Iran: A hundred years of revolution – and still no end
Iran’s recent history is a history of continuous revolutionary endeavours. The bloody revolution of 1905-1911 saw Iran’s men and women fight for a Belgian-style democratic constitution. Especially women played a decisive role in this primarily secular revolution. Another series of revolutions ensued in the early 1950s: The fight for the nationalisation of the oil industry. And the Islamic revolution in 1979.
Contrary to expectations, however, political freedom – especially in regard to the political and social acts of liberation after the 1979 revolution – has been continuously under attack since the first two revolutionary movements: the constitutional revolution led to dictatorship, and the efforts to nationalise the oil industry subsided in the wake of the second Pahlevi monarchy. Finally, the Islamic revolution of 1979 made way for a murderous clerical regime.
Nationwide protests in November 2019 have proven once again that Iranian society does not accept the Islamic Republic to be the last chapter in its nation’s history.
geboren in Graz, aufgewachsen in Österreich, in Deutschland und im Iran. Studium der Medizin in Wien und der Philosophie in Zürich. Lebt und arbeitet als Schriftsteller und Psychoanalytiker in Wien. Zahlreiche Publikationen in deutschsprachigen und iranischen (Literatur-)Zeitschriften und Anthologien.
Maani has received the 2004 schreiben zwischen den kulturen award as well as an Austrian state scholarship in 2007 for his book project Ungläubig (published by Drave in 2014). His other publications include: Respektverweigerung. Warum wir fremde Kulturen nicht respektieren sollten. Und die eigene auch nicht (collection of essays, 2015), Der Heiligenscheinorgasmus und andere Erzählungen (2016), Teheran Wunderland (novel, 2018), Warum wir Linke über den Islam nicht reden können (collection of essays, 2019), Worüber man als Jude nicht schreiben sollte (collection of essays, 2020). His latest novel Zizek in Teheran will be released in spring 2021.
The lecture will be held in German.
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