Zanan magazine

"Zanan" redirects here. For Iranian women, see Women in Iran. For the village in Iran, see Zanan, Iran.
Zanan

first issue
Categories Women's magazine
Frequency Monthly
Founder Shahla Sherkat
Year founded 1992
Country Iran
Cover photo of 140th issue


Zanan magazine (ماهنامه زنان, meaning Women in English)[1] is a monthly women's magazine published in Iran. It is the only Persian women's magazine in the country.[2] The magazine ceased publication in 2008, but was relaunched on 29 May 2014.

History and profile

Zanan was established by Shahla Sherkat[3][4] in 1992 as a monthly magazine.[5][6] The monthly women's magazine promoted women's rights for 16 years and had a total of 152 issues.

Zanan focused on the concerns of Iranian women with an Islamic point of view and had intentions of protecting and promoting their rights.[6] However, the monthly magazine tested the political waters with its edgy coverage of reform politics, domestic abuse, and sex. Article topics covered controversial issues from domestic abuse to plastic surgery. It argued that gender equality was Islamic and that religious literature had been misread and misappropriated by misogynists. Mehangiz Kar, Shahla Lahiji, and Shahla Sherkat, the editors of Zanan, led the debate on women's rights and demanded reforms. The leadership did not respond but, for the first time since the revolution, it could not silence the movement.[7]

However, on 28 January 2008 the Iranian regime under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad closed the magazine down for "endangering the spiritual, mental and intellectual health of its readers, and threatening psychological security of the society” claiming it showed women in a “black light.” [8][9]

On 29 May 2014, Zanan was relaunched by its original founder Shahla Sherkat [9][10] The magazine is renamed as Zanan-e Emruz (meaning Today's women in English) and has both printed and online editions.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Jules Crétois (4 April 2013). "Muslim Women Redefine Feminism". Al Monitor. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  2. ↑ IRAN: Zanan, a voice of women, silenced, Ramin Mostaghim, Los Angeles Times, 29 January 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
  3. ↑ Reza Aslan (3 August 2009). "Iran's Most Wanted". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  4. ↑ Shahla Sherkat. "Telling the Stories of Iranian Women’s Lives". Nieman Foundation. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Padraig Reidy (January 2008). "Iran: leading women’s magazine shut down". Index. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sarah Ansari,; Vanessa Martin (1 May 2014). Women, Religion and Culture in Iran. Taylor & Francis. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-317-79339-7. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Women's movement: Zanan magazine Iranian
  8. ↑ Shutting Down Zanan, New York Times editorial, 7 February 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Nina Ansary (28 May 2014). "Iranian Women's Magazine Zanan Makes Comeback". W e-News. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Sameera Ehteram. "Once Banned, Iran's Only Women's Magazine Makes a Comeback". Carbonated TV. Retrieved 8 October 2014.