Domestic Relations

Khamenei’s Strategy Backfires among His Own Supporters

September 23rd, 2009

Dariush Zahedi

ISTANBUL—Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decision to give unequivocal backing to the demands of hardliners in charge of ensuring Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection and the generals’ monopoly over the nation’s key political and economic institutions is filled with risk. Although his choice in the matter may have been limited, Khamenei’s actions appear irrevocably to have alienated a vast cross-section of the Iranian population from the regime. more»

Hashemi-Rafsanjani Faces Greatest Test of His Career

September 23rd, 2009

Anonymous

TEHRAN—Former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is perhaps the ultimate survivor in the rough-and-tumble world of Iranian politics, but now the aging revolutionary has found himself at the very center of Iran’s instability, in what could prove the ultimate test of his survival skills. more»

Opposition Movement Faces Its Greatest Challenge: Rapid Growth but No Leadership

September 23rd, 2009

Anonymous

TEHRAN—With so many leading reformists sitting in Iranian prisons, two important issues have arisen for Iranians: Has the Green Movement, and the broader opposition that it represents, been crushed by the regime’s latest moves? And, how much time has the regime bought to guarantee its survival? more»

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Iran’s Minorities Look to Greens for Equal Rights

Shayan Ghajar

Iran is home to a staggeringly diverse population, with a wide variety of languages and cultures. Due to centuries, if not millennia, of cultural exchanges, intermarriages, and the inherent fluidity of identity in such a pluralistic nation, “ethnicity” does not necessarily hold the same racial baggage that it does in Western cultures, and a family’s self-described ethnicity may change from one generation to the next. Nevertheless, certain minority cultures in Iran are restricted from publishing in their native languages, and face educational and economic disadvantages. Academics and political figures active in promoting their cultures face arrest, and are occasionally executed. Consequently, many Iranian minorities feel antagonized by the current government and support political causes to increase their cultural rights and representation. more»

Turkey’s Domestic Controversy Unfolds Amidst Increasing Ties with Iran

Shayan Ghajar

Events the past few weeks in Turkey indicate that a sea change is occurring in the nation’s domestic politics. Prime Minister Erdogan’s maneuvering against the traditionally untouchable military marks a new phase in Turkey’s history. This shift in Turkey’s domestic politics follows a more gradual but no less relevant shift in its foreign policy, and likely indicates even greater changes to come. Mutual trade, investment, and tourism are growing between Turkey and Iran, and the two nations are increasingly in accord on three of the regions biggest security issues, namely the Middle East peace process, Iran’s nuclear program, and Kurdish separatism. more»

Greens Shift Strategy in Wake of February 11

Shayan Ghajar

The low turnout and disorganization of Green Movement protestors on February 11, Iran’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, highlighted the weaknesses of the opposition’s approach in the face of intensifying pressures from the government. However, while the Green Movement may have suffered its first significant blow from the government last Thursday, both the leadership and grassroots supporters appear to be returning to their original strategy of decentralizing their protests. more»

Domestic Relations

Khamenei’s Strategy Backfires among His Own Supporters

Hashemi-Rafsanjani Faces Greatest Test of His Career

Opposition Movement Faces Its Greatest Challenge: Rapid Growth but No Leadership

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Critical Comments

Iran’s Minorities Look to Greens for Equal Rights

Turkey’s Domestic Controversy Unfolds Amidst Increasing Ties with Iran

Greens Shift Strategy in Wake of February 11