Leili Khodaei: In Iranian Schools, Girls Are Taught Not to Protest

By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, October 3, 2019

Leyli Khudayi

According to Leili Khodaei, women in Iran have become accustomed to remaining silent and not expressing protest due to the oppression and restrictions they face from their childhood years.

In an interview with Voice of America, the poet and cultural activist stated that in addition to these difficulties, girls in Iranian Azerbaijan lose their self-confidence because they are forced to receive education in a language they do not speak.

Leili Khodaei: "My Inner Voice is in My Native Language"

By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, March 11, 2015

Leyli Khudayi, the poet from South Azerbaijan talks about her book Dumanlı Məktublar (Foggy Letters)

"The sections where I used the words 'Araz' and 'Savalan' were removed from my book," says Leili Khodaei, a poet and writer from South Azerbaijan, highlighting that literary works written in the Turkish language in Iranian Azerbaijan go through a strict censorship process. In an interview with Voice of America, the poet from Tabriz discusses her literary work, including her book Dumanlı Məktublar, which she published in the south, as well as the difficulties faced by those who publish Turkish-language books in Iranian Azerbaijan.