Kurdish Opposition and Women's Freedom Shaping Iran's Future.

ASCF senior analyst Laurence Sanford interviews Shukriya Bradost, an Iranian Kurdish analyst and activist for women, Kurds, and minorities in Iran. She helped establish the Women, Life, Freedom Committee in Iran in 2003. In 2004, she escaped Iran to avoid arrest. In 2016, she had to flee to the U.S. after the Islamic regime threatened her life while living in Iraqi Kurdistan. Don't miss the end of this podcast as Ms. Bradost discusses efforts she believes can bring about regime change from within Iran through the Kurdish opposition, with the support of the U.S. and other countries.

The Kurdish people who inhabit a region spanning Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria have long faced cultural and political marginalization within Iran and the other countries forming Kurdistan. Women already face oppression and discrimination. Ms. Bradost speaks as a Kurdish, Iranian woman, who is also a Sunni muslim (Iranian's are majority Shi'ite muslims). Systematic oppression has contributed to a sense of disenfranchisement among Kurds in Iran, fueling calls for greater autonomy and recognition of their rights. The struggle for Kurds, women, and other ethnic minorities continues to be a significant issue in Iranian politics, reflecting broader tensions between the state and its minorities.

Shukriya Bradost is an Iranian Kurdish analyst and PhD researcher in International Security at Virginia Tech, specializing in Middle East security, non-state actors, and the securitization of ethnic groups in Iran. Shukriya frequently shares her insights on international and Middle East security issues through prominent media outlets, including BBC Persian, I24, VOA, and Iran International TV (source: Interview with Steve Emerson, IPT News).

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