This book is the inspirational true story of young man willing to risk it all.
Since the Islamic Revolution began in 1979, millions of Iranians have fled to Turkey seeking refuge from religious and political persecution. In 1988, I was one of them.
My family are followers of the Baha'i Faith, a religion founded in Iran and practiced by millions of people worldwide today. Muslims in Iran consider it a blasphemous, illegitimate religion. For more than four decades, Baha'is in Iran have been stripped of all human rights. We are routinely arrested, detained, tortured, imprisoned, and executed without cause.
This is my story about what life was like living under Islamic rule. It's a story about determination, perseverance, and Faith. I was 25 when I fled Iran with two friends. We crossed the forbidding Zagros Mountains in the height of winter, seeking asylum in Turkey. More than a year later, I arrived in America, speaking little English, knowing no one, and understanding little about the country except what I gleaned from television.
One More Mountain provides a never-before-seen look at what life in Iran is still like for those who have no power, no voice, and no freedoms.
Read an interview with author Mansur Nurdel on Baha’i Blog
Inspiring Autobiography Reads Like a Novel
This deeply touching and inspiring autobiographical account by Mansur Nurdel (with Jeannette Moninger) reads like a thrilling novel. Mansur describes his escape from a life of persecution in Iran due to his Baha'i Faith and his struggles to create a new life in the U.S. In the foreword, he anchors the story in the context of the recent immigration ban in the U.S. and its impact on refugees. During his childhood and youth in Iran, Mansur stayed active in the Baha'i community even when it endangered his life. He describes in vivid detail his terrifying experiences climbing the Zagros Mountains of Iran into Turkey with two friends, pursued by enemies, with no idea where they were going, how long it would take, or what they would need to endure along the way. His determination to learn a new language and culture and go on to become a successful doctor, entrepreneur, and father is uplifting.
One More Mountain - Fleeing Iran for America
An excellent read and compelling story; hard to put it down. After meeting Mansur, I'm even more impressed by his story and character. His desire to be free and willingness to risk everything to come to this country me thankful and proud to be an American. How lucky we are.
Comments on One More Mountain
THREE YOUNG MEN, TORMENTED BY DECADES OF LIFE UNDER A BRUTAL, VINDICTIVE THEOCRACY FEW IN THE WEST CAN COMPREHEND, STEP, ALMOST LITERALLY, INTO THE ABYSS, RISKING EVERYTHING FOR THE PROMISE OF FREEDOM. DR. NURDEL’S RIVETING ACCOUNT OF THEIR ESCAPE IS A “WHITE KNUCKLE” DRAMA OF COURAGE, DETERMINATION AND RAW UNADULTERATED GRIT. BUT IT IS THEIR AUDACIOUS, EVEN DEFIANT STATEMENT OF HOPE, AND OF AN UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN THE FUTURE, THAT MAKES THIS STORY MEMORABLE. A BOLD AND INSPIRING TALE, WELL TOLD.