Ghazal Omid
Encyclopedia
Ghazal Omid is an Iranian-Canadian
author. She wrote an autobiographical work entitled Living In Hell: A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces. She is known in the United States as an advocate for human rights and women's rights and is also a Shi'a legal scholar.
, Iran
. Her father was a multi-millionaire that abandoned the family and sought refuge in the United States when she was a child. She grew up in Isfahan and was 9 years old when the Shah of Iran
was overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Omid is a practicing Muslim
and has made the religious pilgrimage to Mecca
. In 1995, she fled Iran and moved to Canada.
Currently, Omid is the Executive Director for Iran & Its Future.org, a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on advocating for the improvement of life in Iran.
's TV show on CNN
to talk about the treatment of women in Iran
. Since then, Omid has appeared in various television interviews on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CNBC, CSPAN, and VOA, as well as a number of radio interviews.
Iranian-Canadian
Iranian Canadians or Persian Canadians are Canadians of Iranian/Persian national background or descent. Their numbers are estimated as 121,510 from the 2006 Canadian census and the main communities can be found in Southern Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec; the vast majority, however, live in...
author. She wrote an autobiographical work entitled Living In Hell: A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces. She is known in the United States as an advocate for human rights and women's rights and is also a Shi'a legal scholar.
Personal life
Omid was born in 1970 in AbadanAbadan
Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Her father was a multi-millionaire that abandoned the family and sought refuge in the United States when she was a child. She grew up in Isfahan and was 9 years old when the Shah of Iran
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
was overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Omid is a practicing Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and has made the religious pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. In 1995, she fled Iran and moved to Canada.
Activism
Omid's autobiography, Living In Hell is critical of Iran and the human rights abuses there. Because of this, her book's website has been the focus of online abuse and threats from computer users in Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. Omid has criticized Iran for using books to teach martyrdom to children. She wants the books to be changed so that they don't refer to the United States as the "Great Satan". Omid is concerned that the book may be turning children into "ticking bombs".Currently, Omid is the Executive Director for Iran & Its Future.org, a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on advocating for the improvement of life in Iran.
Media appearances
In 2007, she appeared on Glenn BeckGlenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
's TV show on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
to talk about the treatment of women in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Since then, Omid has appeared in various television interviews on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CNBC, CSPAN, and VOA, as well as a number of radio interviews.
Publications
- Living In Hell: A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces (2004) Park Avenue Publishers ISBN 978-0-9759683-0-7