Iran has been rocked by protests, which are currently in their fourth week. Nearly 200 people have died and thousands injured. Sparked by the brutal killing of Mahsa Amini, these protests are a sign that all is not well in the country.

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Neda Bolourchi about what is going on in Iran and the path forward for the country.

Dr. Neda Balourchi is Associate Director and Post Doctoral Associate, Middle Eastern Studies Program at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on the roles of religion, race, and secularism in the formation of Middle Eastern nation-states.

Reading Recommendations:

- Khomeinism: Essays on the Islamic Republic by Ervand Abrahamian

- Female Religious Authority in Shi'i Islam: Past and Present by Mirjam Kunkler

- Staging a Revolution: The Art of Persuasion in the Islamic Republic of Iran by Peter Chelkowski

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:20 What’s going on in Iran?

8:00 Underlying factors behind the protests

15:30 Why are younger Iranians angry?

25:00 Is the regime looking inwards?

29:00 Violence in Iranian Balochistan

37:30 International response

47:10 Should the international community do more?

54:30 What comes next?

1:00:23 Reading recommendations

1:07:20 Conclusion