A Postscript Note: I finished writing this piece prior to the Israeli-US attacks on Iranian cities and nuclear facilities, which killed over a thousand people. There is, therefore,…
Wie geht es weiter mit der iranischen Opposition? Viele haben nur vage Vorstellungen eine künftigen Demokratie, nicht wenig aber verklären die Vergangenheit unter der Herrschaft des Shahs. Doch…
Trotz brutaler Repression halten die Proteste im Iran weiterhin an. Der herrschende Klerus kann die „Massen“ nicht mehr hinter sich sammeln, wie er das seit dem 18. Jahrhundert…
Despite brutal repression, protests in Iran continue. The ruling clergy can no longer rally the “masses” behind it, as it has done successfully time and again since the…
This is a beautifully illustrated text, a copy of a text first written in the 14th century. You can examine it at https://smarthistory.org/the-ardashirnama-judeo-persian-manuscript/?fbclid=IwAR2H…
The protests in Iran began with a revolutionary act of mourning that became a symbol of the movement: cutting off the hair. The protesters are responding to a…
Die Proteste im Iran begannen mit einem revolutionären Akt des Trauerns, der zu Symbolbild der Bewegung wurde: das Abschneiden der Haare. Sie antworten auf ein Regime, das nicht…
The Familiar Strange · Ep #97: AI Art & Activist Anthropology Revisited: This Month on TFS This week we’re joined by Familiar Strangers Kathy, Lachlan, Alex and Sean…
Interview by Michael Fischer https://www.seankingston.co.uk/publishing.html Michael Fischer: It is so great to see your book finally coming out in print: we’ve been talking about it in semi…
The James Simon Galerie of the Staatliuche Museen zu Berlin has an ongoing exhibition on Iranian art. Click here for details.
My friend, the historian G. Rex Smith, has recently translated into English a marvelous travel diary by the French military official and traveller Pierre Loti (1850-1923). It is…
An excellent analysis of U.S. policy in the Middle East by Juan Cole.
The British diplomat Sir Valentine Chirol (1852-1929) wrote a memoir entitled Fifty Years in a Changing World (New York: Harcourt and Brace, 1928). Among the areas in the…
A richly illustrated book in French from 1887 on Iraq and Persia has an incredible number of illustrations. The book can be downloaded here. I attach some of…
At least 337 Books published in Germany on Islam and history of the Middle East are available to read online or download. Most are in German but a…
There is an interesting article on Qantara about the significance of the German poet Goethe’s famous West-Östliche Divan, first published 1819. To read an English translation, click here.
The online event “Under the Sails – Maritime Conversation on Trade and Seafaring. Perspectives from Iran and Kuwait” held on May 26, 2021 is now available to view…
There is a new exhibit on Iran at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London through 12 September. If you cannot make it to the exhibition, there is…
This new recording by Misagh Joolaee is sad but enthralling at the same time. Read about it and listen on the Qantara Website.
Officers wearing a traditional late 1960s uniform (left) and a new demilitarized uniform featuring a blazer (right), Riverside County Sheriff, 1969 by Stuart Schrader via Journal of Urban…
In 1928 my mother, who was 6 years old at the time, received a coloring book from a neighbour. It was called “Big Circus Painting and Crayoning Book”…
Le 4 janvier 2021 English Version Madame la Maire, Si je vous écris aujourd’hui, c’est pour vous faire part de ma tristesse, et de mon indignation.…
There is a fascinating talk on Youtube by Travis Zadeh on marvels and wonders in Islamic texts, especially the many versions of al-Qazwini.
Abstract Temporary Marriage an Approved Way of Submission Temporary marriage is a multi-dimensional topic. It allows Muslim men and women to be considered as husband and wife for…