Journal Records

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.

Marriage is one of the most important social institutions through which societies organise family formation, reproduction, intergenerational relations and social responsibility. Yet marriage cannot be produced simply through legislation, religious exhortation or restrictions on interaction between men and women. The decision to marry emerges from a complex interaction between economic security, housing, employment, education, gender relations, cultural expectations, personal autonomy, social trust and the perceived benefits and costs of forming a family.

The Ram Hunting Plate is a beautiful artifact from the Sassanid period, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The plate is beautifully gilded with mercury, silver, and gold, and decorated with black ink, and in a hunting scene that takes us back more than 2,000 years, the Shah of Iran from the Sasanian dynasty, believed to be Bahram V, is majestically and authoritatively hunting rams.

Approximately four millennia ago, the Achaemenid Empire emerged as, according to many historians, thinkers, and philosophers of history, one of the earliest examples of professional governance in human civilisation. The Achaemenids established a model of statecraft based on organised administration, institutional structures, legal frameworks, and a system of governance capable of managing one of the largest and most culturally diverse political entities of the ancient world.

The Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE), founded by Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), governed one of the largest and most diverse political entities of the ancient world. Stretching from the Balkans and Egypt to Central Asia and the Indus Valley, the empire incorporated dozens of ethnic groups, languages, legal traditions, and religions. Rather than attempting to homogenize these populations, the Achaemenids developed a sophisticated administrative framework built upon centralized royal authority, provincial autonomy, bureaucratic professionalism, and respect for local institutions.

The modern food industry has transformed the way people eat. Advances in food science have made it possible to produce foods that last longer, cost less, and are available year-round. These products often contain synthetic ingredients, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavor enhancers, and other food additives. While these innovations have improved food safety and accessibility, concerns have grown about their potential impact on human health, particularly regarding cancer and type 2 diabetes.