Tag: Gaza

The ‘Ayatollah’ opposing US imperialism, and Iran’s Islamic ‘regime’

Kadivar offers a rare insider critique of Iran: opposing US imperialism and Israeli aggression, while also challenging the authoritarianism of the Islamic Republic from within Shia theology itself. He traces his own journey – arrested under both the Shah and the Islamic Republic – and explains how the revolutionary promise of freedom, democracy, and justice was only partially realized. We explore how guardianship of the jurist reshaped Iran. This conversation takes a deep look into how power, religion, personalities, and competing visions of destiny have interacted to make Iran, Iran.

Iran at a Crossroads: Protests and Political Futures

The Islamic Republic bears direct responsibility for the bloodshed, and its Supreme Leader is the principal accused. Opponents of the Islamic Republic can be divided into two groups. The national opposition adheres to three core principles: non-intervention by foreign powers, rejection of domestic tyranny, and a peaceful, democratic transition away from the Islamic Republic. According to the second type of opposition, the Islamic Republic must be overthrown at any cost—even through foreign intervention, and internal armed conflict. A referendum on the constitution of the future system must be held.

“We don’t need a Supreme Leader”

Kadivar evaluates the future of Iran, characterizing the current authoritarian theocratic regime as a failing state that has lost its popular legitimacy. While he acknowledges the government’s continued resilience against immediate collapse, he argues that ‘systemic reform’ or a transition to a secular democratic republic is essential for the nation’s survival. Condemning any foreign aggressions, Kadivar emphasizes that the recent illegal Israel-US attacks have temporarily bolstered Iranian nationalism, while true stability requires the abolition of the Supreme Leader’s office. A national referendum allows citizens to choose between various political models.

Only a Referendum Could Decide Iran’s Future

The Islamic Republic, once born of popular revolution, has evolved into an authoritarian state under Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s long rule, marked by repression, economic decline, and public disillusionment. Over 85% of Iranians oppose current policies, calling for a referendum on the system’s future, with growing support for a secular democratic republic. Despite hostility toward foreign aggression, especially from Israel and the U.S., Iranians reject regime change via external force. Israel’s recent attack on Iran, alongside atrocities in Gaza, underscores global failures of international law, human rights, and ethical governance.

Reflections on Israel’s War Against Iran

Israel’s aggression on Iranian soil must be unequivocally condemned from every perspective. Although Israel has pursued its objectives in the Middle East through military means, backed by highly advanced American and European weaponry, it has failed miserably in the realms of law, morality, and humanity. As a result, Israel is arguably the most hated country in the world. There is no doubt that the aggressor’s hold must be broken and the homeland firmly defended, regarding two principles: prioritizing public consent over governmental demands and respecting national capabilities.

Duke University Academics and Staff for Justice in Palestine Stands with Gaza Solidarity Encampments

We insist that universities and colleges allow all community members including students to freely express their ideas and opinions rather than actively repress them; demilitarize our campuses and refrain from militarizing and policing them further; outline a policy for the future protection of speech, including and especially dissent; take seriously campus demands that universities and colleges divest from companies supporting the military-industrial complex and Israeli state violence, genocide, apartheid, and occupation; and
take seriously campus demands that universities and colleges boycott Israeli institutions through the BDS campaign.

Statement on Palestine

The atrocities we have witnessed on and after October 7th did not happen in a vacuum. We condemn the brutal and inhumane attacks against civilian lives and call for an immediate ceasefire. The situation is a crime against humanity and an ethnic cleansing. The Duke University Faculty for Justice stands in solidarity with those fighting for anti-colonial liberation, including the freedom struggle in Palestine. Over two million people, nearly half of whom are children, have been entrapped in an open-air prison, given very little freedom of movement in and out.

Statement on Palestine from North Carolina Academics

We, faculty from 19 colleges and universities across NC, are writing to strongly condemn Israeli attacks on historic Palestine, from the bombing of the Gaza Strip to the forced evictions in East Jerusalem, and to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people in their just struggle for liberation. We view this struggle for liberation as closely entwined with many struggles for racial and Indigenous justice in America, from Ferguson to Standing Rock. We reaffirm our commitment to combating racism in all its forms, including anti-Blackness, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Asian racism.

Unfolding Tragedy in Gaza

Statement of a group of the Iranian professors of the American and European universities concerning the unfolding tragedy in Gaza The relentless bombing of Gaza