by: Farah Shilandari When talking about Iranian female identity, veiling is one of the most controversial issues. Some scholars believe that Islamic culture, particularly the imposed veil, deconstructs women’s self-identity, and reconstructs an identity of obedience for them. Therefore, it is relevant to look briefly into a short history of the process of veiling, unveiling [...]

BRUSSELS — European Union nations and the continent’s biggest human rights organization slammed Iran on Wednesday for its plan to stone a woman convicted of adultery, while Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican said there is “hope” the punishment could be eased upon review by Iranian authorities. The plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother [...]

Former Cuban revolutionary and President Fidel Castro has been quoted as criticizing Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad for espousing anti-Semitic attitudes and denying the Holocaust. Castro is quoted as making the comments during meetings with Jeffrey Goldberg, a writer for the U.S. magazine “The Atlantic,” who recently visited Cuba and spent portions of three days meeting [...]

A few hundred inmates at Tehran’s Evin prison are reported to have been denied phone calls since 17 of them launched a hunger strike in late July, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reports. There are an estimated 200 political prisoners in Evin prison’s Ward 350, many of them journalists, students, and civil activists who were arrested during [...]

A member of Children Rights advocate, said: “the result of temporary marriage in accordance with the Family Protection Act has been nothing but unsafe and unhealthy children and humiliated mothers.” During the last monthly meeting of the Association to support children’s rights Shiva Dolatabadi stated: ” based on women psychology, the sense of uniqueness is [...]

Shiva Nazar Ahari’s lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, has expressed concern about his client’s upcoming trial considering the heavy charge of moharebeh (enmity with God) in her case. “Shiva Nazar Ahari’s case is being reviewed in the same branch that reviewed Badrolssadat Mofidi’s case. I believe the ruling in Ms. Mofidi’s case to be illegal and therefore [...]

Iranian authorities on Saturday arrested the prominent lawyer and women’s rights activist Nasrine Sotoudeh, her husband told Babylon & Beyond. Sotoudeh, in her 40s, is among the small cadre of courageous and outspoken lawyers who risk liberty and their careers to take the country’s politically motivated court system to defend political dissidents, activists, women and [...]

Deputy Treasurer of Tehran University announced today that about forty faculty members of the university have retired since the beginning of the Iranian year in March. ISNA reports that Mohammad Hossein Moqimi said that all these individuals were retired according to regulations and legal provisions. He added that some of the professors had put in [...]

As fears rise for the life of Iranian human rights activist, Shiva Nazar-Ahari, demonstrations staged in the past few days by Iranians abroad demanding her release were accompanied with support from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch as well as the European Union. Human rights websites report that Iranians abroad have been gathering in various cities [...]

Basij forces and bikers have gathered in front of Mehdi Karroubi’s home today to prevent him from participating in the Qods Day events. Saham News reports that pro-government forces have gathered outside the opposition leader’s home since eight o’clock this morning. The report goes on to add that once the crowd gathered at his home, [...]