Quick Info
| Profession | Journalist, Author, Political Activist, Women's Rights Activist |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Iranian-American |
| Date of Birth | 11/09/1976 |
| Age | 49 years |
| Birthplace | Quomi Babol, Iran |
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Bio/Wiki
| Full Name | Masoumeh Alinejad-Ghomikolayi |
|---|---|
| Description | Iranian-American journalist and prominent women's rights activist known for vocal opposition to Iranian government's oppressive policies, particularly regarding women's freedoms and mandatory hijab laws. |
Personal Life
| Current Residence | Brooklyn, New York City |
|---|---|
| Status | Living in exile |
Career
| Early Career | Parliamentary journalist in Tehran exposing corruption among lawmakers; columnist for Iranian newspapers |
|---|---|
| Notable Work | Fled Iran in 2009 following disputed presidential elections; created 57-part radio series on victims of 2009 crackdown; produced 2-hour TV documentary on families of victims |
| My Stealthy Freedom | Founded Facebook campaign in 2014 inviting Iranian women to post pictures without hijab; became largest civil disobedience campaign for women's rights in Islamic Republic history; garnered over one million likes |
| Campaigns | White Wednesdays, #MyCameraIsMyWeapon, #MyPenIsMyWeapon, #MenWithHijab (2012-2019) |
| Current Role | Presenter/producer at Voice of America Persian; correspondent for Radio Farda; contributor to Manoto TV; guest editor for IranWire |
| Publications | Memoir: The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran (2018, published by Little, Brown) |
Style Quotient
| Notable Quote | The hijab is the tool the regime uses to control the women and, through them, Iranian society |
|---|
Social Media
| Platform | Facebook, Social media activism |
|---|---|
| Notable | My Stealthy Freedom campaign with millions of followers |
| https://www.instagram.com/masihalinejad/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/masih.alinejad | |
| https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. In 2008, wrote critical piece in Etemad newspaper comparing President Ahmadinejad's followers to hungry dolphins | |
| 2. Faced imprisonment for critical stance against Iranian government | |
| 3. Recognized by BBC Persian and Iran Wire as one of 50 most influential women in Iran | |
| 4. New York Times described her as The woman whose hair frightens Iran | |
| 5. During Mahsa Amini protests, formed coalition with Reza Pahlavi, Ali Karimi, and Hamed Esmaeilion to lead Women, Life, Freedom movement |