21 April, 2013

Two young couples sit in a tent smoking shisha.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the country has followed a strictly conservative theocratic line. Western cultural influences have been severely restricted. An estimated 60 percent of Iran’s population is under 30 and have little knowledge of their country before the revolution, yet all the trappings of Western youth and modernity are now beamed into homes via the internet and (as yet still illegal) satellite television. Daily, millions of young people engage in activities that are officially illegal and can carry severe penalties. The Basij—a volunteer militia—polices public morals, on the lookout for such offences as women showing too much hair, or couples inappropriately holding hands.

The photographer was born and raised in Iran and has been photographing his country for 15 years. He aims to document parts of Iran’s complex society showing less-observed areas of daily life. He also turned his focus on some Iranian immigrants in the US, to see how they had kept their language, culture and traditions alive.