Alex Shams

Jan 13, 2025 | bostonreview.net | Alex Shams

Down a tree-lined street near my grandmother’s house in Tehran is a mosque where locals go to chat, rest, and sometimes even pray. In the back of the mosque, behind a small library, is an office for a youth group that organizes volunteers to teach classes, run food drives, get together on religious holidays, and take trips to impoverished villages on Tehran’s outskirts to build schools.

Dec 23, 2024 | ajammc.com | Alex Shams

In Qazvin, a few hours west of Tehran, there is a turquoise-blue shrine locals know as Peyghambarieh, “the place of the Prophets.” Its walls feature sparkling stars that glimmer across the shrine’s heart and thousands of glistening mirrors reflect green and purple light in every direction. Above the tomb, the names of four holy figures buried there are listed: Salam, Salloum, Sahouli, and Elqia.

Oct 2, 2024 | nymag.com | Alex Shams

On September 17, Israel launched a military assault in Lebanon. It began with attacks that caused pagers and walkie-talkies affiliated with Hezbollah to explode, inundating hospitals with thousands of casualties.

Jun 10, 2024 | znetwork.org | Alex Shams |Haitian Creole |Scottish Gaelic

When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter went missing in the mountains on May 19, authorities initially responded by urging the public not…

Jun 10, 2024 | znetwork.org | Alex Shams

When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter went missing in the mountains on May 19, authorities initially responded by urging the public not to worry. In a country accustomed to being on razor’s edge — only weeks before, Iranians feared Israel would launch a major attack within the country’s borders — the statement was intended to reassure people. But it quickly turned into a joke. “[Supreme Leader] Khamenei said, ‘Don’t worry, everything will remain stable,’” one version went.