Art education is thriving in Iran despite facing obstacles by some conservative Islamic elements. Women are especially active in making and exhibiting art in the contemporary period. Through an... Show moreArt education is thriving in Iran despite facing obstacles by some conservative Islamic elements. Women are especially active in making and exhibiting art in the contemporary period. Through an ethnographic enquiry into women’s art education at the Tehran and Al-Zahra Universities, the ways in which women assert themselves as highly active members of a complex and changing society will be examined. Ethnographic research allows for long-held stereotypes to be corrected, truer versions of reality to come to the fore, and hopefully, the spaces and texts of “the other” to be better understood. Show less
With the gradual opening of Iranian society in the second decade after the Islamic Revolution, a number of research centers and networks have been established. Scholarly interest in Iran has also... Show moreWith the gradual opening of Iranian society in the second decade after the Islamic Revolution, a number of research centers and networks have been established. Scholarly interest in Iran has also been shifting from examining the causes of the Revolution to investigating its consequences. Scholars are increasingly conducting research based on archival analysis, in-depth interviewing, participant observation and survey analysis to investigate social transformations that have taken place in Iran. Show less
In 1995, many Islamists seemed torn about the policies and practices of the emerging Taliban in Afghanistan. On the one hand, the Taliban could be seen as freedom fighters struggling against... Show moreIn 1995, many Islamists seemed torn about the policies and practices of the emerging Taliban in Afghanistan. On the one hand, the Taliban could be seen as freedom fighters struggling against infidels (and foreign intervention) to create an Islamic society governed according to strict adherence to Islamic law, or sharica. On the other hand, Taliban leaders were implementing extremely repressive measures not only against the Jews, Hindus, and Sikhs - that had long coexisted with Afghanistan's majority Muslims - but also against Afghani Muslims. Why did the Taliban create such uneasiness among Islamists? The following examines transnational dialogues among Islamists as they debated whether or not to support the Taliban. Show less
Theories of cultural stagnation and decline or of modernization's devastation in the realm of Sufism have not only figured in orientalist or social science repertoires. Conversing with contemporary... Show moreTheories of cultural stagnation and decline or of modernization's devastation in the realm of Sufism have not only figured in orientalist or social science repertoires. Conversing with contemporary Iranian Sufis, one comes across a remarkable consensus: the Safawid rise to state power coincided with the eclipse of Sufism's radiant sun in Iran, and it has never since regained its former brilliance. Whether such views hold true in the history of ideas or at the strictly literary level remains for specialists to decide. However, various social and political transformations that have conditioned Iranian Sufism as it is presently known, contradict the idea of Sufism's stagnant and therefore negligible religiosity. Show less
The implementation of the sharicah and the institutionalization of gender inequality in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution have provoked general discontent among women and triggered their... Show moreThe implementation of the sharicah and the institutionalization of gender inequality in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution have provoked general discontent among women and triggered their mobilization against segregation laws. As a response to their demands, Islamist women parliamentarians have been forced to prepare motions to defend more adequately women's needs and rights in both the private sphere of the family and the public sphere, maintaining that the teachings of Islam are not respected. Show less
On 18 February 2000, Iran held its 6th parliamentary elections after the 1979 revolution and the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The elections were yet another challenge to cleric... Show moreOn 18 February 2000, Iran held its 6th parliamentary elections after the 1979 revolution and the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The elections were yet another challenge to cleric rule. Despite provisional measures, the dominant hard-line conservative faction of the government suffered its third embarrassing defeat of the past three years, the first being the surprise presidential victory of Sayyed Mohammad Khatami on 22 May 1997. Secondly, in the municipal elections of 26 April 1999, reform candidates won a majority of the 200,000 seats in city and village councils across the country. Thirdly, in the recent parliamentary elections, the pro-Khatami reform candidates had a landslide victory. These consecutive triumphs indicate a strong desire among the people for structural change, democracy and secularization in Iran. Show less
Divorce Iranian Style is a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini. It is set in a small courtroom in central Tehran, and follows a number of women who come before a non... Show moreDivorce Iranian Style is a documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini. It is set in a small courtroom in central Tehran, and follows a number of women who come before a non-plussed judge and by turn use whatever they can - reason, argument, charm, outrage, pleas for sympathy, patience, and wit - to get what they each need. There are four main characters: Massy, who wants to divorce her inadequate husband; Ziba, an outspoken 16-year-old who proudly stands up to her 38-year-old husband and his family; Jamileh, who brings her husband to court to teach him a lesson; and Maryam, remarried and desperate to regain custody of her two daughters. Show less
Audiovisual material played a vital role in the Iranian revolution of 1978/79. Khomeini's use of audio cassettes is well known, but the internal opposition against the Shah also made frequent use... Show moreAudiovisual material played a vital role in the Iranian revolution of 1978/79. Khomeini's use of audio cassettes is well known, but the internal opposition against the Shah also made frequent use of visual material to spread their ideas. After the proclamation of the Islamic Republic, the new leaders continued this system. They regarded the use of wall paintings, posters and billboards, as an effective method for propaganda and mobilization, since many of their supporters were illiterate. Show less
