About
The Who and Why Behind The New Persian Times
The New Persian Times is a modern independent Persian media house built at the intersection of visual storytelling, editorial culture, and creative commerce. It is where photography and video work live as both art and asset: a place for collectors, brands, publishers, and independent creators to license original imagery for marketing, editorial coverage, and independent projects.
Founded by Mr. Andy Alem—known to friends as Aueen (آیین / āyin), meaning Tradition, Ritual, or Rite—The New Persian Times serves as a multifunctional editorial platform dedicated to culturally relevant stories connected to Iran: identity, history, diaspora life, politics, heritage, and the spiritual undercurrent that shapes a people. Through blogs, interviews, and documentary-style coverage, the goal is simple: preserve the record, elevate the conversation, and honor the truth.
Born in 1984 in New York City to parents who fled Iran's Islamic takeover, I grew up carrying a homeland I've only visited twice, but always stayed in my heart. Persian language and tradition anchored my upbringing—from Saturday Persian school to annual Norooz celebrations and years of community involvement, including serving as treasurer and event organizer for the Persian Cultural Association at SUNY Stony Brook University. A camera has been in my hand for as long as I can remember. What began as quiet documentation became a professional craft between 2016 and 2022.
In 2022, the movement ignited by the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini transformed my work into a public mission. I took to the streets of New York City to document a historic uprising—images and footage that became part of a living archive. I also helped lead and organize the March to the United Nations from Times Square, where my remarks drew national attention and led to appearances on CBS News and Iran International.
To expand the platform beyond headlines and soundbites, I launched The New Persian Times Podcast—a space for long-form dialogue, diaspora voices, and deeper analysis across cultural, political, and spiritual dimensions.
The New Persian Times is more than a website. It is a brand ecosystem:
- a photo + video licensing library
- an editorial blog
- a podcast studio
- future events (conferences, panels, after-parties)
- and merchandise that carries the identity forward
Above all, it is a bridge—between generations, between continents, between a painful past and a possible future—built on the belief that Iran will be free.
