Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has drawn parallels between the oppressive system described in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the systemic control of women in Iranian society.
Mohammadi, who has been imprisoned multiple times for her activism and is currently on a medical furlough, appeared in a video conversation with Atwood, facilitated by TIME magazine on December 18.
In the interview, the Iranian activist turned the spotlight on what she described as gender apartheid in Iran and the restriction of women’s autonomy in ways eerily similar to Atwood’s dystopian Gilead.
Margaret Atwood is a renowned Canadian author, poet, and essayist, celebrated for her profound contributions to contemporary literature. Born on November 18, 1939, in Ottawa, Canada, she is best known for her speculative fiction, including The Handmaid's Tale and its sequel, The Testaments.
Her works often explore themes of power, gender, environmentalism, and the complexities of human relationships, blending literary brilliance with sharp social commentary. Atwood's innovative storytelling and unique perspective have earned her numerous awards, including the Booker Prize, which she has won twice.
“The handmaid’s tale is quite familiar to the people of Iran,” Mohammadi said during a rare three-week medical leave from prison.
Mohammadi recounted how she began reading the novel in Evin Prison but was unable to finish it due to restrictions.
She noted how its themes and imagery have resonated deeply with Iranians, especially during the protests sparked by the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
“Many young Iranians have been watching the Handmaid’s Tale series, and I have also heard that many performances during Iranian protests abroad have incorporated imagery and symbols from the series in solidarity,” Mohammadi said.
Atwood, speaking from New York, expressed her admiration for the courage of Iranian women in the face of systemic repression.
“I was looking at the Woman, Life, Freedom movement when it was at its height. It was remarkable, and I was amazed that they were getting away with it with all that total repression,” she said.
The Iranian activist also reflected on the broader societal changes driven by the movement, highlighting its transformative impact on Iranian culture.
“I see this change as a positive one specifically regarding the issue of forced hijab,” she said. “The change brought about by the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iranian society is remarkable. If we had tried to achieve this through traditional methods, such as religious, political, sociological, or women’s rights discussions, it might have taken far longer to reach this level of progress.”
Mohammadi, a journalist and campaigner against the death penalty, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering efforts in promoting women’s rights and her relentless fight against oppression in Iran.
As a prominent voice for freedom, Mohammadi has been a leading figure in advocating for the rights of political prisoners and challenging the Iranian government's systemic injustices, including its crackdowns on protests.
Despite enduring multiple arrests, imprisonment, and harassment, her resilience and dedication have inspired millions worldwide. The Nobel Committee recognized her courage and significant role in empowering women in Iran, particularly during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, which gained momentum following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 in police custody for not having proper hijab.
Use of medication to torture inmates
During the Dec. 18 conversation, Mohammadi also shared details about the inhumane treatment of women in Iranian prisons.
“One of the methods used against these women is transferring them to psychiatric hospitals,” she said. “They are given heavy medications intended for those with severe mental illness and injected with powerful drugs and even subjected to electric shocks.”
Atwood connected these accounts to historical practices under authoritarian systems. “This is very Soviet Union. This hospitalization and medication—they used to do that,” she said. “Who knows, they probably still are. And this kind of treatment was not confined to Iran.”
Mohammadi then emphasized the far-reaching consequences of controlling women in society. “When women lose control over fundamental aspects of their lives, such as their clothing, bodies, and choices through anti-women laws, it paves the way for oppressive regimes to take hold,” she said.
Atwood echoed this concern, observing how such dynamics are not confined to one country. “When I wrote it, I thought perhaps this book will become obsolete,” she said. “But the opposite has happened... This kind of total control of women, particularly their reproduction, that is already happening.”
Both women expressed hope that these stories of oppression will eventually become irrelevant. “The Handmaid’s Tale is an eternal work,” Mohammadi said.
“It continues to offer new insights and warnings in different eras.” Atwood said, “If it remains relevant, then it’s because the situation remains unequal and oppressive to women.”
The rice purchased using a lower exchange rate of US dollar was supposed to be high-quality Indian rice but was discovered to be contaminated with cheaper varieties.
The financial implications of the blunder are significant, sparking investigations and raising critical questions about the oversight and approval processes behind such large-scale imports.
"This rice was not high-quality. When I saw a sample, it was clear that most of it was a different variety," Karim Akhavan, President of the Iranian Rice Importers Association told Tasnim News Agency.
He said the mixture of inferior rice with the intended high-quality variety indicated serious mismanagement.
An analysis of the rice by a German institute confirmed the presence of impurities, though the precise level of contamination remains unclear.
The ministry of agriculture confirmed that the rice had been mixed with cheaper varieties by the foreign seller, but it stopped short of specifying what types of rice were used.
"This is a matter for Jahad Company, which is responsible for the imports," said Ahmad Khani Nozari, the Ministry's Deputy of Commerce as he tried to shift the responsibility away from the ministry.
The financial fallout from the mislabeling is expected to be considerable. The standard cost of rice imports for the ministry is between 1,010 to 1,020 euros per ton, but the contaminated shipment is believed to fall well below this price point.
Given the massive volume of the rice involved, the discrepancy could add up to millions of euros.
The Economic Security Police have launched an investigation into the case, although the full scale of the financial loss is still unclear due to the unspecified percentage of the rice that was mixed.
The timing of the scandal is particularly damaging, coming on the heels of rising food prices in Iran where at least one third of the country is living below the poverty line. Increases in the cost of basic staples like rice and legumes have put additional strain on an already struggling economy.
Jahad Company, which has long been tasked with importing rice for government reserves, faces mounting scrutiny.
The investigation will now examine who exactly authorized the shipment, and why there was a failure in ensuring the quality of the rice before it was allowed into the country.
While oil exports have surged by 20%, the country's overall economic growth has been sluggish, the economy squeezed by global sanctions.
In the first half of the current fiscal year, Iran's GDP growth was half of last year's rate. The agricultural sector, which has already been underperforming due to droughts and power shortages, has been particularly hard hit.
Despite these challenges, official figures continue to report growth, leading some analysts to question the accuracy and honesty of the data provided by the Central Bank of Iran.
The rice scandal also underscores the growing frustration among ordinary Iranians, feeling the pinch from rising food costs, despite government assurances of stability.
The Government Trading Corporation, tasked with safeguarding the nation's strategic reserves, now faces questions about its oversight of critical imports. The Ministry of Agriculture’s ambiguous stance on the issue—treating it as a business dispute rather than a regulatory failure—has only fueled doubts about the accountability of state-run institutions.
