Celia Taghdiri

Celia Taghdiri says she’s been fascinated by Tahirih since childhood. A heroine in the Middle East, Tahirih championed women’s independence and democracy in the mid-1800s. Her views and actions led to her death.

“Tahirih was my role model when I was in my teens. I’m going to hold her up as a role model for my daughters,” says Ms. Taghdiri, who came to the United States in 1979 from Iran and lives in Vista, Calif., just north of San Diego, with her husband and daughters, 3 and 5.