In Iran, grievance and frustration has built up over time with the political regime, the notorious morality police, and the economic situation. But the recent provocation that sparked a wave of still ongoing protests in Iran was the news that a young woman had died in the custody of the morality police. In protest, women now burn their hijabs and cut their hair in protest. Women undoubtedly play the main role in the Iranian uprising, but how unique is this, and what does it mean?

In the 1990s, political liberalisation opened up space for Islamist activism across Africa. While some Islamist actors openly embraced the electoral process, others advocated a rejectionist stance, negating the legitimacy of the nation-state. Driven by the rise of global jihadism and state repression, this rejectionist branch of Islamism turned increasingly militant.

Côte d‘Ivoire has completed another electoral cycle with the recent parliamentary elections. The polls followed the controversial presidential election on 31 October 2020, when incumbent President Alassane Ouattara was confirmed for a third term despite oppositional boycotts and civil society protests. The opposition leaders’ attempt to declare a transitional government the day after the election and their refusal to recognize the president’s legitimacy resulted in some of them being arrested. Their calls for popular resistance or even armed rebellion did not result in substantial mobilization, and by the end of the year, the boycott campaign came to an end. For the first time since 2010, all political parties signalled their willingness to participate in the parliamentary elections, including the supporters of former President Laurent Gbagbo.