Axis of Hope

"By centering activist work, Sameh presents initiatives and projects that strive to disrupt existing colonial, patriarchal narratives and ways of life to replace them with feminist solidarities and practices with the goal of increasing women's rights for Iranian women."—Ms. Magazine

"Translocal theorizing at its best—with the strategic deployment of both discourse analysis and ethnography."—Pardis Mahdavi, author of Crossing the Gulf: Love and Family in Migrants' Lives

"Convincingly underscores the broad significance of Iranian feminist activism, the intelligent use of social media and information technology, and the way that Iranian feminism has penetrated Iranian culture, the public sphere, and national discourses."—Valentine M. Moghadam, professor of sociology and international affairs, Northeastern University

"Catherine Sameh's important and timely work documents the long trajectory of women's rights activists and activism in Iran—sharing the stories of women's strength, perseverance, and humanity—in the the face of seeming insurmountable challenges. She documents recent Iranian history in a way that allows women's participation to be foregrounded and to suggest its role in larger human rights and political rights campaigns throughout the Middle East and beyond. Sameh's scholarship identifying the stories, practices, and creativity of women's rights and human rights activists both inside and outside of Iran challenges us to think beyond a singular historical moment and to think of women's steadfastness as part of a larger national struggle for freedom and democracy."—Persis Karim, Neda Nobari Distinguished Chair, Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, San Francisco State University