Marina Nemat on her Life, Book and Outlook

Texas A&M International University students were found walking towards the Center for Fine and Performing Arts on Friday, Oct. 6, at 12:30 p.m. to listen to world-renowned author Marina Nemat speak about her book "Prisoner of Tehran." Nemat came to Laredo all the way from Canada, her current hometown, to speak to TAMIU students about her life experiences. However, this wasn't any ordinary lecture. Many students happened to know Nemat on a personal level, having read her compelling book, in which she discusses her life as a political prisoner.

TAMIU's freshmen students were required to read "Prisoner of Tehran" as part of their freshman class curriculum. The university has a reading program called "Reading the Globe," which enables freshman students to travel to different places around the world in conjunction with the selected book they are reading. In order for a student to be able to travel, they must enter a contest where they write a report about the book. Winners are then selected by a special committee. In previous years, contest winners have traveled to places such as Poland, Ghana, and Chile.

Nemat's  book documents her experience of how she became a political prisoner in Iran, the horrors that she endured, and how she managed to survive and escape to Canada. In these freshman classes, students not only read the book, but they discussed and debated different topics concerning the book and learned a little bit of history about what was happening in Tehran within that time frame. The immense number of attendees was so vast  that several people in the event could not find seating and stood throughout the presentation. The presentation began with TAMIU President, Dr. Ray Keck, saying a few words on behalf of TAMIU to Nemat.

As soon as Dr. Keck finished introducing her, the audience gave her a standing ovation. She then began talking about her home in Canada and her experience traveling here. Afterwards, she began discussing her days in Iran and how she was falling in and out of love with boys, dancing on the streets, and just enjoying a typical teenager's life. She went on to say how her life changed dramatically once the revolution began. Nemat stated, "Everything that was considered to be fun was now illegal." As a result, many young teens, like Nemat, were arrested as political prisoners for engaging in "illegal activities." She discussed her two years, two months, and 12 days in Evin, the Iranian prison she was sent to, and how she managed to escape and overcome the horrors.

After her speech, she opened the floor to TAMIU students by allowing them to ask her questions. Arms shot up quite rapidly as the eager students had many questions to ask her, especially since she had been such a hot topic in the freshman class for the past couple of weeks.

The writing and publication of this book proves to be a healing process of the terrors that Nemat endured during her time in Evin prison. She now serves as an ambassador for women's suffrage worldwide. Nemat provided attendees with several messages to not only the students, but to society as a whole. First, that these horrors are still happening not only in Iran, but worldwide. Second, she encourages students to put an end to any evils in this world by standing up for what they believe in, speak up and act on it.

Students can purchase "Prisoner of Tehran" at the TAMIU bookstore located at the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center. Other places to buy the book include local bookstores or through websites such as Amazon or eBay.

(Celia Villarreal and Raquel Urrutia may be reached at celvreal@gmail.com and raquelurrutia@dusty.tamiu.edu)