This is a very good thing to teach, but I do understadn how you might feel. Depends on the country, perhaps it wouldn’t be a problem if you ask the authorities of the school in advance, the book is mild, it is from the point of view of an innocent kid, affected by the course of change in the Middle Eat, just make sure some one responsible agrees with it. Then you can also ask them to find out if a part is particularly offensive, that part could be taken out, so that the rest would be taught
I would really like to know how kids would react, what they will say about the book.
Even one might not do it as some thing official or a formal teaching thing, I downloaded as many pictures from the cartoon as I could and I asked my kids to read the commic as an English assinment, she loved the graphics and many questions she asked about the history and that was a good time and place that I could explain about all the controvertial issues we even do not know how to talk about them with the younger generation.

though Ive not read the book or seen the movie yet, I think nobody would assume it offensive to Islam. yes, it might be offensive (realistic?) to Iran’s regime, but if you are going to teach it somewhere other than Iran, that seems ok.

just a question: isnt there any graphic sample of Alice in Wonderland?! thats less dangerous for sure!

indeed, an average report and portray consists of views of all the members of society. if each one is allowed to speak out, a fair picture will appear.

…offer moments of insight that outsiders to the culture may never otherwise see

The problem is that these insiders are often self-admittedly outsiders, and not in a metaphorical sense either, but literally foreign to the culture they so vividly portray. Which is why their assuming authority to explain that culture is ‘problematic’, for lack of a better word.

Satrapi does not pretend to be telling every Iranian’s story, which makes her different, but doesn’t alter the gushing reviews that fill in every other line with exotic this and incomprehensible that.

I guess we focus more on the differences. Some people are even offended by the idea that there are similarities… but an obvious one is that there’s this audience for ‘biographical’ works from both arab and iranian writers who appropriately represent their ‘worlds’, eg the writer of In the Country of Men, who is anything but an average Libyan.

anyway, that’s sort of why the post came out longer and more critical than intended

you covered lots of important details, and I wonder if such societies (mine and yours) are so identical that a member of one is able to analyze the other (or works affiliated with other) without having any personal experience of that other society.

good luck