Iran

Iran and the Contradictions of “Humanitarian Intervention”: A Philosophical Perspective

The following is an edited version of a speech delivered by an Iranian community member at a recent teach-in on Iran. The teach-in emphasized popular struggle against clerical tyranny in Iran while resisting the right-wing, monarchist call for imperialist intervention.   From a fringe far-right position, Iranian monarchism has grown in its relative popularity over the past two decades. It has become one of the main ideological forces shaping the political mentality of the Iranian diaspora in North America, especially after the recent round of street protests starting in Tehran and brutal repression in January 2026. Exclusivity and impulsive hostility toward…

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Nightmares and Dreams of Iranian Republicanism: The Responsibility of Intellectuals

The following is an account of an Iranian student at Western University reflecting on the current protests in Iran and its promises and dangers. The situation in Iran is so dark and stark that it leaves anyone too overwhelmed for sober and comprehensive analysis.  It is important, however, not to fall for a simplifying framing that distorts the picture into a mere battle between the so-called brutal medieval mindset of political Islam against the secular mentality of modern Iranians. This framing is based on Orientalism, cultural essentialism, and dissociating cultural and political conflicts from the history of class and economic development…

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“Grounding: States of Gender”: Persian calligraphy documents memoir of womanhood in Iran 

“What are the ways in which gender — our gender as women — has actually conditioned our life?” asked Iranian artist Gita Hashemi, introducing her performance Grounding: States of Gender at Western University’s John Labatt Visual Arts Centre on January 8. Curated by Soheila Esfahani, the exhibit will be displayed at the artLAB Gallery until January 29.  Grounding features Persian calligraphy in red and black ink that tells the story of a woman in Tehran named Zahra. The swaying script is written on twenty-two scrolls that cover the gallery walls, circling audiences from all sides. Live-streamed footage of Hashemi writing…

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