Dissent

By Afshin Shahi, Keele University | – The vibrant, brave and unyielding voice of dissent remains strong in Iran despite months of brutal repression by the clerical regime. The “women, life, freedom” movement is an insistent call for change that is meeting the Islamic Republic head-on with resilient defiance. Even as violence curbs the outward […]

Bernie Sanders

As Bernie Sanders warns against Tribalism in America, Who will Stand Up to do the Right Thing?

Peter G. Prontzos

Vancouver (Special to Informed Comment) – It is, unfortunately, not an understatement to say that our world that is becoming increasingly divided, increasingly tribalized. Tribalism is also growing within the United States of course,: racism, homophobia, blue states versus red states, neo-nazis declaring, “Jews will not replace us!”, and simmering anger — dramatically illustrated by […]

Authoritarianism

Turkey’s presidential Election – how Erdoğan defied the Polls to head into Runoff as Favorite

The Conversation

By Salih Yasun, Indiana University | – Turkey is heading toward a presidential runoff election on May 28, 2023, after no candidate won more than half the votes in the first round – the barrier needed to be declared an outright winner. Incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has ruled the country for two decades, defied […]

Authoritarianism

Tunisia Doubles Down on Democratic Rollback

Human Rights Watch

Published in: Foreign Policy Eric Goldstein Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Division goldsteinricky ( Human Rights Watch ) – Some coups and power grabs start with the arrest of the leader of the political opposition. In Tunisia, it took almost two years for President Kais Saied to jail Rached Ghannouchi, the longtime […]

Authoritarianism

In Turkey, will one man continue to rule them all? The May 14th elections hold the answer

Arzu Geybullayeva

Written byArzu Geybullayeva ( Globalvoices.org) – May 14 will go down in the history of Turkish Republic as one of the most important elections to date. The stakes are high, and there is a growing sense among the general public that if the current leadership stays in power, the country’s future is grim […]

Authoritarianism

Not Just Rallies: Iranian Protesters are Drafting Charters and a Bill of Rights

The Conversation

By Mona Tajali, Agnes Scott College; and Homa Hoodfar, Concordia University | – (The Conversation) – It’s been six months since the latest spark ignited mass protests in Iran — the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa (Jina) Amini in morality police custody after she was arrested for allegedly failing to wear her hijab properly. The […]

Authoritarianism

Iranians are done with Kings and Ayatollahs, and look back to Mosaddegh for a Way forward

Fariba Amini

Newark, Delaware (Feature — Special to Informed Comment) – The debate over the coup 1953 still lingers on especially now that there are discussions whether the Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, after forming a coalition with a few opposition figures, might even seek the return of monarchy, the monarchy which ended in 1979. On Facebook, clubhouse […]

Authoritarianism

Iran: Unions and Civil Rights groups demand Democracy and social Justice

The Conversation

By Simin Fadaee, University of Manchester | – Forty-four years after Iranians rose up against their hated monarch in February 1979, a group of 20 organisations engaged in long-term social and economic struggles – including labour unions, teachers, women’s groups and youth and student movements – issued an ultimatum to the government of the Islamic […]

Authoritarianism

Silent no more: Criticism of the state’s inadequate earthquake response reaches football stadiums in Turkey

Arzu Geybullayeva

Fans also called for the ruling AKP government to resign Written byArzu Geybullayeva Screenshot from Besiktas football club’s official YouTube channel video of the stadium. ( Globalvoices.org ) – It was an unforgettable moment as fans of one of Turkey’s main football teams, Besiktas, started throwing thousands of plush bear toys onto the Vodafone […]