MG: I read a book about the Iranian Revolution called Persepolis, in which the lead character tells a terrifying story of political and religious persecution. Did you fear for your safety, like she did?
PS: Yes. One time, when I was 14, we were playing chess. My dad was under at that point. At times, he would be taken in for questioning. Chess was illegal because it was considered a violation of Islam. I remember trying like mad to hide the chess pieces so when those guys with their guns walked into our living room, there would be no sign of chess. I was trembling and my heart was racing because I knew that if they found the chess set, my father might be arrested or killed. Thankfully, they didn’t see it. That experience was scary because when I looked at my parents’ faces, I could see the fear in their eyes.
MG: What was daily life like?
PS: I’ll give you an example. We had a German shepherd. The new government said dogs are a symbol of the West. Walking a dog meant you would get arrested. So I would take him out wearing my head scarf—but I would make sure I still showed some hair. Inevitably, I would get arrested. The police would take me to the station, call my parents, and make them sign a statement that said “Parisa will never do this again.” Two weeks later, I did it again. I had fear though because every time I stepped outside of my house, it was a world I didn’t know, I didn’t belong to, I was fearful of. It was incredibly stressful, but even as a child, I wanted to make a statement: my personal freedom.