South Asia and Beyond

‘Protests Are Fading But The Anger Remains’

NEW DELHI: Iran’s so-called hijab protests appear to be winding down. But what happens now? Ramin Jahanbegloo, executive director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Peace Studies in Delhi and of Iranian origin, warns that the Iranian regime after killing reportedly 500 people, is faced with tough decisions in the months ahead. In a conversation on The Gist, Jahanbegloo argues that while the clerics are the face of the regime, it is actually the Revolutionary Guards that are running the show. They may opt to take over once Ayotollah Khameinei, the Supreme Leader, passes away. The new regime could be more nationalist, seeking to break the ranks of the demonstrators. It could even use minority groups like the Kurds and Sunnis to attack the largely Shia demonstrators, dividing people and weakening the movement.

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