The Ayatollah's Gaze: - by Majid Parsa (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An unflinching memoir about growing up in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, and yet underground, hidden from Sharia law, is a vibrant gay scene threatening to burst open.

The dawn prayer calls echo through the streets. As many make their way to mosques, for some it signals the end of another illegal gay party. Under the cover of darkness, smiles on lips and sweat on foreheads, the gays of Tehran blend back into daily life. Hidden in plain sight, they plan when and where they will meet again.

In an unparalleled true story, Majid Parsa recounts how a childhood of war, prayer and obedience was upended by a teenage sexual awakening and ultimately, pride. He lifts the heavy veil of persecution to reveal the fabulous and flamboyant gay scene right at the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, flourishing under the ever-present shadow of the grand Ayatollah and morality police. Eye-opening and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Ayatollah's Gaze is a story of self-discovery in a country where Sharia is the law.

Review Quotes

"The Ayatollah's Gaze is an exceptional, unflinching debut by Majid Parsi. Offering a rare, intimate and honest depiction of life as a gay man in Iran, Parsi challenges stereotypes about his home country and at the same time empowers the queer Iranian community through his refusal to make concessions about his lived experience and that of his friends. This is a memoir that everyone needs to read." -- Elias Jahshan, editor of the The Arab is Queer

"Defiant, fabulous and filled with the nuanced challenges so many young queer people struggle to make sense of: family, faith, tradition, affection and belonging. I loved this intimate, heartbreaking coming-of-age story. In some ways it's both sweeping and grand and intimate and personal, in a way that feels very factually stated and not overwrought, which is a real skill." -- Henry Fry, author of First Time for Everything

"This book proves there is an underground culture and community of queers, from camp queens to dangerous divas, from closeted machismo in uniforms to straight acting gays, leading dual lives and trying to navigate between what is haram and what is a better level of self acceptance. The Protagonist, Majid, epitomises the duality of identity. He struggles with his Islamic faith and his burgeoning sexual awakening as a gay man. He finally emerges as a proud peacock but there is a cost to his freedom. The Ayatollah's Gaze may be in the mind's eye, but it's what the heart feels that matters." -- Khakan Qureshi, LGBTQ+ activist and founder of Finding a Voice

"I went through every emotion while reading Majid's powerful book: joy, anger, shock, surprise and grief . . . The Ayatollah's Gaze is an important story for our times, and a testament to how we can find joy in even the bleakest of circumstances. There is courage and beauty in Majid's words - and defiance. A brave, difficult but ultimately heartwarming and hopeful book." -- Iqbal Hussain, author of Northern Boy

About the Author

Majid Parsa (pseudonym) comes from a mixed Iranian Turkish background and lived in Iran for twenty nine years. He started writing in 2018. His debut memoir, The Ayatollah's Gaze is his eye-opening life-story of growing up as a gay man in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Majid now lives in the UK where he is a senior practicing doctor, living with his partner and two cats.