Post-Secular Mobilization and the Changing Religious–Secular Divide in Iran’s “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement

One of the most significant political and religious changes in Iran appeared in the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. The regime continues to base its authority on religion, but the revolt demonstrated that more and more people—young women in particular—consider religion as a private matter. It is not a complete rejection of God, but rather a move toward a new political discourse that dialogues secular demands for rights and dignity with moral notions derived from one's experience instead of official doctrine. The protesters' patterns were evident. Among the protesters were demands for less censorship of clerical authority; a new community based on equal rights and personal freedom grew among the people; and religious symbols were used to challenge the government's narrative secretly. These changes point to the fact that the religious–secular divide in Iran has been fundamentally altered. The research is based on qualitative content and discourse analysis of protest slogans, videos, and online activities. These changes are redefining Iran's political landscape, with the reverberations already being felt well beyond its border. Afghan women, whom similar religiously justified restrictions affect, also have closely watched the WLF movement and drawn inspiration from it. This wider resonance explains why a change in Iran's political and religious identities remains relevant outside its borders.