Here we talk about Marxist aesthetics, which does not examine a mechanical opposition of form and substance or the primacy of spirit over matter, and neither it examines the objective and subjective aspects of phenomena separate from each other; but, as a unique aesthetic, tries to examine the relationship between parts and the totality, the general and the particular features of things to make [these relationships] visible to those who cannot see it otherwise. For a better cognition of phenomena, we need a Kantian aesthetics of power of judgment. Therefore, in Marxist aesthetics, one can find traces of Kant’s idealistic aesthetics elaborated in his book the Critique of the Power of Judgment.
The revolutionary rise of “Women, Life, Freedom” has resulted in opposition from workers, women activists, and young people seeking freedom and equality not just against the capitalist government, but also against the manufacturing pro-Western leaders and alternatives. The freedom and equality movement seeks nothing less than the end of capitalist rule and the achievement of happiness and freedom.
In the early days of the Zhina uprising and the Zhin, Zhian, Azadi movement, Baloch women joined forces with their sisters to fight against religious fundamentalism and misogynistic society in Baluchistan/Iran. They demanded gender equality, recognition of female identity, and participation in Baloch nationalism and public life. This movement evolved over time, influenced by the religious views and interpretations of Balochistan’s leaders regarding feminism and nationalism.
Recently, a TV debate on women’s rights in Iran has caused controversy. Dr. Maryam Nasr, a member of the Women’s Studies Department at the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, and a clergyman named Majid Dehghan, a faculty member at the Women and Family Research Institute, discussed the topic of “Sovereignty and Gender Issues” on a television program.
To date, they have received 200 signatures from over 20 countries. Signatories include individuals from various professions such as academics, doctors, lawyers, journalists, and artists, as well as representatives from trade unions, political and associative organizations.
On October 15th, a tragic event occurred at Evin prison in Iran, one of the country’s most feared facilities. Despite the passage of three months, the exact details of what happened remain a mystery, as independent investigations are not permitted in the Islamic Republic. Among the prisoners held at Evin are political dissidents, ordinary citizens, and those arrested for participating in recent anti-government protests.
Mozhgan Keshavarz, an Iranian feminist, was arrested in early 2019 along with two other women’s rights activists, Munirah Arabshahi and Yasman Ariani (mother and daughter), for protesting against the compulsory hijab. Before their arrest, these three had published a video on social media giving flowers to women in the metro without hijab on 8 March. The three were charged with “gathering and coordinating with the aim of acting against national security,” “propaganda against the government,” and “promoting and encouraging prostitution through the promotion of not wearing hijab.”
Rasool Bodaghi is a teacher and a member of the Union of Iranian Educators. Bodaghi has dedicated his life to improving modern education and ensuring that all Iranian children receive a quality, free, and equal education. In a recent note written from Evin prison, he spoke about the demands of teachers over the years and explained the reasons for the government’s repressive actions towards them.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was a waiter in Tehran. Majid Reza Rahnavard, 23, was publicly hanged from a crane in Mashhad (northeastern Iran) and did not have a defined profession. Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, 39, was a worker and an orphan of both parents. He still published pictures on his Instagram that he took on a trip he had more than 17 years ago. Mehdi Karami, 22, was the son of a street handkerchief seller. His last words, spoken before his execution, shocked Iran: “Dad, the sentences have been pronounced. I am sentenced to death. Don’t tell Mom.”
In the past months of the ongoing revolution in Iran, numerous pictures and videos from different Kurdish cities were published on social networks, which had a more radical political message than what was going on in other parts of Iran. “Long live socialism”, “Long live the council management” and emphasizing the opposition to the centralized government along with the capture of urban facilities to make the voices of the fighters louder.
According to the governor of Tehran, approximately 5 million people live in these neighborhoods around the city, many of whom reside in dilapidated buildings that are at risk of collapsing. While the media is not forbidden from publishing reports on these neighborhoods, they may choose not to do so due to the possibility of being accused of spreading false propaganda against the government or officials.
In the Middle East, progressive political groups, including those on the left, right, seculars and radicals such as communists and anarchists, often face brutal suppression by authoritarian governments. At the same time, Islamist groups in the region also actively oppose and attack these progressive movements, using tactics such as assassination, murder, and forced disappearance.
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