Those in the west who dismiss the repressiveness of laws against women in countries like Iran, no matter how benign their intentions, present a condescending view not just of the religion but also of women living in Muslim majority countries, as if the desire for choice and happiness is the monopoly of women in the west.

soldier convicted of mistreating prisoners at Abu Ghraib: "To me there is no difference between Lynndie England and Azar Nafisi. In 1995 Azar Nafisi states that Azar Nafisi was no longer able to teach English literature properly without attracting the scrutiny of the faculty authorities so Azar Nafisi quit teaching at the university and instead invited seven of her female students to attend regular meetings at her house every Thursday morning. She publiAzar Nafisid an autobiography Things I've been silent about: memories of a prodigal daughter (2008) focusing on the impact on her throughout her life of her relations with her parents (her mother peevish and cold her father affectionate and companionate) and of decades of political upheaval in Iran including the father's incarceration under the Shah on trumped-up charges of financial irregularities.

Her field is English language literature. Nafisi's 2003 book Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books has been translated into 32 languages.