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Articles on Ayatollah Khomeini

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In much of the media outside Iran, female protesters not wearing the headscarf have been highlighted as symbols of defiance. AP Photo/Middle East Images, File

The veil in Iran has been an enduring symbol of patriarchal norms – but its use has changed depending on who is in power

The veil as a symbol of oppression has once again moved to center stage in Iran, but it’s important to know about the history of veiling – and mandatory unveiling.
Women holding up photographs of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, on Sept. 24, 2022. Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images

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

A scholar of Iranian politics explains how Iranians have organized resistance movements for the past several decades while risking arrest and public flogging.
People gather at a vigil pray and observe a moment of silence after an attack on author Salman Rushdie on Aug. 12, 2022, in Chautauqua, New York. AP Photo/Joshua Goodman

What is a fatwa? A religious studies professor explains

The attack on Salman Rushdie promptly led to speculation on whether the attacker had been influenced by the 1989 fatwa against the author. A scholar explains what a fatwa is, and isn’t.
Benny Marty/Shutterstock.com

US and Iran have a long, troubled history

Some of the major events in US-Iran relations highlight the differences between the nations’ views, but others presented real opportunities for reconciliation.
The last four decades in Iran have been marked by internal tension due to its political system, which combines theocratic and republican elements. from shutterstock.com

Forty years on from the Iranian Revolution, could the country be at risk of another one?

Reformers have tried to modernise Iran for decades but have failed mainly due to the country’s powerful theocracy. And then there are those who want to overthrow the regime altogether.
Thousands of Iranian women took to the streets to protest against the hijab law in Tehran in the spring of 1979. A women’s movement has recently taken hold in Iran. Hengameh Golestan

Iranian women risk arrest: Daughters of the revolution

Iran’s young “daughters of the revolution” are protesting hijab laws and demanding equal rights. They’re the ultimate symbol of female resistance on this International Women’s Day.
Iranian voters, fed up with politics as usual, have demanded the ouster of both Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. Amr Alfiky/Reuters

Unrest in Iran will continue until religious rule ends

11 activists have died in prison since Iran’s mass protests were crushed in January. Now, some detainees’ families are keeping a daily vigil outside jails. It’s a sign that unrest in Iran is not over.
University students attend a protest inside Tehran University as anti-riot Iranian police prevent them from joining other protesters. AP Photo

Why Iran’s protests matter this time

Although the unrest that shocked Iran’s ruling elite appears to be over, there are several reasons to think this won’t be the last time disaffected citizens take to the streets.

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