Category Archives: Policy Brief

NUFDI Board Member Dr. Mojgan Hakimi and Advisory Council Member Marjan Greenblatt spoke on the worsening mental health crisis in Iran on a panel hosted by the Middle East Institute.  

Ghasem Bahrami known by his artist name Sheydaye Hamedani is an Iranian poet who was jailed for his outspoken opposition to the Islamic Regime, its corruption and its inhumane treatment of the Iranian people. From inside Iran, he used his poetry as a tool to denounce the regime and raise awareness on the status of

On September 13, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was arrested by the IRGC. Read NUFDI’s introduction of Toomaj and his work here. His song “Normal” described life under the Islamic Republic in Iran. NUFDI translated the song below. Thanks to Danial Jafari for translation assistance. “Normal” by Toomaj Salehi Yes! Yes Sir! Life is normal A

On September 13, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was arrested by the IRGC. Read NUFDI’s introduction of Toomaj and his work here. Many believe he was arrested for his latest song, “Mouse Hole” which calls out the Islamic Republic’s apologists in the West. NUFDI has translated his song below and added it as subtitles. “Soorakh Moosh”/”Mouse

Who was Toomaj Saelhi and Why he Was Arrested:  Toomaj Salehi is an Iranian dissident rapper, originally from Isfahan, who was arrested on Monday, September 13, 2021, by Iranian authorities. The official charges for his arrest are unknown, though many suspect it is due to the highly dissident nature of his work. He has fiercely

Protests have spread to Tehran after 11 days of nationwide anti-government demonstrations, which originally began in Khuzestan. On Monday, videos circulating on social media show protesters chanting slogans such as “Death to the dictator,” and “Clerics, get lost!” referring to the clerical regime that has ruled in Iran for 42 years, led by Supreme Leader

Over the last five days, cities throughout Iran’s Khuzestan province have witnessed a new wave of civil unrest, as Iranians protest their lack of access to water amidst one of the country’s worst droughts in the last 50 years. As is usually the case in Iran, the protests were initially caused by water shortages, but

What is Happening: Iran is currently experiencing a series of power outages that have impacted the everyday lives of Iranains and have effectively shut down businesses, schools, hospitals, and a handful of other necessary establishments as well as disrupted phone networks and important home appliances. The regime has blamed the outages on recent drought and