A Safe Refuge? Minorities and the State in Iranian Cyberspace
Author(s) |
Bronwen Robertson, James Marchant |
Contact |
Bronwen Robertson, Small Media, Charlton St. Kings Cross, London NW1 1HB, UK. E-mail: bronwen@smallmedia.org.uk |
Issue |
CyberOrient, Vol. 9, Iss. 2, 2015, pp. 4-5 |
Published |
November 10, 2015 |
Type |
Editorial |
Abstract |
The Iranian state has consistently restricted spaces in open society for minorities to express their identities, especially where such identities are construed as representing a threat to the religious, political and sexual orthodoxies promulgated by the clerical establishment. As a result, many members of assorted Iranian minority groups have taken to cyberspace to build communities, articulate self- and group-identities, organise to overcome discriminatory practices, and connect with their allies from across national borders and around the world. This Iran-focused edition of CyberOrient aims to explore how Iranian minority groups have embraced technology to overcome systematised state discrimination, strengthen communities, and at the same time, push back against entrenched societal prejudices. |
Keywords |
Internet studies, social media, internet, Arab Spring, Egypt, activism, cyberactivism, Iran
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