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"Women in Iran" Sara Houranpay

Date

Sara Houranpay (who-ran-pay) is a local Iranian American who values educating and elevating people's perspective of the Middle East through storytelling and empowering women who have been oppressed to stand up for their rights.  Sara will share her perspectives and the context on what is currently happening in Iran -- who is protesting, what sparked those protests, and the Government's response.

Sara brings a unique perspective on the current deadly protests in Iran. After being born in Iran and experiencing her formative years there, her parents decided to immigrate to the United States and pursue their American dream. At 13, she returned to Iran for a summer visit and was politically detained for 5 years. She has experienced first hand the restrictions and punishments that follow the Islamic Republic's constitution and law, and the "extrajudicial" actions by the morality police, such as the beating, torture, rape, and killing of civilians that don’t follow that law. Sara currently has an exhibition at the Oregon Historical Society called, “ I am American, Stories of Exclusion and Belonging.” She also works with the Immigrant Project through live storytelling about the Middle East and her experiences in Iran. Sara currently works as a dental hygienist in NW Portland. She has 3 generations of French Bulldogs and 2 boys, 5 and 7. Her husband is also Iranian, and they work hard to pass down the Iranian language and traditions to their boys and dogs too!

Listen to the Sermon