Journal Records

Arshtat (Avestan: arštāt) is a female yazata, or divine being worthy of worship, in Zoroastrianism, embodying the principles of rectitude, justice, truth, and righteousness. The name arštāt derives from the Avestan root meaning "upright" or "straight," signifying both the divinity and the principle of rectitude. She represents an abstract moral force that supports ethical order (asha) and is invoked alongside other deities to promote cosmic and human harmony.

Pouneh Nedaei, Editor-in-Chief of Shokaran

For several years, we had been concerned about the loss of media authority in Iran. However, the outbreak of war turned the attention of the international community towards Iranian media, as those seeking the truth understood that reliable accounts of the war had to be sought from media outlets operating inside Iran.

The Shahnameh cannot be compared solely with the Iliad and the Odyssey; rather, it should be considered alongside the great epics of the world — from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana in India to Goguryeo on the Korean Peninsula and the works of Virgil. None of these works can be considered identical or equal to the Shahnameh, because the Shahnameh is fundamentally different. It contains, in a remarkably comprehensive form, the various strands of national identity. Here, the concepts of “country” and “homeland” are not confined merely to a particular geographical territory. They encompass an entire framework of ideals, culture, mythology, history, intellectual thought, virtue, ethics, truthfulness, systems of governance, and ways of life. All of these elements and symbols can be found in the Shahnameh, whereas they do not appear in the Iliad and the Odyssey in the same way.

The persistence of political violence in the Middle East raises a fundamental humanitarian and political question: to what extent can the political survival of authoritarian, populist, nationalist, or religiously oriented leaders become structurally connected to the continuation of military confrontation? This article examines the hypothesis that, in political systems where leaders derive legitimacy from permanent insecurity, national mobilisation, religious polarisation, or external confrontation, peace and comprehensive social welfare may constitute a political challenge rather than merely a humanitarian objective. The argument does not claim that every regional leader consciously creates war solely for personal enrichment or political survival. Rather, it proposes that political systems can develop incentives in which prolonged conflict strengthens executive power, suppresses political opposition, redirects public attention away from domestic failures, expands security institutions, and generates economic opportunities for state-linked actors.

A Critical Reassessment of Kasravi and Shamlu’s Attitude Towards Iran’s Literary Heritage

The classical literary heritage of Iran cannot fairly be reduced to mysticism, fatalism, or irrationality. The Persian intellectual tradition produced poets, philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, physicians, historians and humanist thinkers whose works addressed science, ethics, politics, justice, human dignity and the nature of knowledge.