Arab spring dreams : the next generation speaks out for freedom and justice from North Africa to Iran

From a gay man secretly mourning his lover's suicide in Morocco to a young woman denied schooling because of religious discrimination in Iran, Arab Spring Dreams spotlights some of the Middle East's most outspoken young dissidents. The essayists cover a wide range of experiences, including premarital sex, the lack of educational opportunities, teenage marriage, and the fight for political freedom. They also highlight how repressive laws and cultural mores snuff out liberty and stifle growth and consider how previous movements - particularly the American civil rights struggle - might be channeled to effect change in their own countries. Beautifully written and profoundly moving, these stories present a decisive call for change at a crucial point in the evolution of the Middle East.

• Foreword p. xiii Gloria Steinem
• Introduction: A New Generation of Reformers Speaks Out p. 1
• Part I Trapped
• "I Am Not Ayman!" p. 15
• Monologue with the Prince p. 21
• Living inside 1984 p. 25
• Leaving Ahlam Behind p. 33
• Seeking Salvation p. 39
• Citizen or Subject? p. 45
• At the Polling Station p. 49
• Memoirs of an Egyptian Citizen p. 53
• My Medal of Blasphemy p. 59
• The Shredded Exam Card p. 63
• The Eid al-Adha Bribe p. 67
• The Tragedy of My Lover p. 73
• Art in a Cage p. 79
• Black Like Me p. 83
• Part II Unequal
• A Persian Grandmother in Tokyo p. 89
• Breaking News: MP Reveals Herself as Banned Poet p. 95
• The Sacred Membrane p. 101
• The Cat at the Border Crossing p. 105
• Women in a Maze p. 109
• Women Unwelcome p. 113
• The Closing of My Anonymous Blog p. 117
• Hijacking the School Play p. 123
• Heaven Is Beneath Mothers' Feet p. 127
• My Sacred NO! p. 131
• Part III Breaking Through
• Contaminating Minds p. 139
• Breaking News: Egyptian Apostate Refuses Asylum p. 145
• Every Prayer Is a Gift p. 151
• "The Land Is for All" p. 157
• Triumph of the Half-Naked p. 161
• Breaking through the Shari'a Loophole p. 167
• Student Liberadon Front p. 173
• Dreams in a Drawer p. 179
• "Iran, I Will Build You Again" p. 181
• Undermining Decree Six p. 185
• Driving toward Equality p. 189
• Just Another Day in 2013 p. 195
• Anonymous No More p. 201
• Conclusion: Our Dream Deferred p. 205
• Coeditors p. 225
• Acknowledgments p. 227
• Index p. 231