Archive for the ‘Social Life’ Category

Women, Islam and Politics

What you read below is the text of a talk I gave a few weeks ago at Feminism Society at the University of Wollongong, a few days after International Women Day. Self independence and women movement in Iran On Sunday, The European Union’s top foreign policy official visited Iran and the BBC reported ‘one of [...]

March 27, 2014 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Social Life, Women

Afghan Friends, Forgive us

Iran is the third emigrant country in the Middle East and North Africa region where hosts Afghans since 1980s. With the population of 1.7 million Afghan immigrants, Iran is the main corridor for Afghan migrants. As per Ministry of Interior announcement, more than 2 thirds of Afghans residing in Iran are illegal emigrant. Afghans in [...]

July 4, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Tags:  · Posted in: Migration, Social Life

Women Against War in the Middle East

On which side are we standing; War or Peace? This is the question I am asking from myself each time a threatening news is released about Iran in media. This is my answer so far: War is the time for generals who are bragging for each other, Peace is the time for women who are [...]

May 22, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Tags: , , , ,  · Posted in: Social Life, Women

He, She but not We

Dancing and singing, mingling with opposite gender playmates; these can be primary hobbies of children under 7 years old going to kindergartens but in what has recently been  defined as” Islamized kindergartens” these very basic entertainments are forbidden in the kindergartens in Iran. Willingness of Iran regime to have “Islamized” communities and learning environments is [...]

May 17, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Tags: , , , , ,  · Posted in: Social Life, Women

May Day in Iran: Celebration or Objection?

The international worker’s day in Iran was held in 1922 for the first time. Now, 9 decades later the Iranian workers are still trying to form gatherings and demand justice on the May day. Against many other countries, the first day of May is not “celebrated” in Iran. Workers are under serious financial pressures and [...]

May 5, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Tags: , , , ,  · Posted in: Financial, Social Life

I heard your story

“Mehdi! I would say that your hunger puts me into shame in the best possible way”, Felxi says. One of the hundreds of Wall St. occupiers in support of Mehdi Khaz’ali who has been on hunger strike for 46 days till 28th Feb. When Wall St. hosts Azadi Sq and Iranian green movement, this is [...]

April 9, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Social Life

A “Separation” which brought united admirable critics

As per critics, in The Sun-Herald, Sydney Newspaper by Andrew L.Urban it is a rare achievement for a foreign language film to be nominated for a best original screenplay Oscar but it’s not hard to see why a Separation has that distinction, as well as numerous other nominations and awards not limited to Golden globe [...]

February 26, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Art and Culture, Social Life, Women

Migrant Bird

Arnold van Gennep  defines Liminal in The Rites of Passage as transitional time or condition in which one is not what it was and not what it will become, but something in between, something marginal, vague and flexible … One’s sense of identity dissolves to some extent, bringing about disorientation, but also possibility of new [...]

February 18, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Social Life

Bandage; a sense of relief

It was a cold winter evening, In a basement with a small fireplace on the corner in Tehran, the capital of the country where sounds of objections were heard in June 2009 and now in that dark basement you can see the sparkles of a generation born after Islamic revolution, you can listen to the [...]

February 17, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Art and Culture, Social Life, Women

Call for PEACE

I was born after Islamic revolution in Iran and during the Iran-Iraq war. Going to school with girls who their fathers or mothers were martyred gave me the experience of living on the edge of peace and war. Those classmates of mine who were lucky to have their parent back home alive, were most probably [...]

January 28, 2012 · Maryam Khazaeli · Comments Closed
Posted in: Environment, Social Life