Essay

At the outset, I must state that I fundamentally disagree with John Mearsheimer’s realist interpretation of the Middle East, particularly regarding Iran. Mearsheimer, a distinguished international relations theorist and professor at the University of Chicago, is renowned for his contributions to realist theory, notably through works such as The Tragedy of Great Power Politics and his co-authored…

Turkey has voiced deep and multifaceted concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, driven by a complex interplay of regional security, stability, and shifting geopolitical realities. As a nation sharing a 500-kilometer border with Iran, Turkey perceives the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran as a direct and immediate threat, one that could upend the delicate balance of…

Akbar Ganji’s essay, first published in Foreign Affairs in August 2013 and later republished, provides a detailed yet arguably biased intellectual and biographical profile of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ganji, an Iranian dissident and former political prisoner, delves into Khamenei’s worldview, which continues to shape Iranian policy even under more moderate presidents like…

In my earlier works, I did not hesitate to critique various members of the Iranian elite—those whom I regarded as “phony” and self-serving intellectuals across cinematic, literary, and poetic circles. My dissatisfaction stemmed from what I perceived as their failure to meaningfully contribute to the betterment of society. Their voices, though loud in cultural and…

Democracy, at its core, is not about enabling or legitimizing false or harmful narratives. Rather, it is founded on principles of accountability, responsibility, and the rule of law, where actions are met with appropriate rewards or consequences. In contrast, many religious systems—most notably Islam—often place ultimate accountability solely in the hands of God, rather than…

Language is a fundamental element in the cultivation and empowerment of nationalism. It acts as a crucial mechanism through which collective identities are constructed, mobilized, and sustained. This essay explores the various dimensions in which language influences nationalism, supported by historical, sociological, and political evidence.

The fact that every collective protest action ends in bloodshed is a clear and undeniable sign of a structural crisis and a chronic lack of competence in crisis management. Reports have emerged of violent intervention by Israeli agents and groups with a history of crime and terror in the recent protests. However, this in no…

Regime Atrocities: The Iranian regime’s criminal acts and human rights violations extend beyond its borders, threatening regional and global stability. Ideological Extremism: The Ayatollah’s belief in divine authority to eliminate non-believers and establish global Sharia law mirrors extremist doctrines. Parallels to Nazi Doctrine: Evidence suggests similarities between the regime’s philosophy and the Nazi “final solution,” particularly regarding threats…

Is the West ensnared in a cycle of Repetition Compulsion? Sigmund Freud once described repetition compulsion as an unconscious urge to reenact unresolved conflicts, often to achieve mastery or resolution. Since 1979, the West has embarked on a significant political endeavor by initiating a “foreign human rights policy” without a thorough analysis of the diverse…