I was born in Tehran, but left Iran with my family in 1980 after the establishment of the Islamic Republic. I then lived in India, the UK and then settled in the US.
After graduating, I went to the Sudan in to work with Ethiopian refugees. Half way through my stay, an Islamic government took power. I was threatened by the government for establishing a clandestine human rights organisation and had to be evacuated by my employer for my own safety.
In the United States I was elected executive director of the International Federation of Iranian Refugees. I campaigned on behalf of thousands of Iranian asylum seekers and refugees having intervened successfully on many cases preventing. Some successes include preventing the deportation of over 1000 from Holland including having spoken at a parliamentary meeting on the issue.
I’m a commentator and broadcaster on rights, cultural relativism, secularism, religion, political Islam and many other related topics. The present revival of Islam has heightened interest in my work.”