Melody Moezzi

Assuming the so-called Islamic Republic of Iran is truly attempting to build a nuclear weapon (which I suspect is about as likely as it erecting a giant sculpture of a pig in the middle of Azadi square), who ought to be most afraid? The United States? Nope. Great Britain? By...

You never forget the first time you're told to "go back to your country." It's like being punched in the heart and stomach simultaneously. The first time for me was during Desert Storm. I was 11, playing basketball on the playground. A boy who was notorious for talking back to...

Last week marked the fourth annual United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Forum, a three-day conference held in Doha, Qatar. The UNAOC began in 2005 as an initiative of the Spanish and Turkish governments with the aim of creating alliances across different cultures and sectors of society. Its...

I left Iran early last time. Not because I wanted to, but because I couldn't breathe. It was mid-December 1999, and the air was heavy with a thick black smog. My father and I, visiting from Ohio, weren't used to it. On the streets, those with surgical masks wore them...

Ten years ago, the world encountered a new strain of Islamophobia. Overnight, it mutated from annoying virus to bitter plague. September 11, 2001 brought on unimaginable death and destruction, and unfortunately, the public's response led to more collateral damage than many Americans realize. That day, millions of innocent Muslim-Americans became...

Last week, in an historic and long-overdue move, the United Nations passed a resolution recognizing the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people around the world. With South Africa leading the charge, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted in favor of the resolution by a narrow margin of 23 to...

Recent events in the Middle East have many commentators frantically speculating about what the future holds for Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen, Iran, Bahrain, Libya, Syria and any other country whose citizens are choosing to rise up in protest. Across the region, people are bravely standing up, with many common demands...

Like so many from the Middle East, I've followed recent events in Tunisia and Egypt with intense interest. Witnessing the Tunisian and Egyptian people topple long-standing, brutal dictators within weeks has filled me with joy and awe. But it has also filled me with another, less tender emotion: envy. Granted,...

When you hear the word "terrorist," who comes to mind? Basque separatists in white hoods? Anarchists wearing bandanas with five-pointed stars? Or perhaps some right- or left-wing pariah building bombs in basements?

My guess is that none of these characters wins top billing in the minds of most people...

At 14, I joined my high school speech and debate team. Ever since, I've been hooked on public speaking. Put me in front of a bunch of strangers, the more the better, and I thrive. I don't need to imagine people in their underwear. All I need is my voice...

Nothing sets a rock star up for failure quite like a killer debut album. And President Obama's debut in the Muslim world seventeen months ago set the bar sky-high. In Cairo, where he gave his first speech aimed at reaching out to Muslims around the world, he came off as...

As an independent Muslim woman who doesn't appreciate being told what to do, say, wear, read or write, I have a special place in my heart filled with disgust for those who embrace the bigoted ideologies of Islamophobes like Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. But as an outspoken writer and attorney,...

Lately I've been hearing a lot about how much my people are under attack in America today. The thing is, though, as an American Muslim, I don't really feel under attack. Annoyed? Sure. But attacked? No.

Despite all the controversy surrounding the construction of the Park51 Center in downtown...

Having no interest in giving a misguided, self-proclaimed "Christian" pastor in Florida any more media attention than he has already received, I sincerely debated whether or not to write anything about his ridiculous plans to burn a bunch of Qurans this September 11.

Ultimately, I chose to address the...

Dear President Obama,

Many Iranians, including Iranian-Americans such as myself, were delighted to hear your address to the Iranian people on the Persian New Year this March. We sincerely appreciated your well wishes for the New Year, but we appreciated even more your comments regarding a new American commitment...

Every year, I spend the first half of March hunting for the perfect hyacinth. A staple of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, hyacinths are notoriously hard to control. They're painfully unruly, always leaning to one side or another, refusing to stand up straight, even when you tie a ribbon around...

With just over a week left in the current Persian calendar month of Bahman, three significant anniversaries promise to provide the Iranian pro-democracy movement with a massive shot of adrenalin. Thursday marks Revolution Day, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution; the commemoration of the martyrdom of the revered Shi'a...

As the rest of the world rings in the Gregorian New Year, I watch with jealousy and anticipation. January 1st has never held much meaning for me, and this year, less than ever. My new year is over two months and half-a-world away, and I've never been so impatient for...

By pushing Russia to consider the option of greater sanctions on Iran in her meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be endorsing a policy that will end up biting her in the back of her pantsuit. Apart from the fact that Moscow is...

In the lead-up to his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is up to his old tricks. And sadly, the global community seems to be falling for them.

Ahmadinejad has managed to divert attention from his disputed re-election in June...