Iranian Woman Cycling Globe for Peace by Larry Luxner Soft-spoken, petite and unpretentious, Poupeh Mahdavinader doesnít seem like the sort of woman who would make world history. But thatís exactly what the 30-year-old social worker from Iran is doing as she bicycles her way through 10 countries ìin the name of love, friendship and global peace.î Poupehóthe first Iranian woman ever to attempt such a featóspoke to The Washington Diplomat at an elegant luncheon arranged in her honor by the Embassy of Pakistanís Iranian Interests Section, which serves as Iranís mission to the United States in the absence of bilateral relations. Poupeh said she was supposed to leave her native Tehran in early April, pedal through Turkey and Greece, then make her way to Italy, France, England, the United States, Japan, New Zealand, China, India, Oman and Saudi Arabiaóin that order. But war unexpectedly got in the way. ìA few hours before my trip was to start, at 8 a.m., the U.S. bombing of Iraq began,î said Poupeh, speaking through an interpreter. ìSo instead of biking through Turkey and Greece, I took a plane to Rome.î There, she went directly to the Vatican, where she hoped to meet Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father wasnít available, but on April 11, Poupeh was welcomed by Archbishop Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and by Mostafa Boroujerdi, Iranís ambassador to the Vatican. The two men watched proudly as Poupeh rode her bicycle out of St. Peterís Square on an unusual journey that later took her to France and England, across the Atlantic by plane to Boston, then again by bicycle to New York and Washington, D.C. Sheís following the back roads and staying overnight with Iranian friends along the way, planning to visit Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles before flying to Japan. There, Poupeh expects to tour New Zealand, China, India and Oman before arriving sometime next year in Saudi Arabia, just in time to make the Muslim hajj, or pilgrimage, to the holy city of Mecca. ìI wanted to travel and see the world,î she said. ìOne of the goals of my trip is seeing the beautiful wonders of God, and using a bike was the best means for fulfilling this trip.î Poupeh, wearing a traditional pink hijab (Muslim scarf), a watch with a bright plastic orange band and a long-sleeved white Leonardo da Vinci T-shirt that she bought in Italy, doesnít look like a woman who has just bicycled more than 3,750 kilometers and has many thousands more to go. But looks can be deceiving. The young woman is an accomplished swimmer, volleyball player, horseback rider and martial arts expert who has also climbed Iranís highest mountains and scaled a few of Europeís tallest peaks as well. She is also single, by the way. Asked if her parents are worried about her, Poupeh said, ìMy family is used to me and my adventurous lifestyle, and theyíre respectful of my goals, especially since they know my true intentions for this mission.î These include raising money for Rahmat, an Iranian charity that works with orphaned children, as well as ìcommunicating with women, girls and youth in the countries to be visited, bringing their message to the women, girls and youth in Iran, and observing the manifestations of God in nature.î Relaxing in a chair underneath a portrait of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, Poupeh doesnít appear to be too interested in debating Middle East or world events. In fact, sheís decidedly apolitical. ìMy belief is that on this trip, I have a special mission. Every human being has a mission on this earth, and this is mine,î she said. ìItís not a personal thing. Four years ago, I wanted to go on this trip but realized that what I was doing for the kids in Iran was more important, and maybe I should leave my global travels for the hereafter.î But then, she said without elaborating, ìIt became possible to go,î and she began looking for sponsors to pay for the epic undertakingówith no luck. ìNobody would believe me either in Iran or outside of Iran, so no one sponsored me,î Poupeh said, noting that she started out her trip with only $350 in cash. Nevertheless, Iranian friends and complete strangers helped her out along the way, and ìas of this point, we have no financial support coming from anywhere, though the Iranian newspapers are covering my trip three times a week.î Poupeh has also gotten her fair share of publicity outside of Iran. An online search of ìPoupeh Mahdavinaderî on Google pulls up articles about her in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Farsi and Vietnamese. And thanks to the Internet, thousands of people have followed her voyage by logging onto Poupehís colorful Web site at www.mahdavinader.com. There, they can read her daily journal entries, which Poupeh writes in Farsi from roadside Internet cafÈs and e-mails to a friend in Iran, who then translates it into English and uploads it. ìMy trip has gone very well up to now, even though it was not sponsored by any particular company,î reads one journal entry. ìThe truth is that I had no official letter or backing from any foreign or Iranian organization, and God has showed me that He himself is the best supporter of all. I was able to get a visa during wartime, and even more incredible, an American visa,î she wrote. ìThe American Consulate said that Iranians must wait at least one month in order to get an answer, but they were cooperative with me and I got mine in two weeks, thank God.î Poupeh speaks of ìbeing in a beautiful garden, with a breeze coming along and bringing the scent of flowers.î The path she chose ìincludes some of the most beautiful countries in the world, with very rich histories. You can see the light of God in everything and in all people,î she said. ìI have my faith and always have my scarf on as a religious symbol when Iím biking. ìPeople would react to us the same way we greet them. A lot of people hugged me in Baltimore, [Md.], and I was shocked that they had heard about me from their local newspaper. In Hartford, [Conn.], we had an interview and it was published there too.î But what about lack of relations between the United States and Iran? ìIt was basically my faith in God and the fact that I knew I had a mission. Despite the very unusual circumstances, what Iím attempting goes against all odds, and against the trends of the world.î Asked what the hardest part of her trip has been, Poupeh answered sadly that she was the victim of racial and religious slurs in England, where gangs taunted her and even threw bottles at her as she cycled through urban areas. ìThere were times during my trip that I went four days with no money, but I donít give up so easily,î she said. ìDespite all the hardships on my path, I have also experienced Godís heaven on this earth.î Larry Luxner is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.