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Strikes Across Kurdistan in Protest Against Executions
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On Wednesday, January 22, shopkeepers and merchants across Kurdistan launched a strike to protest against the death sentences issued by the Islamic regime. This organized demonstration faced threats of shop closures and conflicting reports from regime-linked sources, highlighting the tense environment surrounding the protests.
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The Sacred Fig and the Death of Patriarchy
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I watched The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof at an alternative cinema in old town of Bern. They’re saying it’s up for the Best International Feature at the Oscars, and honestly, I see why. The story follows Iman, a man who’s spent 21 years serving the regime. He’s just been promoted…
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The Struggles of Iranian Workers in 2024
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The year 2024 was a testament to the unyielding spirit of Iran’s labor movement, even as it battled relentless oppression. Across 31 provinces and 70 cities, workers, teachers, retirees, and healthcare professionals staged 2,396 protests and 169 strikes. Their demands were not extravagant—wages above the poverty line, payment of long-overdue salaries, and basic workplace…
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The Machinery of Death and the Myth of Resistance
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The ceasefire is not a gift from Donald Trump. It’s the result of a temporary exhaustion of the machinery of death. Killing costs money, after all, and even the West can only dress up its carnage as a fight against terror for so long before the façade starts to crack. There’s also the matter…
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Strategic Depth or Internal Collapse? Iran’s Military Obsession
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The Shah’s relentless militarization, symbolized by his obsession with F-14 fighter jets, showcased a regime entrenched in contradictions. It prioritized external threats over internal stability, pouring resources into military Keynesianism while neglecting fundamental needs like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. This militarized economy deepened social inequalities and fueled repression, leaving Iran’s workers, peasants, and students…
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The Dangers of Nationalism: Lessons from Mansoor Hekmat
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My acquaintance with Mansoor Hekmat began in 2004, during a time of turbulence, both in the world and in my own search for meaning. It was in Sanandaj, center city of Kurdistan province in Iran, in the quiet defiance of an underground gathering, that I met a group of members from the Communist Workers’…
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Concrete Sovereignty: The Geopolitics of Iran’s Border Walls
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Iran’s border walls, stretching along its eastern and western frontiers, are more than physical barriers—they are tools of political control and exclusion. Framed as security measures against smuggling, migration, and terrorism, these projects reflect a deeper agenda of consolidating state power and addressing regional pressures. The eastern wall, designed to block crossings from Afghanistan,…
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Impact of the Hijab Law on Iranian Society
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The newly approved Hijab Law in Iran, composed of 74 articles across five chapters, has ignited a storm of criticism among legal experts, citizens, journalists, and political figures. Many see it as a direct assault on individual and social freedoms, imposing restrictions that clash with the realities of daily life in a rapidly evolving…
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One Name, Many Lives: The Myth of the ‘Muslim Woman’
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The story of the “Muslim woman” is not a story at all—it’s a shadow cast by politics, a construct made to fit agendas, not lives. Behind the veil of this title are millions of women with struggles as diverse as their names. But too often, these struggles are erased, replaced by a single narrative…
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The Impact of Trump’s Return on EU Policies
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The U.S. and the EU are diverging, with the U.S. investing heavily in technology and infrastructure and experiencing economic growth, while Europe struggles with stagnation and rising energy costs. The U.S. has notably increased its manufacturing and innovation output since the 2008 crash, whereas many European nations lag behind. Europe is urged to unify…
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The Dangers of Labeling: Islamophobia vs. Racism
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“Islamophobia” is a word I cannot trust. It hides the truth. What we face is racism. A deep, old racism that puts people in boxes before they even speak. A racism that judges them not for who they are but for where they come from. This racism has a name—Orientalism. It has a face—the…
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Navigating Oppression: Women’s Stories from Tehran’s Settlements
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In the southeast shadow of Tehran, where the city’s heartbeat fades into the hum of agriculture and unpaved roads, lies Hesaramir. Its duality—a historic Upper Hesaramir and a migrant-built Turkabad—creates a kaleidoscope of lives, traditions, and struggles. Yet, the soul of this settlement is found in its women, whose voices, though often subdued, tell…