Always an Immigrant

"This memoir is in three parts. The first part takes place in Karbala, Iraq, where Mohammad was born into an Iranian family, somewhat of a free spirit in an extremely religious Shi'ite Muslim city. He relates his childhood experiences that draw images of the culture. Some of the stories deal with the Sunni/Shi'ite mistrust, veiling of women, pervasive superstitions, the educational system and the general respect for learning, public baths, the Mahdi (Messiah), rituals of social interaction, and local relations with the British occupiers. Mohammad left Iraq to go to Iran when the political situation became untenable for Iranians in Iraq. The second part deals with four years of his life in Tehran, Iran. The Shah, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, ruled Iran in the 1960s under the strong influence of the United States. His experiences there illustrate the relative personal freedom he had in that country and some of the varieties of political and religious thoughts he encountered. He also describes the difficulties he had in leaving the country to study abroad. After interim travels in Europe and England, Mohammad arrived in the United States to study. In the third part of the book, he describes his initial infatuation with America, his difficulties with adjusting to a new language and culture, his education, and his job as a teacher. Teaching in a high school in a rural area, he encountered a type of bigoted cronyism he was ill-equipped to deal with. However, he persevered and successfully demanded his right to equal treatment"--