This paper focuses on examining the online activities of a group of diasporic Iranians who exhibit Israeli proxy nationalism online by openly expressing support for Israel and Zionism. By analysing posts, reposts and comments made on X after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 using the hashtag #IraniansStandWithIsrael, the paper aims to […]
People inside Iran been demonstrating against their government for the past two weeks, taking tremendous risks and losing their lives in the hope of actualizing their dream of a free Iran. Horrific images and reports out of Iran indicate that hundreds of protesters have been killed, if not thousands. There has been a communication blackout […]
This is a short version of the talk I gave for the seminar called “Embodied Dignity: Worthy bodies: incarnated moralities” on December 9, 2025, 15h to 17h (UTC+1), at KULeuven. In the seminar, Walter Mignolo and I discussed the notion of embodied dignity in decolonial theory. *** I was given the assignment to begin with the […]
Abstract: This paper examines the historical relationship between Shi’i jurisprudence and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s reproductive biopolitics. Using archival methods, the paper looks into the similarities and differences between religious interpretations and Iranian law. It then analyzes the implications of the recent ‘Family Protection and Youthful Population’ law, enacted in 2021 in response to […]
Abstract: This introductory article examines the relationship between gender, sexuality, and state violence through a transnational, historical, and intersectional lens. We argue that state violence against women and LGBTQIA+ communities operates through diverse mechanisms, including discriminatory laws, institutional neglect, surveillance, and direct physical and symbolic violence. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding how gender- […]
Abstract: In this paper, we explore queer temporalities in relation to queer women and non-binary people’s sexuality later in life. Drawing on 30 interviews with 32 queer women and non-binary people aged 49-72 about sexuality and intimacy in later life, we highlight the participants’ stories about the instability and non-linearity of sexuality across the life […]
Abstract: This article focuses on the questions of academic freedom, scholar activism, public science, and social engagement. The five authors represent scholars from different disciplines and scientific paradigms as well as diverse gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic, and class backgrounds, yet they share a joint passion for academic ‘activism’. The paper, therefore, reflects a multitude […]
Abstract: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British dual citizen, was detained by the Iranian state from April 2016 to March 2022 and charged with spying and propaganda activities against the Iranian state without due process. After her release and return to the UK, Zaghari-Ratcliffe criticized the UK government in a press conference, which triggered a Twitter campaign […]
Abstract: This article examines the challenges and precarity faced by diasporic women scholars researching Iranian politics during and after the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising. Drawing on personal reflections and broader academic experiences, I explore how transnational repression, surveillance, online harassment, and political polarization shape the work and lives of Iranian diaspora scholars. This article highlights […]
Abstract: This essay consists of a set of digital (post-)pandemic email correspondence held between a political sociologist and an interdisciplinary philosopher working at Western European universities while the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly unfolded itself. Starting from an unsettling point in time in 2021, during which vaccination strategies and numerous eugenic pandemic containment measures were being discussed, […]