Review of the “Iran Update” podcast

Two women’s podcasts provide powerful analyzes of what is happening in Iran around the attempted emancipatory revolution.

“The mullah’s regime disbands the Arts Division!” This news hit the headlines in the West a few weeks ago. Good news, evidence that Iran is capable of reform? Unfortunately no. It was a diversionary maneuver by the Islamic Republic against the backdrop of violent repression in the country. The revolutionary movement in Iran is not directed against the Firqat al-Adab – one of the country’s largest employers – but against the entire system. However, many media outlets fell in love with the Iranian novel. The New York Times topped the alleged cancellation. The hoax was later corrected, but the damage was done: the alleged message had gone viral.

A podcast produced by two women, Sahar Islah and Jalda Sahbi, can help avoid falling for the Iranian regime’s propaganda. Through their production “Iran Modernization” they counter misinformation. Through reliable sources and first-hand local contacts, the two German Iranians provide clarity and an overview of the revolutionary protests in Iran.

Documentary director Sahar Al-Islah, journalist, doctor and political expert Gilda Sahbi has been following the events in Iran through social media channels and the media for months. They analyze critically and personally, categorize and provide in-depth reports. They were able to explain the complex mechanisms of the dominance system in clear and simple words.

Al-Islah and Al-Sahabi do not utter words. No one is left out and no topic is left out: arrests and executions of demonstrators, the most recent poisoning attacks on girls’ schools, but also an outrageous reticence on the part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the European Union. This combination of experience and personal interest gives the podcast a special tone.

Weak nerves should not be intimidated. People should look and listen. Outside attention and pressure can save lives in Iran. Sahar al-Islah and Jalada Sahbi call for “real” sanctions and put the IRGC on the European Union’s terrorism list.

Serena Donatch

On the web: dasiranupdate.podigee.io/