Lines on a Map by The Amargi

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being arrested over her alleged violation of the country’s compulsory hijab laws. Her death sparked protests that quickly spread across Iran, bringing together people from different generations, regions, and communities under the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî — Woman, Life, Freedom. Four years later, the protests remain one of the most significant moments of political mobilization in the Islamic Republic’s history. Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Mahtab MahboubAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being arrested over her alleged violation of the country’s compulsory hijab laws. Her death sparked protests that quickly spread across Iran, bringing together people from different generations, regions, and communities under the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî — Woman, Life, Freedom. Four years later, the protests remain one of the most significant moments of political mobilization in the Islamic Republic’s history. In this second part of a three-part episode, I am joined again by Mahtab Mahboub from our Iran desk. We look back at how the movement spread from Kurdistan to the rest of Iran, and its international dimensionHost: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Mahtab MahboubAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being arrested over her alleged violation of the country’s compulsory hijab laws. Her death sparked protests that quickly spread across Iran, bringing together people from different generations, regions, and communities under the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî — Woman, Life, Freedom. Four years later, the protests remain one of the most significant moments of political mobilization in the Islamic Republic’s history. In this first part of a two-part episode, I am joined again by Mahtab Mahboub from our Iran desk. We look back at how the movement emerged, where its central ideas came from, how it spread within Iran and beyond its borders, and what remains of the movement today.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Mahtab MahboubAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode, we are joined by Rojin Mukriyan to talk about Kurdish political movements in Iran, the relationship between the Free Life Party in Kurdistan (PJAK) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and what the PKK’s dissolution and the peace process in Turkey could mean for Kurdish politics in Iran.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Rojin MukriyanAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of the Lines on a Map podcast, I’m back with Renwar Najm for another conversation about Iraqi politics.Last time we spoke, we discussed Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi’s campaign against corruption and what it tells us about the Iraqi state and its political system. This time, we’re shifting our focus from corruption to another major question facing Iraq today: who actually controls the country’s weapons and armed forces?Iraq is currently going through a process aimed at bringing weapons under state control, a process that has generated a lot of debate, not least because of the complicated relationship between Iraq’s political parties, militias, and security institutions.Today, we’ll try to make sense of what is happening, why it matters, and where this process could take Iraq.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Renwar NajmAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode, we examine violence against the dead in Turkey and Kurdistan. My guest is Şilan Bingöl, from The Amargi's Turkey desk.For over a century, groups excluded and targeted in life, such as Kurds, Armenians, Alevis, women, LGBTQ+ people, and migrants, also face violence after death: unmarked graves, attacks on cemeteries and mourning houses, and dehumanizing language in media coverage.We start with how Şilan comes to work on this topic, then look at how this violence manifests in Turkey historically and today. We discuss what has happened to (PKK) guerrilla graves and cemeteries since the 1990s, including the removal of bodies from Garzan Cemetery in 2017. Finally, we turn to who else is affected beyond guerrillas, and the ongoing search for the disappeared, including the weekly vigils at Galatasaray Square.You can read some of Şilan's work on this topic and other interesting areas here. Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Şilan BingölAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode, we're looking at the history of compulsory hijab in Iran, from the first protests against it in 1979 to the crackdowns we're seeing today. I'm joined by Mahtab Mahboub, a contributor to our Iran desk at The Amargi. We'll trace how enforcement has changed over the decades, what really shifted after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and where this struggle stands now, with the new hijab law suspended but pressure on women and businesses continuing.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Mahtab MahboubAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of the Lines on a Map podcast, we welcome back Serap Güneş from our Turkey desk. Since the last time we spoke to her, politics in Turkey has been very eventful. A new Kurdish Framework Law is being introduced to Parliament on the day of recording, and there is a new kid on the block in Turkish politics, although it seems to be doing quite well for its young age. I talk to Serap about these developments in order to understand them better.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Serap GüneşAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of the Lines on a Map podcast, we interview Sara Kermanian, our contributor for our Iran desk, and a research scholar in international relations and transnational politics. We talk about how Iran's nuclear program developed over the years, the purposes it serves for the Islamic Republic, the degree of support it has within Iran, and the possible ways ahead to deter the further nuclear armament of the state.Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Sara KermanianAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of the Lines on a Map podcast, we dive deep into the recent anti-corruption drive in Iraq initiated by new President Ali al-Zaidi. We talk to our Iraq correspondent, Renwar Najm, about the state of corruption in Iraq, how Iraqis view the recent anti-corruption efforts, and also take a deeper look at the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).Host: Sushobhan ParidaGuest: Renwar NajmAudio Edit: Marta LučićGraphic Design: An Amargi Production, 2026About The Amargi: The Amargi is a grassroots-funded online media outlet established by a group of journalists, activists, and academics based in Europe. We are independent from any commercial and political influence, and our donors support us because their democratic values align with our editorial policy. The Amargi’s spotlight is on Kurdistan, but we also focus on Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, as well as the broader Middle East. In a region where undemocratic regimes, foreign intervention, and powerful corporations determine the political discourse and suppress self-determination, dissent, and diversity, we aspire to be a powerful voice for those rendered powerless and voiceless. “Amargi”, a Sumerian word, is regarded as the first known written word for “freedom”. If you want to support and help expand The Amargi by becoming a donor, please visit: https://www.theamargi.com/donate