![An young Iranian woman takes a look at a censored book at the 18th Tehran International Book Fair May 6, 2005. Iran's Culture Ministry ordered the Iranian representation of foreign publishers to censor all pictures that show a part or complete part of a woman or man's nude body. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl MN/JK/DH - RTRACIC](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/05/RTRACIC.jpg/RTRACIC.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=tp5s3lRo)
Behdad Bordbar is a journalist who has worked for Radiozamaneh in Amsterdam and has also published articles in BBC Persian and Akhbar-e Rooz. His work has been published in English, Kurdish and Norwegian.
![An young Iranian woman takes a look at a censored book at the 18th Tehran International Book Fair May 6, 2005. Iran's Culture Ministry ordered the Iranian representation of foreign publishers to censor all pictures that show a part or complete part of a woman or man's nude body. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl MN/JK/DH - RTRACIC](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/05/RTRACIC.jpg/RTRACIC.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=tp5s3lRo)
![Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva March 2, 2015. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR4RQCQ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/04/RTR4RQCQ.jpg/RTR4RQCQ.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=qSm3W-W2)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![Members of the Iranian army pray at a university as they attend for Tehran's Friday prayers, April 10, 2009. Reform minded youth see America as the land of opportunity and would like to see ties with the U.S. restored but conservative minded youth see the U.S. as the enemy and feel that the Islamic Revolution?s goals must be kept alive. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTXDXUQ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTXDXUQ.jpg/RTXDXUQ.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=pnoft9hE)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![A member of the Kurdish Peshmerga force fires a dushka at Sulaiman Pek front line in the northwest of Tikrit city August 31, 2014. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR44FEB](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/08/RTR44FEB.jpg/RTR44FEB.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=XHr0855w)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![Senior Iranian Officials (L to R) Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, Hasan Khomeini, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, parliament Speaker Gholamali Haddadadel, Judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani listen to a speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the anniversary of the death of the Late Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Tehran, June 4, 2006. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN) - RTR1E2OI](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/07/RTR1E2OI.jpg/RTR1E2OI.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=-4W41yPB)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![A prison guard stands along a corridor in Tehran's Evin prison June 13, 2006. Iranian police detained 70 people at a demonstration in favour of women's rights, the judiciary said on Tuesday, adding it was ready to review reports that the police had beaten some demonstrators. - RTXOQWJ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/04/RTXOQWJ.jpg/RTXOQWJ.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=A1Ek0Uny)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![MIRJAVEH, IRAN: An Iranian soldier stands guard on a mound built to prevent drug trafficking 02 December 2003 in the Mirjaveh point where the borders of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan meet. But despite the bulldozed trenches and mounds of dust and the string of machine-gun posts ought to be enough to put off all but the most suicidal drug traffickers hoping to enter Iran, officials taking the UN anti-drugs tsar on the tour admitted they were losing the war on drugs. AFP PHOTO/Behrouz MEHRI (Photo cre](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/04/2778915.jpg/2778915.jpg?h=aeb4e5e1&itok=cMjSad1F)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
Political activist Shahabuldeen Tabatabai (bottom L) and newspaper editor and political analyst Saeed Leylaz (C) sit as defendants accused of acting against national security in a courtroom in Tehran August 25, 2009. Iran put prominent reformers in the dock on Tuesday, official media reported, in its fourth mass trial of people accused of orchestrating unrest af](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/03/RTR2739D.jpg/RTR2739D.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=sXYh83CV)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![RTX10M10.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/03/RTX10M10.jpg/RTX10M10.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=LAtrlGJU)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![BWxp-KPIQAAiO8I.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/02/BWxp-KPIQAAiO8I.jpg/BWxp-KPIQAAiO8I.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=GIAkfB0z)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![Sadegh-Zibakalam.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/01/Sadegh-Zibakalam.jpg/Sadegh-Zibakalam.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=oSWUQf3m)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar
![An Iranian-Kurd woman talks on her mobile phone as she walks at a bazaar while shopping in Marivan in Kurdistan province, 512 km (318 miles) west of Tehran, May 12, 2011. Iranian Shi'ite and Sunni Kurds live in harmony with each other in Marivan, although Sunni is the religion of the majority of the people. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION) - RTR2MC86](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/12/RTR2MC86.jpg/RTR2MC86.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=KaKU4Mzp)
![Behdad Bordbar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Borbarcolor.jpg/Borbarcolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=a8VXJkdX)
Behdad Bordbar