Iranian-American journalist Farnaz Fassihi was stationed in the Middle East from 2002 until 2006, where she covered the Iraq war and the daily struggles of the Iraqi people. A Shiite Muslim, Fassihi established close personal ties to many Iraqi citizens, who invited her into their homes. She recounts their stories — and their suffering — in her memoir, Waiting for an Ordinary Day.

Now The Wall Street Journal's deputy bureau chief for the Middle East and Africa, Fassihi grew up in Tehran and Portland, Oregon. She received a B.A. in English from Tehran University and an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

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