Nightmares and Dreams of Iranian Republicanism: the crisis of 2026 and the responsibility of intellectuals
Iran's 1906 constitutional revolution Iran's 1979 Revolution Current Jan 2026 protests Nightmares and Dreams of Iranian Republicanism: the crisis of 2026 and the responsibility of intellectuals Farid Saberi Note for Reader: What follows is intended to be a sketch or list of observations written in response to the desperate need for clarity and better understanding in these horrifying times. The most important thing for the writer has been not to fall for simplifying framing that distorts the picture: a battle between the so-called brutal medieval mindset of political Islam against the liberal mentality of modern Iranians. Mainstream media illicit this kind of implicit background framing for the issues. It is convenient, but it has nothing to do with the reality of the actual historical development of the complex and modern Iranian society and its variety of classes and cultural identities. This simplifying-distorting framing of the...
