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An unflinching memoir about growing up in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, and yet underground, hidden from Sharia law, is a vibrant gay scene threatening to burst open.The dawn prayer calls echo through the streets. As many make their way to mosques, for some it signals the end of another illegal gay party. Under the cover of darkness, smiles on lips and sweat on foreheads, the gays of Tehran blend back into daily life. Hidden in plain sight, they plan when and where they will meet again.
In an unparalleled true story, Majid Parsa recounts how a childhood of war, prayer and obedience was upended by a teenage sexual awakening and ultimately, pride. He lifts the heavy veil of persecution to reveal the fabulous and flamboyant gay scene right at the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, flourishing under the ever-present shadow of the grand Ayatollah and morality police. Eye-opening and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Ayatollah's Gaze is a story of self-discovery in a country where Sharia is the law.
About the author
Majid Parsa (pseudonym) comes from a mixed Iranian Turkish background and lived in Iran for twenty nine years. He started writing in 2018. His debut memoir, The Ayatollah's Gaze is his eye-opening life-story of growing up as a gay man in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Majid now lives in the UK where he is a senior practicing doctor, living with his partner and two cats.
