Islamic Revolution of Iran
All topics-
Cracks in Iran's regime?
The Iranian elites' deafening silence
A speech by a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Guard recently caused speculation in Iran. Religious leader Khamenei has also dismissed Tehran's former police chief and replaced him with someone even more brutal, raising fears of further escalation. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Eye-witness on Iran protests
Exiled artist Forouhar: 'A country in turmoil'
Visiting the country of her parents, murdered by the Iranian regime in 1998, German-Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar finds a changed society: hopeful, strong and courageous, despite all the repression
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"1001 Nights Apart"
Dancing for freedom in Iran
Ballet performances are prohibited in Iran. In her film "1001 Nights Apart", director Sarvnaz Alambeigi documents the history of dance in the Islamic Republic. By Fahimeh Farsaie
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Ebrahim Raisi
Iran's 'death committee' president
Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi is overseeing an unyielding crackdown. The current situation grimly echoes his role in a purge of political prisoners in 1988
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Protests in Iran
The longing for a modern form of Islam
Forty-three years after Khomeini's revolution, the regime is facing its greatest internal challenge yet. State Islam in Iran is being rocked from beneath.
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Protests in Iran
Rethinking Sharia and democracy
According to a recent survey, half of all Iranians say that they have left Islam as a religion, while two-thirds believe Islamic law should be excluded from their legal system. In the following essay, Ahmet T. Kuru explores the implications
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Iran and global energy supplies
Covert conflict in the Gulf
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe has been trying to find alternatives to Russian gas, inevitably zeroing in on the Arab Gulf states. In his commentary, Yemeni politician Muammar al-Iryani proposes a simple way for the West to secure international shipping routes
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Iran protests 2022
Tehran fatally oblivious to social change
The Islamic Republic has been unable to quell the civil unrest that erupted three months ago, after Mahsa Amini died after being detained for violating hijab rules. Now the protesters have broadened their demands. Commentary by Djavad Salehi-Isfahani
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Iran's Mohammad Reza Shajarian
Force of nature and symbol of freedom
"The Voice of Dust and Ash" draws us into the life and times of Iranian maestro Mohammad Reza Shajarian with passion and joy, focusing on the man who stood, and still stands, for a nation. By Richard Marcus
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Iran protests 2022
Female film stars show solidarity
In Iran, two famous actresses, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, were arrested recently. These days anyone who shows solidarity with the protesters is a target to be silenced. By Kevin Tschierse
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Protests in Iran
Islamic Republic facing a religious watershed
Iranians do not want an Islam that interferes. They are fed up with a system that manipulates people with simple promises of salvation and anti-Western propaganda. Islamic theologian Hamideh Mohagheghi sees Iran at a religious crossroads
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Asef Bayat on the Iran protests
"A movement to reclaim life"
For seven weeks, Iran has been rocked by protests not seen since the Islamic Republic’s inception. This interview with sociologist Asef Bayat, originally conducted in Persian, examines how this latest wave of unrest differs and asks what has changed in Iranian society