The Poetess and the Price of Freedom
Táhirih – and the battle for female self-determination in ancient Persia and contemporary Iran
The Poetess and the Price of Freedom / Die Dichterin und der Preis der Freiheit
Táhirih – and the battle for female self-determination in ancient Persia and contemporary Iran
Táhirih – the woman who wanted to do what sons could
In 1848, the same year that Europe was being rocked by revolutionary fervour, the Persian poet and theologian enters a gathering in the village of Badasht, in Persia. She is the only woman present. She enters without a veil and with the remarkable desire to exert religious authority. Her appearance sparks outrage among the men.
Táhirih was a traveller and teacher, and an exceptional figure. A keen intellectual, who renegotiated faith, language, and power. The questions she posed back...
Táhirih was a traveller and teacher, and an exceptional figure. A keen intellectual, who renegotiated faith, language, and power. The questions she posed back...
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In 1848, the same year that Europe was being rocked by revolutionary fervour, the Persian poet and theologian enters a gathering in the village of Badasht, in Persia. She is the only woman present. She enters without a veil and with the remarkable desire to exert religious authority. Her appearance sparks outrage among the men.
Táhirih was a traveller and teacher, and an exceptional figure. A keen intellectual, who renegotiated faith, language, and power. The questions she posed back then are still highly relevant today: Who is allowed to interpret religion? To whom do public spaces belong? How does resistance emerge in a system shaped by religion? And why do women continue to pay a high price for freedom and self-determination?
Expertly and compellingly, journalist Shila Behjat tells the story of Táhirih’s life, her claim to authority, and her self-image, and draws connections with the uncertain present in contemporary Iran.
Táhirih was a traveller and teacher, and an exceptional figure. A keen intellectual, who renegotiated faith, language, and power. The questions she posed back then are still highly relevant today: Who is allowed to interpret religion? To whom do public spaces belong? How does resistance emerge in a system shaped by religion? And why do women continue to pay a high price for freedom and self-determination?
Expertly and compellingly, journalist Shila Behjat tells the story of Táhirih’s life, her claim to authority, and her self-image, and draws connections with the uncertain present in contemporary Iran.
2026, 180 pages
Persons
Shila Behjat
Author
Shila Behjat is a journalist and presenter with German–Iranian roots. She studied law in Hamburg and Paris, was a correspondent in London, lived in India as a freelance journalist, and works today in cultural journalism. In 2024, her book Söhne großziehen als Feministin: Ein Streitgespräch mit mir selbst (Raising Sons as a Feminist: An Argument with Myself) was published, sparking widespread debate, and was followed by the book Frauen und Revolution (Women and Revolution).
Shila Behjat
Author
Shila Behjat is a journalist and presenter with German–Iranian roots. She studied law in Hamburg and Paris, was a correspondent in London, lived in...
© Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag