Demonstrations, violent clashes with police and a media blackout erupted in the wake of Iran's 10th presidential election in June, capturing headlines worldwide.
A Sept. 3 panel discussion will give an insider's perspective on the contested election and its aftermath. The Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC) and the Duke Human Rights Center will host "The Iranian Political Crisis: Duke and UNC Perspectives," with four scholars -- three of whom are Iranian.
Giving their insights are Mohsen Kadivar, visiting professor of religion at Duke; Negar Mottahedeh, associate professor of literature and women's studies at Duke; Mark Emamian, a physics engineer at Duke; and Charles Kurzman, a sociology professor specializing in Islamic affairs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The discussion, free and open to the public, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Rare Book Room at Perkins Library.
"We hope that people who are interested in what's going on in Iran and want to understand it better will come," says Kelly Jarrett, senior program coordinator for DISC. "There is so much happening in Iran right now that it is important to have these discussions."
A member of the clergy and an expert in Islamic philosophy and theology, Kadivar arrived recently at Duke. A key theorist behind Iran's democracy movement and a critic of the current regime, his scholarship led to a jail sentence during the late 1990s.
"The Iranian people are ready for democracy, civil rights, freedom and liberty," Kadivar says. "They want to practice the rights of their constitution. But the government says [the people] don't have permission, that this is a rebellion against the regime and an illegal protest. The challenge between the government and citizens is very clear."
Simultaneously, Kadivar argues firmly against U.S. intervention in Iran.
"This movement is a democratic, independent movement," he says. "It is the Iranians' struggle and challenge, and the Iranians should solve their problems by themselves. We need Iranian democracy, and it should be made by the Iranians themselves."
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Panel: The Iranian Political Crisis: Duke and UNC Perspectives Noon - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3 Rare Book Room, Perkins Library Information: 668-1955, jhfc.duke.edu/disc