Executive Director: Programs Manager

Ghazal Omid

Ghazal Omid, Founder and Director Iran & Its Future.org since 2006, is an author and Shiah Islam scholar with an awakened conscience.    Ghazal Omid’s biography speaks for itself. Her touring and national media experience can be found at www.livinginhell.com/tour and www.ghazalomid.com/nationalmedia.  Her writings on issues for women of Iran and the Middle East, Human Rights and Women’s Rights can be found on Google blogs, http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&client=news&q=ghazal+omid or, you can enter her name in Google for more references. Ghazal Omid is no stranger to poverty and a harsh life. She sees her role as a bridge between Middle Easterners and Americans. She uses her media exposure and life experiences to highlight the positives of the Middle East. A leader, not a follower, she does not run from a fight or take No for an answer. Otherwise, her father would have not shunned her out of his wealth, her brother would have continued to molest her or, despite her deep faith in God, she would have eventually succeeded in killing herself.

Had she not resisted her father’s attempt to marry her to a first cousin at age nine, she would now have a clutch of children enduring the same poverty and cruelty she did. Instead, she refused to submit to the same fate of her mother, who was sold into marriage at age 14 to a man 25 years her senior. At age 16, Ghazal stood up to her father in the courtroom and helped her mother get a divorce, rarely possible for a woman in Iran, freeing her from 25 years of abuse. At an early age, she realized the fallacy of the Islamic regime and became a non-violent opponent. As a consequence of speaking out, even though she placed in the top one percentile of students competing for places in law school, she was denied entrance to a public university.

Her wealthy father refused to help pay for her education so she took him to court and received a settlement in exchange for equipment he left behind when he abandoned her and her mother.  Ironically, with the intervention of Khatemi, at the time the Minister of Intelligence, whose bodyguards she eluded to make a personal request, she was able to transfer to Azad University in Tehran after spending two years at the Isfahan branch of the private university, studying French Literature preparatory to attending law school. At university, she was constantly harassed by regime “watch dogs”. Kidnapped from the street by the secret police while en route to university, she jumped from the moving car and sixteen years later has scars as a reminder of the chilling day when she had only God to protect her. Ghazal left Iran only when it became too dangerous for her to stay and for a short time left Iran behind.  

Her book, Living in Hell, tells a very personal story to illustrate to women that they too can survive a miserable existence. Her only fall back is God and her mentor, Bill Wright, a father figure who recognized her talent and made her life possible.  Her site donation page is under construction to receive donations from generous people. Her book and a DVD comprising her media appearances will soon be for offered for a donation to her charity.   She is not fearless but she is not full of fear. She uses her passion and mission in life to “pay it forward” for the blessings she has received.