Zahra's Paradise h/c back

Eloquently written work set in Tehran about a beloved missing son, presumed snatched by the state's thugs during a protest against the mullahs stealing yet another 'free and fair' election. It first appeared as a webcomic, serialised in multiple languages, presumably with a view to disseminating the truth about the violence that is perpetrated towards the burgeoning new wave of political dissidents who have the temerity to protest. Consequently it's a rather moving read, one which makes you all too glad we live in a free society. At least we merely have greedy, incompetent politicians to cope with, not murderous cowards besmirching religion whilst ruling the roost.

I won't give any more away about the story, told from the perspective of the mother and brother of the missing young man, but I do sadly get the impression it's an all too realistic portrayal of a heartbreakingly common scenario. It's a personal opinion and I'm getting slightly off-topic again, but I can't help but feel that more damage is done to the good name of Islam in the eyes of the rest of the world by the supposedly legitimate Iranian regime, than any number of deluded individual terrorists or small cells of nutjobs could ever manage to achieve.

The finely pencilled, occasionally sweeping art in this work, meanwhile, neatly compliments the intricately weaving story, and has an almost proto Craig Thompson / Hope Larson feel to it. Overall this is an essential read for anyone wanting to depress themselves a little more about how repressed certain countries' populations still are in the twenty-first century, by the very people that are supposedly to be leading and inspiring them.

On a lighter note then, wonderful news this week that Saudi Arabia will finally be giving its women the vote, and will also allow them to stand in future elections. Progress! Now if it could just get around to legalising letting them drive without a male relative in the car to accompany them, then they might actually be able to get to the ballot boxes...