Simon Wolfgang Fuchs
@simonwfuchs.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Islam in South Asia and the Middle East at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem // Author of "In a Pure Muslim Land. Shi'ism between Pakistan and the Middle East" (UNC Press, 2019) // www.simonwolfgangfuchs.com
Honest question: we read a lot about potential US plans to also engage in a massive cyber attack against #Iran. With most of the country cut off from the internet (the blackout according to a government spokeswoman is supposed to last until Nowruz/March 21), would such an attack really do anything?
January 16, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Honest question: we read a lot about potential US plans to also engage in a massive cyber attack against #Iran. With most of the country cut off from the internet (the blackout according to a government spokeswoman is supposed to last until Nowruz/March 21), would such an attack really do anything?
Laut israelischen Medienberichten hat die Lufthansagruppe Ihre Mitarbeiter dazu aufgefordert, sich auf die Ausreise aus Israel und Flugstornierungen ab morgen vorzubereiten. #Iran
January 14, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Laut israelischen Medienberichten hat die Lufthansagruppe Ihre Mitarbeiter dazu aufgefordert, sich auf die Ausreise aus Israel und Flugstornierungen ab morgen vorzubereiten. #Iran
Reposted by Simon Wolfgang Fuchs
The image of people wandering among black body bags looking for the corpses of their missing loved ones is just devastating.
January 14, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The image of people wandering among black body bags looking for the corpses of their missing loved ones is just devastating.
In diesem Artikel von Kristiana Ludwig in der Süddeutschen Zeitung zur gegenwärtigen israelischen Position in Sachen #Iran komme auch ich zu Wort:
www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/prot...
www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/prot...
Proteste gegen die Mullahs: Warum Israel sich in Iran zurückhält
Ein Sturz des iranischen Regimes wäre für Israel eine glückliche Wendung. Doch eine militärische Intervention birgt für Premier Netanjahu Risiken.
www.sueddeutsche.de
January 13, 2026 at 2:44 PM
In diesem Artikel von Kristiana Ludwig in der Süddeutschen Zeitung zur gegenwärtigen israelischen Position in Sachen #Iran komme auch ich zu Wort:
www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/prot...
www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/prot...
Mit Inga Rogg vom Handelsblatt habe ich über die wirtschaftliche Lage in #Iran und Trump gesprochen:
www.handelsblatt.com/politik/inte...
www.handelsblatt.com/politik/inte...
Handelsblatt
www.handelsblatt.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Mit Inga Rogg vom Handelsblatt habe ich über die wirtschaftliche Lage in #Iran und Trump gesprochen:
www.handelsblatt.com/politik/inte...
www.handelsblatt.com/politik/inte...
Mit Iwan Lieberherr vom "Echo der Zeit" des SRF habe ich heute Nachmittag über die aktuelle Lage in #Iran gesprochen:
www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...
www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...
Iran: «Für den Regime-Sturz fehlt der grosse Schulterschluss»
Seit mehr als zwei Wochen demonstrieren Iranerinnen und Iraner gegen das autoritäre Herrschaftssystem der Islamischen Republik. Das Mullah-Regime reagiert darauf mit brutaler Härte und der Abschaltung...
www.srf.ch
January 12, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Mit Iwan Lieberherr vom "Echo der Zeit" des SRF habe ich heute Nachmittag über die aktuelle Lage in #Iran gesprochen:
www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...
www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...
Update: The denial of entry has been revoked, mainly due to pressure behind the scenes (incl. a letter that was in preparation and has been signed by 200 colleagues).
A deeply worrying development, highlighting the approach of the current Israeli government toward serious scholarship not to its liking:
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Israel bars entry to French historian over alleged 'anti-Zionist' views
Prof. Vincent Lemire, a French Historian of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Who Previously Lived in Israel, Was Notified Days Before His Arrival in Tel Aviv That His Visa Had Been Revoked. French Off...
www.haaretz.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Update: The denial of entry has been revoked, mainly due to pressure behind the scenes (incl. a letter that was in preparation and has been signed by 200 colleagues).
A deeply worrying development, highlighting the approach of the current Israeli government toward serious scholarship not to its liking:
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Israel bars entry to French historian over alleged 'anti-Zionist' views
Prof. Vincent Lemire, a French Historian of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Who Previously Lived in Israel, Was Notified Days Before His Arrival in Tel Aviv That His Visa Had Been Revoked. French Off...
www.haaretz.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:29 AM
A deeply worrying development, highlighting the approach of the current Israeli government toward serious scholarship not to its liking:
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Israel Bars Entry to French Historian Over Alleged 'anti-Zionist' Views
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
"Things here are very, very bad," a source in Tehran said on Sunday. "A lot of our friends have been killed. They were firing live rounds. It's like a war zone, the streets are full of blood. They're taking away bodies in trucks.”
bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com/news/article...
Iran warns it will retaliate if US attacks, as hundreds killed in protests
"It's like a war zone, the streets are full of blood," a source in the capital Tehran tells the BBC.
bbc.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:20 PM
"Things here are very, very bad," a source in Tehran said on Sunday. "A lot of our friends have been killed. They were firing live rounds. It's like a war zone, the streets are full of blood. They're taking away bodies in trucks.”
bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com/news/article...
If you want to read more about music during the time, see Nahid Siamdoust, “Women Reclaiming Their Voices for Life and Freedom: Music and the 2022 Uprising in Iran”, Iranian Studies, Vol. 56 (2023): 577-583, doi.org/10.1017/irn....
January 11, 2026 at 6:45 PM
If you want to read more about music during the time, see Nahid Siamdoust, “Women Reclaiming Their Voices for Life and Freedom: Music and the 2022 Uprising in Iran”, Iranian Studies, Vol. 56 (2023): 577-583, doi.org/10.1017/irn....
Among the most popular songs of the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising in #Iran was the Persian adaption of a Chilean protest song as "Sorud-e Azadi" (The Freedom Anthem). Already sung in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, it remains as powerful as ever:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Sw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Sw...
Freedom Anthem - Iranian Protest Anthem سرود آزادی El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido" (English SUB)
YouTube video by A Triumph Of Music
www.youtube.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Among the most popular songs of the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising in #Iran was the Persian adaption of a Chilean protest song as "Sorud-e Azadi" (The Freedom Anthem). Already sung in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution, it remains as powerful as ever:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Sw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Sw...
A very helpful article with voices from Iran critical of the hyped role of Reza #Pahlavi:
“The monarchist slogan is not a declaration of love for Pahlavi: it is a declaration of disgust for the Islamic Republic. It is a cry of ‘no’ when no ’yes’ is available …”
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
“The monarchist slogan is not a declaration of love for Pahlavi: it is a declaration of disgust for the Islamic Republic. It is a cry of ‘no’ when no ’yes’ is available …”
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Growing protests in Iran do not necessarily herald a return to monarchy
Despite significant support for the shah, Iranian society may be looking for any ‘escape from a dead end’
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:54 AM
A very helpful article with voices from Iran critical of the hyped role of Reza #Pahlavi:
“The monarchist slogan is not a declaration of love for Pahlavi: it is a declaration of disgust for the Islamic Republic. It is a cry of ‘no’ when no ’yes’ is available …”
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
“The monarchist slogan is not a declaration of love for Pahlavi: it is a declaration of disgust for the Islamic Republic. It is a cry of ‘no’ when no ’yes’ is available …”
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Psychological warfare in Israel in connection with the protests in Iran: Many Israelis report receiving threatening messages today, urging them to look up to the sky at midnight.
January 10, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Psychological warfare in Israel in connection with the protests in Iran: Many Israelis report receiving threatening messages today, urging them to look up to the sky at midnight.
"Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is filled with veterans of the Syria conflict. [...]. The imperative to avoid Libya and Syria’s fate is the driving force behind Iranian decision-making today."
Why This Time Is Different for Iran by Vali Nasr prosyn.org/FNd2STW
Why This Time Is Different for Iran by Vali Nasr prosyn.org/FNd2STW
Why This Time Is Different for Iran
Vali Nasr points out that the Islamic Republic is facing a perfect storm of external and internal threats to its survival.
prosyn.org
January 10, 2026 at 7:11 AM
"Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is filled with veterans of the Syria conflict. [...]. The imperative to avoid Libya and Syria’s fate is the driving force behind Iranian decision-making today."
Why This Time Is Different for Iran by Vali Nasr prosyn.org/FNd2STW
Why This Time Is Different for Iran by Vali Nasr prosyn.org/FNd2STW
For live updates on the situation in #Iran, check the BBC coverage, including verified videos:
www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
Internet blackout in Iran as large anti-government protests held across country
Protests are reported in Tehran and other major cities, while an internet monitoring groups says there is a
www.bbc.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:15 PM
For live updates on the situation in #Iran, check the BBC coverage, including verified videos:
www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
www.bbc.com/news/live/cl...
Mit Kersten Knipp von der Deutschen Welle habe ich über die verstärkte Kooperation zwischen Marokko und Israel gesprochen:
amp.dw.com/de/marokko-m...
amp.dw.com/de/marokko-m...
Marokko: Militärische Kooperation mit Israel trotz Protesten – DW – 08.01.2026
Fünf Jahre nach dem Abraham-Abkommen vertiefen Marokko und Israel ihre Zusammenarbeit - diplomatisch, wirtschaftlich und zunehmend auch militärisch. Für Rabat zahlt sich die Annäherung aus - mit Folge...
https://amp.dw.com/de/marokko-militärische-zusammenarbeit-mit-israel-trotz-protesten/a-75421440
January 8, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Mit Kersten Knipp von der Deutschen Welle habe ich über die verstärkte Kooperation zwischen Marokko und Israel gesprochen:
amp.dw.com/de/marokko-m...
amp.dw.com/de/marokko-m...
Reposted by Simon Wolfgang Fuchs
my book, _Islamic Ethics and Spiritual Sovereignty: Genres of Tradition in Muslim South Asia_, will be published by @undpress.bsky.social in June 2026
i'm going through the proofs, and don't see any typos in the epilogue, so sharing this 3-page essay here
undpress.nd.edu/978026821090...
i'm going through the proofs, and don't see any typos in the epilogue, so sharing this 3-page essay here
undpress.nd.edu/978026821090...
January 2, 2026 at 1:46 AM
my book, _Islamic Ethics and Spiritual Sovereignty: Genres of Tradition in Muslim South Asia_, will be published by @undpress.bsky.social in June 2026
i'm going through the proofs, and don't see any typos in the epilogue, so sharing this 3-page essay here
undpress.nd.edu/978026821090...
i'm going through the proofs, and don't see any typos in the epilogue, so sharing this 3-page essay here
undpress.nd.edu/978026821090...
Hier auch noch eine tolle Einordnung des Projekts von Christian Meier in der Printausgabe der FAZ von heute:
zeitung.faz.net/data/586/rea...
zeitung.faz.net/data/586/rea...
December 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Hier auch noch eine tolle Einordnung des Projekts von Christian Meier in der Printausgabe der FAZ von heute:
zeitung.faz.net/data/586/rea...
zeitung.faz.net/data/586/rea...
(4/5) und überall da, wo es Podcasts gibt, zum Beispiel hier (open.spotify.com/show/6mWsKbI...).
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
(4/5) und überall da, wo es Podcasts gibt, zum Beispiel hier (open.spotify.com/show/6mWsKbI...).
(3/5) Englisch, widmen sich historischen, rechtlichen, psychologischen und weiteren Aspekten des israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikts. Große Hörempfehlung!
Den Podcast gibt es bei der Katholische Akademie in Berlin (www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/veranstaltun...)
Den Podcast gibt es bei der Katholische Akademie in Berlin (www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/veranstaltun...)
Israel/Palestine Podcast - Katholische Akademie in Berlin e.V.
by Berlin Students
www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de
December 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
(3/5) Englisch, widmen sich historischen, rechtlichen, psychologischen und weiteren Aspekten des israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikts. Große Hörempfehlung!
Den Podcast gibt es bei der Katholische Akademie in Berlin (www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/veranstaltun...)
Den Podcast gibt es bei der Katholische Akademie in Berlin (www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/veranstaltun...)
2/5) Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern. Die Abiturienten scheuen vor der Diskussion von aufgeladenen Begriffenen nicht zurück, wollen verschiedene Wahrheiten aushalten, das Minenfeld Nahost "multiperspektivisch" angehen. Die Folgen sind teils auf Deutsch, teils auf
December 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
2/5) Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern. Die Abiturienten scheuen vor der Diskussion von aufgeladenen Begriffenen nicht zurück, wollen verschiedene Wahrheiten aushalten, das Minenfeld Nahost "multiperspektivisch" angehen. Die Folgen sind teils auf Deutsch, teils auf
(1/5) Eine der spannendsten Initiativen des Jahres: Eine Gruppe von Abiturienten der Walter-Gropius-Schule in Berlin-Neukölln hat im Laufe von 2025 einen beeindruckenden Podcast zu Israel und Palästina auf die Beine gestellt. 51 Episoden an Interviews mit international renommierten
December 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
(1/5) Eine der spannendsten Initiativen des Jahres: Eine Gruppe von Abiturienten der Walter-Gropius-Schule in Berlin-Neukölln hat im Laufe von 2025 einen beeindruckenden Podcast zu Israel und Palästina auf die Beine gestellt. 51 Episoden an Interviews mit international renommierten
Mit dem NDR habe ich heute Morgen über Netanjahus Besuch bei Trump in Florida gesprochen.
www.ndr.de/nachrichten/...
www.ndr.de/nachrichten/...
Islamwissenschaftler Fuchs: Treffen war für Netanjahu ein Erfolg
Trump habe Netanjahu zur historischen Figur stilisiert, erklärte Islamwissenschaftler Simon Wolfgang Fuchs.
www.ndr.de
December 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Mit dem NDR habe ich heute Morgen über Netanjahus Besuch bei Trump in Florida gesprochen.
www.ndr.de/nachrichten/...
www.ndr.de/nachrichten/...
The New York Times carefully documents how a Palestinian state is systematically made impossible - and dispels the myth that only a few "extremist" settlers are the problem in the West Bank.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Land Grab: Israel’s Escalating Campaign for Control of the West Bank (Gift Article)
Israeli seizure of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, often brutally, has accelerated, raising doubts about the prospects of a peaceful solution to the conflict.
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:19 AM
The New York Times carefully documents how a Palestinian state is systematically made impossible - and dispels the myth that only a few "extremist" settlers are the problem in the West Bank.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...