Farideh Farhi

Farideh Farhi is an Independent Scholar and Affiliate of the Graduate Faculty of Political Science at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Iran: Khatami Calls for National Reconciliation

Amid intensified factional fighting among conservatives who dominate the presidency, the parliament, and the office of the Islamic Republic’s Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an appeal for national reconciliation and forgiveness by a former reformist president is making a major splash in Iran’s political discourse. The May 18 speech of Mohammad Khatami to a group of … Continue reading “Iran: Khatami Calls for National Reconciliation”

Iran’s ‘Now What’ Moment

After eight tumultuous months, during which attention from all sides of Iran’s political spectrum as well as anxious watchers around the world focused on a series of street clashes between protesters and the government’s security forces, an eerie calm has taken hold in Iran. The government’s ability to control the aesthetics of street demonstrations on … Continue reading “Iran’s ‘Now What’ Moment”

Iran Ceasefire in the Making?

As Iran nervously awaits the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on Feb. 11 — the day that has traditionally drawn the largest public demonstrations — a subtle change in public discourse can be detected. While hard-line forces in the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still resort to the narrative of "sedition" caused by the … Continue reading “Iran Ceasefire in the Making?”

Whither Iran?

The confrontation that took place in the streets of several large cities in Iran on the occasion of Ashura has brought the acrimonious political fight among the Islamic Republic’s elite into focus in significantly different ways than before. Not only did many protesters demonstrate unprecedented willingness to confront the security forces, but the reaction by … Continue reading “Whither Iran?”

Iran’s Domestic Conflict Shifts Into Higher Gear

Although the tumult that has gripped Iran since the contested Jun. 12 election has never abated, two recent occurrences have highlighted the further sharpening of internal conflict and the government’s inability to restore stability in the face of creative ways the opposition has learned to use the symbols of the Islamic Republic in order to … Continue reading “Iran’s Domestic Conflict Shifts Into Higher Gear”

Lines Are Drawn in Iran

With the historical Friday Prayer sermon given by former president and current chair of the Council of Experts and Expediency Discernment Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Jul. 17, and the riposte by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three days later, lines have been drawn in unprecedented ways in Iran. It is now clear that the Islamic … Continue reading “Lines Are Drawn in Iran”