will be free. I don’t know if you really will read this e mail. But i want to say to you this words.  It ‘s very important to talk with you and meet you, I hope you will answer me. Best, Elisa

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I’ve just finished to read your book ” the Gaze of the gazelle”. i liked it and i learned so much from the story of your life and your country. Thanks a lot . Greetings from italy, Jules

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I finally received your book through the mail here in the States. Not only was your story incredible and beautifully written, I was struck by how deeply personal and honest it was. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Emily Ahrens