After the Revolution: Jewish Life in Iran
VIEW EVENT DETAILSHow did the once thriving Jewish community of the Persian Empire dwindle to less than 30,000? And how are they surviving under modern Iranian rule? Please join photographer Hasan Sarbakhshian, journalist Parvaneh Vahidmanesh, and Professor Rasool Nafisi as they discuss modern Jewish life in Iran. Mr. Sarbakhshian will present his most recent film, Taste of Minority in a Muslim Society. as well as photos from his and Ms. Vahidmanesh's latest book, Iranian Jews (2007-2009), which looked at more than 70 locations throughout Iran.
Hasan Sarbakhshian is among Iran's most esteemed photographers and documentary filmmakers, having served as a photographer for the Associated Press for over a decade. Hasan's work covers a diverse range of themes, and his photos have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, The Economist, and many other international newspapers and magazines. Hasan has been the recipient of numerous awards, both in Iran and internationally, and he has served as a curator and juror in many international competitions and festivals. His latest documentary is on the life of Iranian Jews. His website is www.easternviewer.com.
Parvaneh Vahidmanesh is a program officer and human rights activist at Freedom House. She has an M.A. in History of Iran in the Modern Era from Tehran University. Her fields of interest are religious minorities in Iran and national identity issues. She lived for awhile in Syria and Lebanon to learn Arabic and research on minorities there. She has worked on Jewish minorities in Iran since 2005. She coordinated with Hasan Sarbakhshian to document the current situation of Jews in Iran for two years. Since 2009 she has worked for Freedom House Iran's department focusing on human rights for the future of Iran.
Rasool Nafisi is an academic and Middle East expert living in Vienna, Virginia. His latest (co-authored) book, The Rise of Passdaran, a monograph on the social, political, and economic roles of the Guardian of Revolution in Iran, was published by the Rand Corporation in April 2009. His other co-authored book, The Cultures of the Middle East, will be published shortly by the Globe Publishers. He is a regular contributor to various news agencies and journals, including Jane's Islamic Digest and Jane's Intelligence Digest. He has often consulted as a source for analysis and insight by major news organizations such as the New York Times and the Associated Press. He is working on a major article for Foreign Policy on the clerical politics in Iran, to be published shortly. Nafisi has a degree in law from Tehran University and a PhD from the Florida State University. He has been teaching Sociology and Comparative Religions at Strayer University since 1988.
Co-sponsored by the American Jewish Committee
Event Details
Asia Society Washington
The Cinnabar Room
Whittemore House, 2nd Flr.
1526 New Hampshire Ave, NW