Rating: 
Summary: OPEN LETTER TO MAHTOB MAHMOODY
Review:
Dear Mahtob,
A few years ago like millions of people I read the book about your story and I sympathised for you and your mother.
Like millions of people then, I considered Muslims as being backwards, uneducated and cruel.
When I moved to Turkey, I discovered another face of Muslims. I met people overwhelming and with such a sense of hospitality that Occident has got a lot to learn from. People were so plain, so true, so far away from the cliché of " Midnight Express " for example.
A few days ago, I have seen a program about an old man who has spent the past fifteen years trying to establish contact in order to be reunited with his daughter.
This man could no longer smile or enjoy life. He was broken. It was over so difficult to watch this program without being heartbroken.
As you guessed, this man is your father, Dr Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody.
If I send this open letter today it is because on the one hand I do not like seeing people suffering that much and on the other hand which is the most important is because I hope it would reach you and you would make good use of it.
Whatever could have happened between your mother and your father, just remember he is your father and like all fathers love their children, your father loves you. You are his flesh and blood.
My father died more than ten years ago. I never told him I loved him. I can no longer tell him I love him now. Believe me, it is so difficult to live with such a weight on your conscience.
Your father is suffering like hell and I am convinced you will never forgive yourself if at least you do not try a reunification.
Do not the make the same mistake as I made.
I have no doubt that your mother loves you and that she wants the best for you, but I am sure that your mother would not want to see you suffering and feeling guilty because one day it will be too late and you willl always regret that you did not get in touch with your father when you could have done it.
Do not go through what I am going through. Time is not a healer when it comes to that kind of pain.
Remember that because of the political context between the United States of America and Iran at the time, your father was the perfect Iranian monster and as such he was never given a chance to tell his side of the story.
Please give him this chance now.
Rating: 
Summary: my issues with the book
Review: First I'd lieke to say that I feel very sorry for Betty and her daughter that they had to go through hell in Iran. And as much as I feel sympathetic to any cases of abuse against women I have to say Betty Mahmoody was extremely irresponsible and acted stupidly!! As much as I blame Moody (her husband) for what happened, I also blame her! How can anybody subject their own child to all that, I don't know. She realised that the marriage was falling apart before she left for Iran. She did receive negative vibrations from her husband and his relative that came for medical operation to America. So I ask why would anybody even agree to go to Iran in these circumstances?? Somebody who has no brains and can't think for herself. I bet it would have been enough to turn on TV to find out that Iran wasn't a safe place at that time, but she chose to be blind and deaf to that! Sure her husband wasn't mentaly healthy, but for goodness sake, when you see something is not right when it comes to relations between a wife and a husband, run away! Her explanation that she was scared that he would have done it anyway, that is that he would take her daughter or both of them and take her/them to Iran is a bull! The way she subjected her daughter to voilence between her and her husband is absolutely unforgivable! Also the visa/passport problems are not clear either, she doesn't really explain that much about it.
Even though I beleive in most of the story, some parts of it seem a little taken too far.
I gave it 3 stars, because I did enjoy the story, it brought me to tears couple of times. I read it in French so I don't know if it's Betty's writing or the translation was so good.
Rating: 
Summary: A FRIGHTENING WINDOW INTO ISLAMIST IRAN
Review: Ought to be required reading for any woman foolish enough to think she can marry a "handsome, exotic-looking man with an accent" and live happily ever after (especially if living in his country and with his family). The book stands on its own as an indictment of such foolishness. Betty Mahmoody's 25-year crusade to warn others and to help women who made the same mistakes she did are a testament to authenticity of the facts in "Not Without My Daughter". If simple logic isn't enough to convince you of the author's claims, check out http://www.domini.org/lam/warnings.html There you will find dozens of stories of women who married Muslims, and how islamic law affected them, their marriages and their children. The tiny percentage of American/Muslim marriages that do end in happiness can hardly justify the violence, cruelty and chaos that the rest of these women must endure. That said, the book is a page-turner that has stood the test of time. The sensational, current-events subject matter is as relevant today as ever. Highly recommended for all, but particularly adventurous young women.
Rating:
Summary: Unfair, false and trashy story!
Review: With the artificial, fake story and political help of William Hoffer Betty made a chunk of money and her selfishness deprived a father from his doughter...very silly and absurd book. Doesn't worth a penny.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Book, and accurate
Review: This is book is highly accurate, I've known several people who have been to Iran and they confirm she wasn't far off in some of the things she said. I highly recommend it. The author actually goes out of her way to try and show you that it's her husband's family and other religous fundamentalists she has the most issue with, and draws attention to the many good Iranians who try to help her. My friends who have visited Iran have been to Iran who have said this book definitely could have happened, but this book does not leave you with the feeling that all Iranians are like that.
To Ezerte: stop accusing others of stereotyping and then doing it yourself (stop stereotyping Americans when you obviously know nothing about them), get your facts straight, and grow up. This book is not stereotypical and if you weren't so caught up in your own prejudice, you'd see that.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and suspenseful!
Review: In this fascinating book, Betty Mahmoody relates the story of her life as the wife of an Iranian man who was a doctor in the U.S. when she met him. Although possessed by moods of depression, Moody is a loving husband and father most of the time. When his nephew comes to visit, they begin to plan for Moody's family to come to Iran for a two-week vacation. Betty suspects that Moody may try to detain them in his native land, but she relents when he promises on the Koran that this will not be the case. They go to Iran, where Betty finds Moody's relatives to be rude and arrogant, as well as having filthy houses and bodies. She cannot wait for the 2 weeks to be over, but when the time comes to return to the States, Betty's worst nightmare comes true when Moody detains them. While he is in Iran, Moody's word is law and no one can interfere with his decision to keep his family there. What follows is a nightmare of beatings, harrassment, and virtual imprisonment, as Moody returns to his traditional Islamic ways. This is an incredibly eye-opening book, and the courage of Betty and her daughter during their ordeal is inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good read
Review: Generally, I liked this book. I must admit, it kept me riveted from beginning to end. Do I think ALL Iranian or ALL Arabic people are like that? No, of course not! Do I think Iran was dirty, as Mrs. Mahmoody claimed, at the time? Yeah, I do. You have to remember that they had just had a revolution not too long before that and things were still out of hand. (I don't know that they are today. I'm not an expert, so I will leave that to all you other "experts".)
Just a couple of comments for those who seem to think this is a forum rather than a BOOK REVIEW: (OK, admittedly, I am using it for a forum, too, but that will end with this post.)
1) Where did you get that Betty Mahmoody was her own husband's mental patient? I read that in the United States, where they first met, she was a patient of his, but that was because she had back pain, not mental strain. In Iran, she worked as something similar to a secretary for his medical "practice". (Which was an illegal medical practice, by the way. He was not liscenced to practice medicine in Iran.) If she had been his mental patient here in the United States and they got married, he would have been stripped of his credentials and sent packing. It is against the law in the United States for a psychologist or psychiatrist or other doctor of that sort to get involved with their patients on a level that personal. Even after the patient/doctor relationship has been terminated, it is still illegal for a period of two years. As you can see, since Moody still had his practice after they were married, the claim that she was his mental patient is not true.
2) For the person who asked why her name is still Mahmoody, I believe the book itself answers that. In Iran, she was told that since she had married an Iranian, she and Mahtob were Iranian citizens. She was also told that if she were to get a divorce, she would have to forfeit Mahtob to her father. Even though she lives in the US, she is still considered an Iranian in the eyes of her husband and those in Iran. So if she tried to get a divorce: 1. Her husband and his family would find out where Mahtob is, since she would have to serve him with papers. 2. He might try to get at her and Mahtob. (OK, that really goes along with the previous sentence, but I'm writing this post, so I can put it any way I want, right?)
|
