Residents of Tehran are reporting harsher rules than in previous years for those caught not fasting during the month of Ramadan. People from all walks of life have been cited for the crime, and punishment includes caning and lashes.
Iran’s top soccer player, Ali Karimi, had been fired from his team for allegedly not fasting during a recent practice, —they make teams practice during Ramadan? — but was re-instated by the team’s director who had fired him, calling him a “national treasure.”


An American born journalist living in Iran. Covering Iran for multiple media outlets since 2001. You may read my stories in Time, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and more.


