Marjan Seirafi-Pour holding the centennial Quran in her north Norman home. Photo by Garrett Duty
Marjan Seirafi-Pour's toughest moment as a Muslim in Oklahoma came during what was supposed to be a celebration for the state.
Seirafi-Pour was the chairperson of the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council in 2007, when the council decided to give Oklahoma politicians a Centennial Quran to commemorate Oklahoma's 100th birthday. A Baptist group had given Bibles to the politicians, so the council thought it would be acceptable to distribute Qurans as well.
They were wrong. The gift seen by some politicians as offensive. Some denied the Qurans, while the media created a firestorm over this issue. Suddenly Seirafi-Pour and her council were the subject of international outcry regarding their decision.
Despite the negative outpouring by some, Seirafi-Pour said many good things came from the conroversy. The united nature of the Muslim community in Oklahoma provided a strong support group. Though some politicians were rude to her, there were many that were very kind. Her proudest moments as a Muslim in Oklahoma have also involved politicians.
Seirafi-Pour cherishes Governor Brad Henry's iftar dinners.
Iftar is the breaking of the Ramadan fast and Henry was one of the first governors to begin reaching out to the Muslim community by participating in this event. Seirafi-Pourwas even nominated by Henry to be part of the Oklahoma Textbook Committee, which helps choose the curriculum for the schools of Oklahoma.
"Governor Henry's inclusiveness and willingness to consider everybody in Oklahoma equal and the same has helped in so many instances," Seirafi-Pour said.
Seirafi-Pour was born in Tehran, Iran, in the 1960s. As a child, she attended schools mixed with boys and girls. That all changed in 1979 when she was about 13. The shah of Iran was overthrown, and the country became the Islamic Republic of Iran. Many reforms were implemented including the segregation of schools by gender.
Her family decided to stay in Iran after the revolution. But the next year, Iraq invaded Iran and began the nearly decade-long Iran-Iraq war. After realizing there was no end in sight, Seirafi-Pour's family decided to move to Oklahoma, where her bothers and sisters had already been in school.
One would think that leaving a war torn country for Oklahoma would be tough, from dealing with a language barrier to experiencing the cultural changes. But, Seirafi-Pour said the most difficult part was something else: "Just like every 15 or 16-year-old girl, leaving the friends and people you have gone to school with for years."
Seirafi-Pour went on to graduate from Carl Albert High School in Midwest Cit. She then get a respiratory degree from Rose State College in Midwest City. Following that, she earned a bachelor's degree in Allied Health Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
She has now spent 20 years in the health care field. In addition to her health care degrees she has a master's in educational psychology from the University of Oklahoma.
She is now working on a master's in international relations. For this degree she is writing her dissertation about the Basij women in Iran. The Basij are a paramilitary force consisting of women that are trained to protect the Revolution.
Seirafi-Pour's work will be the first of its kind, which makes it difficult for her to find references to use. Her ability to speak Farsi, the language of Iran, helps her greatly in her work.
Seirafi-Pour's experiences in the Muslim community of Oklahoma have left her with a distinct sense of pride and optimism about the future.
"I think here in Oklahoma and in general in America that Muslims are being able to achieve what they want and be successful and work hand in hand with others to make America a better place," Seirafi-Pour said.
