Iran in Turmoil. Religion, Violence, and Social Movements: A Discussion on the Recent Uprisings
Focusing on recent protests in Iran, this session brings together two scholars of modern Iran to offer contextual, nuanced, and cross-disciplinary perspectives. The programme will include a brief introduction, short presentations by the speakers, and an open Q&A.
Misagh Javadpour will examine the history of revolutionary actors and violence in Iran, drawing connections to the 1979 Revolution and offering insights from his research on social movements.
Arash Ghajarjazi will explore the cultural and historical roots of secularism and religious–non-religious dynamics in contemporary Iran, arguing for the analytical importance of non-religion in the latest wave of protests and for approaches that move beyond conventional right–left political styles.
The event will be moderated by Maryam Ghadyani, research fellow at the IISG.
Practical information
Date 3 February 2026
Time 16:00
Place IISH, Cruquiusweg 31, Amsterdam
Entry Free admission, but due to the organisation, please send an email to event@iisg.nl if you would like to attend.
Misagh Javadpour is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. His current research project focuses on the dynamics of social movements, revolutions, and violence.
Dr. Arash Ghajarjazi is a media and cultural historian working as a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University. His current project examines media coverage of debates on political secularism in Iranian journalism, with a focus on diaspora media since 2009.
