I had recently arrived in Tehran to conduct exploratory research for my dissertation. It was July 1999, a time when the students at Tehran University were in the midst of challenging the judiciary for banning Salam, a leading independent newspaper that called for political reforms. As the Persian expression goes, “The university was sholugh,” meaning that there was political dissent and disorder. Tehran was in the throes of the largest political protests since the revolution that had swept aside the Shah. The pro-reformist protests had spread to campuses in Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and other cities. With President Mohammad Khatami having recently defeated the candidate believed to be the regime insider in a surprising landslide victory, supporters of the newly forming reformist platform were hopeful and energized. For supporters of reform the mass protests only boosted their expectations; for beneficiaries of the status quo, the students' vociferous daring was horrifying.

When I went to buy groceries, the corner grocer, who liked to chat about the newspaper headlines, smiled and beckoned me over. Knowing that I visited the Bazaar, he asked, “So you go to the Bazaar. Tell me, is the Bazaar sholugh?” I answered that it was not, and we were both surprised.