Roqe

“Shooting the Revolution – Part 33 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. When we think of the Islamic revolution of 1979, what images are engrained in our thoughts? What pivotal moments or snapshots from the chaotic scramble that lead to the triumph of the ayatollahs and the sudden end of the Shah’s rule do we remember best? Interestingly, many of the evocative photographs th...

Roqe 187 - Feature interviews with Shally Zomorodi and Peyman Salimi on a rollicking and diverse edition of Roqe. Iranian-American journalist and broadcaster Shally Zomorodi joins Jian from San Diego to discuss her much-anticipated new children’s book, “Myla Caterpillars Become Butterflies,” and her forthcoming appearance at the Seattle Iranian Festival. Then Iranian-Italian singer-songwriter, gui...

Roqe 186 - A feature interview with Iranian-Canadian public speaker, professional coach, and personal branding expert, Dr. Shahab Anari, author of “The How of Personal Branding: 3 C's to become the Highly Paid Authority in Your Field.” Dr. Anari joins Jian in the Roqe Studio for an entertaining and educational deep dive into personal development, positive psychology, and life lessons gained from b...

Roqe 185 -A feature interview with award-winning Iranian political cartoonist and activist Ali Dorani (also known as, “Eaten Fish”). In the week before World Refugee Day, Ali joins Jian from Stavanger, Norway, to recount his remarkable and deeply harrowing story of fleeing Iran on the promise of finding asylum in Australia, only to end up in a prison-style Australian “immigration camp” for years w...

Roqe 184 - An ideas based episode looking at the notable increase in the usage of psychedelic and psychoactive drugs in recent years for the purposes of health and mental wellness (beyond any recreational utility) and the Iranian connection. Why have psychedelics like magic mushrooms become “cool” again, and gained popularity in clinical trials for the purposes of treating psychiatric conditions?...

Feature interviews with Iranian-American rising star violinist, Nikki Naghavi, in Dallas, and Founder and Director of the designer online marketplace Alangoo, Golshid Mola, in Los Angeles. Plus community builder Fariba Fard in the Roqe Studio on her project called, “Ash Arezooha”, that seeks to invite wishes and spread positivity around the world, and the Roqe Team pore over the Letters of the Wee...

Roqe 182 - How big a problem is poor communication amongst Iranians? And is that why we are so divided? And can Clubhouse somehow help? Whether in intra-community polemics and politicized social media debates, or in intimate relationships and family gatherings, dialogue seems to be a challenge for Iranians when it comes to openness, honesty, transparency and tolerance. Psychologist, scholar, and p...

Roqe 181 - An interview with renowned Iranian-American playwright and actor, Houshang Touzie. Houshang joins Jian from Los Angeles for a wide-ranging interview about his career success, learning from his failures, and his recent stage play, The Sliver Poet, portraying the story of the love and sacrifice of Fereydoun Farrokhzad. Plus the Roqe Team, joined by journalist Mohammad Manzarpour in Washin...

“Persian Language Under the Ayatollahs” - Part 32 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 created seismic shifts in Iranian society, but what effect did it have on language? What impact did the Islamic Republic’s attempts to Islamize language in Iran have on the way Persians speak? Iranian-Canadian linguist, author, and curator of Iranian cinema a...

A feature interview and live performance in the Roqe studio with the popular Iranian political rock band, Kiosk. Arash, Ali, Nima, and KC from the group all join Jian for a wide-ranging conversation on the occasion of their return to the concert stage, and to play songs following the release of their seventh studio album, Sweet Destiny.

“Rethinking the Shah of Iran - 2” - Part 31 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. There is, perhaps, no greater figure in the Contemporary History of Iran than the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. And there is no shortage of opinions about him and his legacy - from admiration to condemnation. But has the perception of the Shah and the Pahlavi period changed in the ye...

Feature interviews with surgeon turned social media star, Dr. Iman Taheri, in the Roqe Studio, and award-winning British-Iranian fashion designer, Alisa Vaseghi, Founder of the Vaseghia fashion house in London, UK. Plus the Roqe On-Air Team address Jian’s anxieties about who to support in the upcoming Canada vs Iran friendly football match in Vancouver.

“The Curious Case of Ahmadinejad” - Part 30 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Is there are more mercurial figure in the modern history of Iran than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - the man who served as the president of the Islamic Republic from 2005 to 2013? The conservative politician is either seen as a supervillain, or a superstar, depending on your perspective, ideology, and ma...

Roqe 178 - Popular rock musician Ali Azimi joins from London for the world premiere of some of the tracks from his forthcoming album, Kahrobaye Arezoo. Plus YouTuber/documentarian Anahita Eskandari on her story of being an Iranian woman in a mixed-race marriage in Ghana. And the Roqe Team discusses Reza’s throat issues and the Letters of the Week.

“Rethinking the Shah of Iran” - Part 29 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. There is, perhaps, no greater figure in the Contemporary History of Iran than the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. And there is no shortage of opinions about him and his legacy - from admiration to condemnation. But has the perception of the Shah and the Pahlavi period changed in the forty...

Roqe 177 - A feature interview with pilot, aviation expert, motivational speaker, and Iranian human rights advocate, Captain Christopher Behnam. Captain Behnam joins Jian from San Francisco to recount the harrowing tale of saving 381 lives aboard United Airlines 1175 en route to Hawaii in 2018, and his personal story of facing mortality and building resilience since childhood. Plus the Roqe Team d...

“The Golha Legacy” - Part 28 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. From 1956-1979 a series of radio programs hit the national airwaves in Iran, aimed at showcasing poetry and traditional music in Persian culture, and enhancing their appreciation by the general public - the impact was monumental. But how did the Golha Programs find their genesis? How do we measure the impact t...

Roqe 176 - A special edition of Roqe focusing on the future of money, creativity and investment - “Iranians and the Metaverse.” Making the case for cryptocurrencies is political analyst and crypto farmer Maysam Behravesh who joins Jian from Sweden to explain why he believes digital currencies will be the future and why you should get in on them now. And explaining and making the case for NFTs is l...

“The Massacre of ’88 on Trial” - Part 27 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. In 1988, in the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq War, there was a wholesale killing of thousands of political prisoners by the Khomeini regime. What was the massacre of 1988 about? Who was involved? And how is the trial of Hamid Noori, currently taking place in Stockholm, related? Human rights lawyer and...

Roqe 175 - On the two-year anniversary of the launch of Roqe, a special feature interview with Iranian classical music star Alireza Ghorbani - considered one of the world’s foremost vocalists and recording artists. Alireza joins Jian from Tehran for a wide-ranging life interview about his technique, his performance style, his love of singing, his childhood, and his cross-cultural mission. The inte...

“Khomeinism” - Part 26 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Of all the figures of modern Iranian history, few draw more of a reflexive reaction than the leader who was centre of the revolution of 1979: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Who was the man that led the creation of the Islamic Republic which remains the regime in power in Iran today? And was he, in fact, a fundamentali...

Feature interviews with dance photographer and social media sensation Ashkan Roayaee, and singer, songwriter and storyteller, Ziba Shirazi. Plus the Roqe Team evaluate Jian’s weekend trip to a Persian birthday party, Kyan’s latest bout with Covid, and the Letters of the Week.

“The Impact of Mossadegh” - Part 25 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. In the view of some, the coup of 1953 not only undermined Iran’s first democratically elected government but set a course for events and autocratic rule that would lead to a popular revolution that would end the monarchy and result in the formation of a theocracy - only 25 years later. But what led to t...

Roqe 173 - With the World Cup 2022 final draw established, comedian and lifelong football fan Maz Jobrani joins Jian to talk about the upcoming tournament in Qatar, and how to navigate support for more than one country we identify as “home.” Plus acclaimed British-Iranian screenwriter and Oscar nominee Hossein Amini is the feature interview guest from London, England, for a chat about writing, foc...

The revolution of 1979 is often called, ‘The Islamic Revolution,’ as it culminated with the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But was it really a victory for religion? Or has the Islamization project self-destructed? More specifically, in the years after the revolution did Iran become a more religious and spiritual society, or did it continue its journey into secularism, but…a different ki...