You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy.

My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds.

The BBC has an incredible musical heritage and culture and as a music lover, I love being part of that.

With music on sounds, we offer collections and mixes for everything, from workouts to helping

you nod off, boogie in your kitchen, or even just a moment of calm. And they're all put together

by people who know their stuff. So if you want some expertly curated music in your life,

check out BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Krista Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 2008.

Music My castaway this week is Bernice Halli Afshar. She grew up in Iran and Paris, but for the past three decades has called Britain her home.

Now an expert in Middle Eastern affairs.

She holds professorships in politics and women's studies and in Islamic law,

her expertise and views in high demand in the West post-9-11.

Across Bench Pier, at first glance, she seems an unlikely member of the establishment as a Shia Muslim, a Marxist and a committed feminist.

And in this at least, she is part of a distinguished family tradition.

Her mother campaigned successfully for Iranian women to be given the vote, and her grandmother railed against the wearing of the veil.

Although it has to be said, Haryvshar, on your grandmother's part,

that wasn't really motivated by any political stance.

She simply thought she was too pretty.

She thought she was far too beautiful to cover, and she couldn't see why she should.

And did she really cast it aside? Oh, yes. I mean, my grandfather gave the very first party in which women were invited uncovered.

And when would that have been the party?

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