Revolution vérité: playing Iranian history
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 set off a contest of narratives that continues to this day. The revolution that began as a vast popular movement to overthrow the government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the work of numerous factions, some religious, some secular, some liberal and some authoritarian.
Because the visage of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini now defines the revolution for most people, popular media have failed to portray the events of 1979 in any depth. Navid Khonsari, an Iranian-Canadian video game designer known for his work on Grand Theft Auto and Max Payne aims to change that.
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Street harrassment isn't a "Middle Eastern problem"
Street harassment is ubiquitous. Around the world, women are subject to cat calling, groping, and stalking. A Gallop poll from 2011 found that only 62% of women worldwide feel safe walking alone after dark in their own communities. That number drops to 55% for women in Europe.
Given how long we have known about this phenomenon, why did a private rail company in Germany just recently announce a women-only carriage initiative? Rather than responding to long-standing problems in Europe, the creation of a safe space for women, though not necessarily a bad idea, appears to be a response to worries about the influx of ‘dangerous Middle Eastern male refugees’ over the past year. New Year’s Eve attacks on women in Cologne, Germany were widely reported as perpetrated by “North African” men, sparking a Twitter trend called #rapefugees.
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The sound of war
The sounds of the bombardment of my hometown of Dael differed according to whether it was night and by day.
First came the intense shelling.
This would start at nightfall, when the lack of light and electricity would increase our sense of fear. My family and I would gather together and sit in silence, listening to the air raids and missiles. All we could do was pray for our safety.
Continue reading on Damascus Bureau
