PEN American Center, The New York Review of Books and 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center present:
Iran: A Conversation About the Elections, Protest and the Future
With Shaul Bakhash, Roger Cohen, Haleh Esfandiari, and Karim Sadjadpour
[Note: Karim Sadjadpour is my cousin!]
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
New York City—Only one month following the start of Iran’s civilian uprising, PEN American Center joins forces with The New York Review of Books and 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center for New York City’s first public discussion about the recent events in this pivotal Middle Eastern country. Shaul Bakhash, a leading expert on Iran and frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books will moderate a panel including New York Times’ columnist Roger Cohen — who has recently returned to the U.S. from covering the elections — and Iran analysts Haleh Esfandiari (Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson international Center for Scholars, who was imprisoned in Iran in 2007), and Karim Sadjadpour (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington
D.C.).
With traditional media shut down, it is increasingly difficult to follow events on the ground and behind the scenes in Iran. What is happening in heavily censored Iran today? And where are today’s events taking this country of 70 million people (two-thirds of whom are under the age of 30)? Do not miss this extraordinary opportunity to hear real stories from the streets and a discussion led by experts on the future of this complex country.
IRAN: A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ELECTIONS, PROTEST, AND THE FUTURE
WHO: Shaul Bakhash, Roger Cohen, Haleh Esfandiari, Karim Sadjadpour
WHEN: Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center
1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Subway: 4/5/6 to 86th Street
TICKETS: $15/$8 for students with ID and PEN members
www.smarttix.com or call 212-868-4444
This event is co-sponsored by PEN American Center, The New York Review of Books and 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center.
I attended this event, and thought it gave great insight into a situation the world has been watching via Twitter updates and shaky cell phone videos.
Roger Cohen’s detailed account of his days in Tehran immediately following the protests-climbing up on an overpass and feeling it shake with the number of bodies struggling to cross it, being tear gassed with Iranians, watching women being beaten- were mind boggling.
Haleh Esfandiari eschewed a detailed personal account of her captivity for cutting insight into the mind of Iranian officials and their fears of a velvet revolution, while Karim Sadjadpour illuminated the difference between Iran’s elite today and Iran’s elite during the time of the Shah- a critical difference that could impact the future of Iran:
I posted a full account of the lecture here: http://lanew-yorkaise.com/?p=627 Thank you!