Mahtab Mahboub is a feminist activist and PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. Her research focuses on the intersection of identity, gender and migration, and Iranian social movements.
Political Commentary
Thursday 22 January 2026 Besiege your besiegement, no way out. Your arms fell, pick them up. Strike your enemy, no way out. Mahmoud Darwish From the moment we open our eyes, if we have slept at all, we coil inward like serpents, tightening with each new blow of bad news.
Essay
by Mahtab Mahboub Tuesday 13 January 2026 Iran is undergoing an escalation of repression by the government: a nationwide internet shutdown—now extended to satellite services such as Starlink—is being used to erase visibility while security forces kill protesters and extort families for the return of bodies. This strategy