Dear Iranian Women,

Dear Iranian Women,

You may overpower a woman, but you can never break her.

I feel privileged to be a woman!

This is the story of two best friends in Iran — Ellie and Homa. Society has always, in one way or another, found flaws in women’s friendships. What it chooses to portray is jealousy, competition, and conflict — but rarely does it look deeper, into the scars and cracks that shape women into who they are.

The "Lion Women of Tehran" by 'Marjan Kamali' unfolds against the backdrop of the Shah era, the Islamic Revolution, and the unyielding suppression of women under both regimes. Amidst this turmoil, Ellie and Homa’s friendship blooms — not without jealousy or anger, but rooted in something far stronger: unconditional, mad love.

Freedom has never come easily. Across continents and centuries, women have fought — every year, every day, every moment — for one breath of freedom. Times have changed, as has the status of women, but even time itself has failed to rewrite the fate of Iranian women.

Kamali captures the politics, pain, and perseverance of women with striking simplicity. She writes without ornamentation, letting emotion — not heavy words — carry the story.

This tale isn’t merely about friendship in an unstable world. It’s about love. The kind of love that makes a mother risk everything for her child, a friend sacrifice her dignity for another, a daughter heal the cracks between generations, and a man stand beside them in courage and empathy.

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Kamali depicts women as who they truly are — complex, passionate, and unapologetically human. Women may love politics, hold strong ideologies, and have their own ways of seeing and shaping the world. They govern with empathy, speak their minds with courage, and live with depth beyond the labels society imposes.

Respect and freedom for women must go beyond their roles. A woman can choose to be a mother and also a leader; she can take interest in both politics and cosmetics, stand up for her rights and still choose love and peace.

It is not restraint, but freedom, that allows society to truly bloom.
I feel privileged to be a woman — in a free country, a nation that allows me to speak not as a woman, but as a human. And I wish the same freedom for every woman across the globe.

Kamali holds the power to keep every reader awake until two in the morning — completely swept away by her words. She is at her finest here, weaving emotions so delicately that you forget the hour, the world, and even yourself.

Freedom should not be a privilege; it should be an obligation — a shared responsibility of humankind. Every person deserves the freedom to choose.

My heart goes out to the women of Iran. We feel you. Our actions may not reach you, but our blessings and solidarity always will.

From, a Woman.