Articles by P. Umpire

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Doubled Over

We are back at the grind and vacation is over, but not without its share of adventure. We just cannot get away from that in Iran, no matter how hard we try, be it a simple trip to the passport office, or one for vacation.
I went up to a remote village in Gilan for a [...]

The Verdict

The Iranian regime’s hostility toward Chaharshanbe Souri is nothing new. For years after the revolution, as we were growing up in Tehran, we held the celebrations in fear.  As we set our tumbleweeds on fire in our street and threw some firecrackers around, we expected the Basij or the Komiteh – security forces who patrolled [...]

If anyone had told me a year ago that by this time I would be spending my days in front of Evin waiting for the release of a friend who had been arrested on the anniversary of the revolution for having a green wristband in his pocket, I would have kindly asked them to go [...]

Busted

Have you ever walked among an army of Wargs, Easterlings, Goblins, Trolls, Orcs and their kin, the Uruk-Hai? That is how the battle of 22 Bahman played out for us. We spent a short time walking quietly past legions of government goons as they growled, grunted and drooled, until they took one of us in [...]

All In

I don’t remember being as freaked out as I am now before any other demonstration. Caffeine and Nicotine are my best friends these days. Part of the reason is the unpredictability of 22 Bahman, in terms of turnout on both sides, the regime’s reaction, and the outcome. I have a small window for talking about [...]

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