So, one morning, a morning much like any other morning, you read an opinion piece in the newspaper regarding the imprisonment by Iranian authorites of...
Undoubtedly, translation is a tricky business; but what is sadly clear, though, is how the need to do away with humor translates so seamlessly and all too well, from Kundera's fictional Czech republic to a very real and dangerous Iran.
Two weeks ago, my translator in Iran, Mohammad Soleimani Nia, was arrested without any reason. For every one of you reading this article, his name means nothing but let me tell you something about my friend, Mohammad.
Who's making fun of Iranians? Nobody. Except for Iranians themselves. Most likely, this shortcoming stems from a lack of familiarity with the endearing quirks of Iranian culture that would lend themselves to proper parody.
