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Iran Reporting

‘We Have Broken the Wall of Fear’: Iranian protesters on what brings them back to the streets four weeks in

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Alex Shams

Originally published in New York Magazine on Oct. 13, 2022. Written by Alex Shams. Since mid-September, Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini

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Iran Opinion

Iran has a long history of protests. This time it’s different

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Alex Shams

Originally published in the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 8, 2022. Three weeks in, Iran’s protests show no signs of stopping. Sparked by the death of a young Kurdish Iranian

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Iran Opinion

What Role Does Religion Play in Iran’s Protests?

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Alex Shams

Alex Shams was interviewed by AJ+ about the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran that began in September 2022. He discussed how protestors were navigating the complex relationship between religion

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Iran Reporting

Feats of Strength and Street Politics in Tehran – مواقع القوة وسياسات الشارع في طهران

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Alex Shams

Originally published in Journal Safar in September 2021 as part of Issue VI: Power. On the nights leading up to Ashura, the streets of Tehran turn a thousand shades of

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Iran Reporting

Sofreh aqd : à la découverte du mariage iranien

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Middle East Eye on July 3, 2022. Un grand miroir scintille dans la lumière des candélabres. Les visages du couple se reflètent dans leur lueur. Devant eux,

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Iran

Sofreh aqd: An inside look at Iranian weddings

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Middle East Eye on April 7, 2022. Although Iranian weddings vary from family to family, there are some key traditions which feature in almost all weddings (Illustration/MEE)

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Iran

From City to Slope in Iran

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Alex Shams

Originally published in Kinfolk Travel in September 2021, pgs. 146-153.

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Iran

Tanakura Bazaar: The Iranian Legacy of Beloved Japanese Soap Opera Oshin

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Ajam Media Collective on Feb. 16, 2021. In markets across Iran, Tanakura Bazaars can be found dedicated to second-hand clothes, knock-off brand name shoes, and Iranian-made shirts

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Iran USA

Iranians celebrate US elections with hilarious memes as Trump faces defeat

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Ajam Media Collective on November 9, 2020. US elections change the fate of the world. Every four years, the world holds its collective breath and waits to

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Iran Reporting

Cuisine, poésie et confinement : un témoignage d’Iran

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Alex Shams

Originally published on April 3, 2020 on Le Grand Continent. Puisque les traditions des fêtes de fin d’année iraniennes (21 mars) sont rendues impossibles par l’épidémie de coronavirus, les Téhéranais

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About me

Alex Shams is an Iranian-American writer and a PhD student of Anthropology at the University of Chicago.

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Recent posts

  • ‘We Have Broken the Wall of Fear’: Iranian protesters on what brings them back to the streets four weeks in
  • Iran has a long history of protests. This time it’s different
  • What Role Does Religion Play in Iran’s Protests?
  • Inside Mexico’s deep and unexpected legacy of Iranians
  • Feats of Strength and Street Politics in Tehran – مواقع القوة وسياسات الشارع في طهران
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About

Alex Shams is an Iranian-American writer and a PhD student of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. He was based in Bethlehem, Palestine from 2013-2015, where he worked for Ma'an News Agency, the largest independent Palestinian news agency. He previously received his master's from Harvard University in Middle Eastern studies. His work focuses on the intersections of gender, religion, politics, and urban space in the modern Middle East. He is an editor-in-chief of Ajam Media Collective (AjamMC.com), a platform focused on culture and society throughout Iran as well as Central and South Asia.

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