In this seminal piece of writing Nobel Peace Laureate, lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi brings to light the legal aspects of life as a refugee in Iran. Controversial issues such as the right to education, property and inheritance are addressed in detail through a comparative study of Iranian and international refugee law. Ebadi argues that there is nothing inherent in the legal structure of Islamic states that prevents them from upholding basic human rights for refugees, and she reveals how these rights are protected in a country like Iran, where the Islamic legal system is predominant.