Contributor Profiles

Iranian-born Sima Goel has always had compassion for those who suffer injustice, an instinctive need exemplified by a Persian expression which means “to be the attorney for the world.”

This led her at age 13, just prior to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, to stand up for a Baha’i classmate who was being bullied by a Muslim extremist at her private, all-girls school. At that time, Hezbollah was setting ablaze entire Baha’i neighborhoods in her beloved Shiraz, the mountainous southwestern city of gardens known for its heritage of poets, scholars and artists.

This school incident brought Sima unwanted attention from Hezbollah and ultimately resulted in her dangerous flight from Shiraz to Montreal.

Her journey to freedom is recounted in her memoir, Fleeing The Hijab, A Jewish Woman’s Escape from Iran, published April 2014 by General Store Publishing House. The book is a testament to her belief that without freedom of choice, there is no life. With the publication of her book, Sima has fulfilled the promise she made to herself in the midst of her flight across the Iranian desert – to publicly share her truth that liberty and freedom are the two most precious commodities of all.

Needs to speak out

In every way, Sima is a self-made woman, with high ideals and a need to speak out against the restrictions of an oppressive society, such as the fundamentalist regime in Iran. She is a strong advocate for the disenfranchised and the rights of all, specifically those of women. She raises funds for many charities, including Dans La Rue, Sun Youth and local food banks.

Sima lives in Montreal where today she works as a successful chiropractor and is an ardent public speaker advocating for healthy living based on stress management and lifestyle choices.

Having recently completed a wellness certificate and currently working towards a degree in functional neurology, Sima considers herself as a perpetual student who loves learning. She believes that education is an on-going process and that true healing embodies mind, body and spirit. Her life mission is to help others take responsibility for their whole being.

Wellness expert, health advocate, in-demand public speaker, and inspiring author, Sima considers her most important role to be that of wife to her beloved husband, a Canadian-born entrepreneur, and mother to her two teenage boys.