Hello I'm Krestey 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. My castaway this week is Baroness Halyafshar. 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 studies and in Islamic law,

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

A cross-bench peer 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, Heli Afshar, 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, I mean my grandfather gave the very first party in which women were invited

uncovered.

And when would that have been the party?

Oh, I should know the exact date, but I don't, but it was in the mid 20s that they actually removed the veil

But my maternal grandmother was very clear that she really was not to be hidden anywhere

And you yourself and we have to make it clear because it's radio, you

look to me a very westernized woman. You have this very chic bob, you're wearing some left-back

pull a neck. you look very Western.

Well I never I mean it really close was always Western when I was growing up it was never

...