English Edition
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190 results
The Islamic Republic invokes love of country while speaking of trust-building and the return of Iranians abroad. This article examines the legal contradictions, coerced expressions of regret and political use of patriotic feeling behind those claims, and distinguishes love of Iran from loyalty to the state.
On International Children’s Day, S. Rouzbeh examines the gap between Iran’s symbolic celebrations and the realities facing children, including poverty, child marriage, child labour, barriers to education and violence.
S. Rouzbeh examines the Lion and Sun as a longstanding symbol of Iranian identity, its removal after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the ideological emblem that replaced it.
The article argues that corruption, mismanagement and public hardship at home pose a greater threat to the Islamic Republic than the return of international sanctions, warning that the domestic trigger could lead to social upheaval.
Drawing on Marquez’s novel about Simón Bolívar’s final months, S. Rouzbeh compares the leader’s lonely decline with Ali Khamenei’s decades in a labyrinth of power, fear and repeated political retreats.
More than seventy Iranian MPs have called for a revision of the country’s nuclear doctrine and for building and stockpiling an atomic bomb. The letter reflects political divisions at home and appears aimed at strengthening Tehran’s bargaining position, but it risks deepening Iran’s international isolation and increasing the danger of sanctions and conflict.
S. Rouzbeh reflects on the deaths of Jabbar and Saminé Baghcheban, their work in children’s literature and deaf education, and the marginalisation of Persian language and literature after the 1979 Revolution.
An account of civil disobedience as a non-violent means of challenging authoritarian rule and building democracy, drawing on historical examples and Prince Reza Pahlavi’s emphasis on strikes and organised non-cooperation.
The death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in the custody of the morality police ignited a nationwide uprising shaped by gender discrimination, restrictions on personal freedoms, economic crises and declining political legitimacy. This report examines the movement’s origins, reach, decentralised structure, human cost and the reasons the protests eventually subsided.
S. Rouzbeh recalls the spontaneous candlelight gathering in Tehran after the 11 September attacks, describing how people expressed solidarity with victims and distinguished their compassion from the government’s rhetoric.
From classical poets to modern voices, Persian poetry has given expression to protest, resistance and solidarity, and has played a central role in Iran’s social movements.
A new council and joint-investment scheme are presented as efforts to attract capital and connect with experts, but S. Rouzbeh argues that they also serve to control the Iranian diaspora and shift political and sanctions-related risks onto people abroad.
Iran’s crises, the author argues, expose the danger of a constitutional system that places decisions about war and peace in one leader’s hands. Concentrated power, filtered information and silenced criticism have left the country vulnerable to disastrous decisions; the author urges action before it is too late.
S. Rouzbeh examines Khamenei’s rejection of direct talks with the United States after the 12-day war, amid the threat of Europe activating the snapback mechanism. The article considers the risks of rhetorical escalation, the economic costs borne by ordinary people, and possible scenarios for the coming three to six months.
A comparison between the candid social statistics published by Tehran’s municipality in 1301 and today’s selective statistical system argues that Iran has lost the transparency needed to see and understand social reality.
H. Soleimani examines the roots and psychological mechanisms of collective numbness in Iran, and the recurring cycle of silence, eruption and repression.
H. Soleimani examines how the Islamic Republic reshapes language to obscure political realities, from relabelling political prisoners as security prisoners to describing censorship as protection. The article explores the religious and political roots of this practice and lists examples of its euphemisms.
A review of political deception in the Islamic Republic, from the Iran–Iraq War to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, and a comparison of how reality is manipulated in Iran, democracies, Russia and China.