Islam

By Deina Abdelkader, UMass Lowell | – (The Conversation) – Most Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi’ al-awaal – which starts on the evening of Oct. 7 in 2022. Muslims view the celebration, called Mawlid al-Nabi or simply the Mawlid, […]

Development

Bohra Muslim digital Entrepreneurship shows how religious Communities can help Women Thrive

The Conversation

By Arwa Hussain, Concordia University | – (The Conversation) – Women from religious communities around the world, like the Dawoodi Bohras, are harnessing the potential of social media platforms to set up or expand their businesses and build entrepreneurial networks. The ease of access, wide reach and collaborative nature of these platforms is providing more […]

Authoritarianism

Iran: School and University Women Lead Rallies, Sit-ins Bareheaded, as Leader Khamenei Softens on Compulsory Veiling

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Monday in Iran, demonstrations, marches and rallies continued for the 17th day, spearheaded by high school and college students. Many universities entered a third day of class boycotts by students, who said they would not return to their studies until the government released imprisoned students. At some universities students […]

Authoritarianism

3 ways these latest Iran Demonstrations are different from past Protests

The Conversation

By Naser Ghobadzadeh, Australian Catholic University | – Once again, Iran is in the midst of political upheaval and civil unrest. The latest protests, triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police, follow several other protests that have occurred in Iran over recent years. So what is new […]

Iran

Juan Cole on Theocracy: The David Feldman Show (Video)

Juan Cole

The David Feldman Show | Juan Cole on Theocracy | – “03:30:52 SPECIAL GUEST: Professor Juan Cole in conversation with Professor Adnan Husain Professor Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Since 2002, he has written and edited Informed Comment (juancole.com). On today’s show: Professor Cole draws […]

Feminism

Iranian women have been rebelling against restrictions since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 – with renewed hope that protests this time will end differently

The Conversation

By Pardis Mahdavi, The University of Montana | – Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in custody of the “morality police” in Tehran. These protests have echoes from past resistance movements. For the past […]

Feminism

Iran protests: majority of people reject compulsory hijab and an Islamic regime, surveys find

The Conversation

By Pooyan Tamimi Arab, Utrecht University and Ammar Maleki, Tilburg University | – (The Conversation) – A young woman’s death in custody in Iran on September 16 has sparked nationwide protests. Mahsa Amini’s fatal injuries resulted from an arrest and beating by the country’s hijab police, which enforces the mandatory and “correct” way of wearing […]

Feminism

Unrest across Iran Continues under State’s extreme Gender Apartheid

The Conversation

By Haidar Khezri, University of Central Florida | – Unrest continues to erupt across Iran following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, who died after being arrested and reportedly beaten by Iran’s morality police. The Iranian force took Mahsa (Zhina) Amini into detention on Sept. 16, 2022, for not wearing her hijab according […]

Bill of Rights

From Veiling to Abortion, Iran’s Theocrats seek to Control Women’s Bodies, just as do U.S. Republican Theocrats

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Saturday, hard line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announced that his government would pull out the stops to crush the popular unrest sweeping the country that was sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa “Zhina” Amini, 22, a Kurdish young woman who was arrested by the morals police for […]