Chronicles from Iran depict the successive dictatorships, from the Imperial State of Iran to the Islamic Republic of Iran and their raving zealots.

The book is an account of political Islam that pulls no punches in describing the country’s Islamic despotism, and why its people have failed to change the tyranny.

Through real-life scenes, it highlight humiliations inflicted daily by a religious tyranny upon its population, haunted by fear and bygone traditions.

Non-fiction, Chronicles from Iran sketch a portrait of the Iranian, in equal parts proud and humble, tolerant and traditionalist, passionate and generous, but always tormented. It relays the contrast in cultures and illustrates by first-hand accounts of how Iranians view outsiders, particularly the Westerners. It is a sad indictment against one of the world’s oldest civilisations that the voices of ordinary Iranians are suffocated under an iron blanket of censorship, particularly those of women.

Chronicles from Iran also expose the Western egregious conflation of sanctimoniousness and sheer moral humbug in dealing with Middle Eastern countries. Whereas the Islamist cliques make the most of religion to consolidate their tyrannical power, the greedy sets of Westerners pervert democracy, breeding only economic liberalism and technology as long as they struck money-spinning deals. When it comes for them to pay the price of their wrong doing in the disasters they have contributed to create, they are nowhere to be heard and seen.

The ebook Chronicles from Iran, is a plaidoyer vs Islamic despotism.
It is an account of Political Islam that pulls no punches in describing the country’s Islamic repression – and why its people have failed to change the tyranny.

The ebook was published in 2012. In our era of digital age, in which past hour news are already obsolete, the Chronicles from Iran may seem at best dated and at worst antediluvian. However, human mindsets do not change overnight. We are still trapped in a destructive temperament.

A reader from USA had this to say: I enjoyed discovering so much about the Iranian mindset, but would be interested to know how many Iranians have read this and how they view it.

I am afraid, not very many, perhaps less than a dozen. None was willing to debate. For all that, the strong backlash, among the Islamist trolls, using thuggish tactics, is still somewhat entertaining. Often, the correctness of one’s views is best reflected in the eyes of the foes of liberty.

Another reader noted: [...] I myself know several Iranians and this book touched on many somewhat risqué points that I’ve wanted to ask them about but never discussed with them. Particularly issues relating to democratic values and how the future is viewed by the general population in Iran.[...]

This is the fundamental quest of Chronicles from Iran pursued in the blog posts ever since 2012.

Albertine Ahmadi

I was born and raised in an Iranian province by an Iranian father and European mother. I was studying in Europe at the time of the 1979 Revolution, and obtained my degrees in economics, history and political science.

My mother’s country, a proud European democracy, harbouring many faiths and languages, unconditionally accepted me among its citizens. I became a pupil of secular democracy, learning to consider things from different perspectives, in peace and security. For me, at first, it was hard to recognise and admit my own cultural differences, prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions. Now, it is a pleasure for me to listen to others’ opinions, express mine and try to find common ground.

For me, being Westernised Iranian does not mean destroying the Iranian identity in favour of an allegedly superior Western one. It means blending the two. Democracy is a matter of concern to each and everyone.

I recognise the failings of the Western world, including the excesses of capitalism and those living only for the relentless pursuit of gain, but I can at least object to that through the ballot box, or loudly voice it; things impossible in the Islamic Republic of Iran.