Each month, we provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.
The 18 books below may just give you some respite, order, distraction or—dare I say—hope.
Iran
June 2024 Reads for the Rest of Us
Each month, we provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.
These 21 books stood out to me for various reasons—ranging from strange and spell-binding fiction, to nurturing and necessary nonfiction.
The Israel-Hamas War Is a Reminder Toxic Masculinity Can’t Keep us Safe
Mistaking toxic masculinity for skillful leadership has led to one disaster after another—from pointless wars, to preventable terrorist attacks, to the spiraling climate change crisis.
As we enter the seventh month of attacks on Gaza, I can’t help but ask myself: What if we had female leaders in Israel and Gaza?
The Ms. Q&A with Nasrin Sotoudeh: The Iranian Activist on Global Solidarity, Her Time in Prison and Being an Optimist
Nasrin Sotoudeh is an Iranian human rights lawyer and activist who has consistently fought for the rights of women, children, religious minorities and others under persecution in Iran. Over the years, Sotoudeh has spent much of her time in prison, having been arrested for protesting Iran’s mandatory hijab law and resisting authoritarian rule. While in custody in 2022, Sotoudeh wrote to Ms. editors detailing the plight of women in Iran and called for global solidarity around women’s rights. Ms. executive editor Kathy Spillar spoke with Nasrin and her husband Reza Khandan last month.
“The world has gone through darker days. … We’ve made our way forward through those horrific and dark events and times, and so, why not again? As long as I’m alive, I’m just naturally an optimist.”
In Iran, the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Movement Is Ready to Erupt Again
It’s been almost two years since the murder of 22-year-old Zhina “Mahsa” Amini made international headlines and sparked an uprising in Iran. All the while, the Kurdish words for “Woman, Life, Freedom” are still being chanted.
(This article originally appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)
As British Parliament Inquiries Into Gender Apartheid, Afghan Women Know All Too Well That It’s Already Here
A group of British parliamentarians are set to initiate an inquiry into the situation of women and girls in both Afghanistan and Iran. This marks an unprecedented development, as no nation has launched an investigation of this size regarding gender apartheid.
What this fails to do, however, is acknowledge the actualized claim that gender apartheid is already established within Afghanistan and Iran.
One Year After Mahsa Amini, Iran’s Women Are Defying Mandatory Hijab Laws
After accepting an award for “distinguished doctor” while not wearing a veil, Iranian Dr. Fatemeh Rajaei-Rad was punished by having her medical license revoked, the president of the hospital where she worked was ousted, and authorities shut down her private practice and expelled her from the board of advisors at a medical university she had been a member of.
Despite crackdowns on mandatory veiling in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s killing, Iranian women continue to resist.
Human Rights Advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh on Activism in the U.S. and Iran: ‘Democratic Resistance and Belief in Civil Society Always Pays Off’
On Oct. 29, Iranian human rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh was assaulted, arrested and put in prison for attending the funeral of 16-year-old Armita Garawand, who was beaten to death for not wearing a hijab. Despite her injuries, Nasrin began a hunger and medication strike and was released on bail two weeks later. She still faces over 13 years in prison.
But the activist and attorney is not giving up hope. “Democratic resistance and belief in civil society always pays off in the long run. Governments can be dictatorial and autocratic, and they can have all kinds of armies and weapons at their disposal. Despite this, we see them fail over and over again, and something better emerges because of humanity’s collective will. I draw strength from all these experiences. I hope you can, too.”
Winter 2024 Sneak Peek: Inside a Violent Clinic Invasion
“On Oct. 22, 2020, a group of anti-abortion extremists forced their way into the Washington Surgi-Clinic, a facility that provides abortion care in Washington, D.C.” So begins investigative reporter Amanda Robb’s alarming account of a violent attack on an abortion clinic in the nation’s capital.
Here’s some of what else you’ll find within the pages of the upcoming Winter 2024 issue of Ms. magazine: how online abuse is used to intimidate, discredit and silence people; women activists in Afghanistan and Iran are calling on the international community to stop gender apartheid; and the top 10 most disappointing TV series cancellations of 2023.
Courage in Journalism Awards: Honoring Women Reporters Amid War, Censorship and Authoritarian Rule
The Courage in Journalism Awards show people that women journalists are not going to step aside, cannot be silenced, and deserve to be recognized for their strength in the face of adversity.
Meet the recipients of the 2023 Courage in Journalism awards.
(This essay is part of the “Feminist Journalism is Essential to Democracy” project—Ms. magazine’s latest installment of Women & Democracy, presented in partnership with the International Women’s Media Foundation.)