A Safe Refuge? Minorities and the State in Iranian Cyberspace Call for Papers CyberOrient: Online Journal of the Virtual Middle East Editor-in-Chief: Daniel Martin Varisco Guest Editor: Bronwen Robertson and James Marchant Submission deadline: 30 April 2015 (Full Papers) Aim The Iranian state has consistently restricted spaces for minorities to express their identities, especially where such identities are construed as representing a threat to the religious, political and sexual orthodoxies promulgated by the clerical establishment. As a result, many members of assorted Iranian minority groups have taken to cyberspace to build communities, articulate self- and group-identities, organise to overcome discriminatory practices, and connect with their allies from across national borders and around the world. With the election of Hassan Rouhani to the presidency there have been renewed hopes for an improvement in the position of Iran’s minorities, though tangible improvements have been slow to materialise. Whilst the state is slow to take steps that would improve the position of Iran’s minorities, it is ultimately down to these communities to organise and find solutions to their myriad concerns. This special issue of CyberOrient invites contributors to explore how Iranian minority groups have embraced technology to overcome state marginalization, strengthen communities, and push back against entrenched societal prejudices. Topics might include the role of online networks in community formation; the impact of state filtering programmes upon minorities; the effectiveness of phone apps in providing communities with support and education; the extent of access to communications technology by minority communities; and the capacity for diaspora organisations and communities to affect the position of Iranian minorities. About CyberOrient CyberOrient (http://www.cyberorient.net/) is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Anthropological Association, in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. The aim of the journal is to provide research and theoretical considerations on the representation of Islam and the Middle East, the very areas that used to be styled as an “Orient”, in cyberspace, as well as the impact of the internet and new media in Muslim and Middle Eastern contexts. Submission Articles should be submitted directly to Bronwen Robertson (bronwen@smallmedia.org.uk), James Marchant (james@smallmedia.org.uk), and Vit Sisler (vit.sisler@ff.cuni.cz). Articles should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words (including references), and follow the AAA style in referencing and citations. Upon acceptance, articles will be published online with free access in Fall 2015. More information can be found here: http://www.cyberorient.net/detail.do?articleId=3682 -- Vit Sisler, Ph.D. Charles University in Prague Faculty of Arts Institute of Information Science and Librarianship New Media Studies http://uisk.jinonice.cuni.cz/sisler/