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Roqe

Roqe

By: Roqe Global Media
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Conversations from, to, and about the Iranian diaspora. Roqe is hosted by Jian Ghomeshi.All rights reserved Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Roqe Ep. 425 - IRAN RISES - Washington Is Calling - Bijan Kian

    Roqe Ep. 425 - IRAN RISES - Washington Is Calling - Bijan Kian
    Mar 26 2026
    On this episode of Roqe, Jian is joined by Bijan Kian - a returning guest who consistently sparks strong reactions from the Roqe audience. A former senior U.S. official with decades of experience across public and private sectors, Kian offers his perspective on the current war involving the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic. The conversation explores competing narratives in American media, questions around strategy, and what this moment may signal for the future of Iran - including the role of Reza Pahlavi in a potential transition. Later in the episode, Jian is joined by a panel of organizers and participants ahead of a major rally in Washington, D.C. this Sunday in support of the Lion and Sun movement: Andy Alem (New York), Mandana Khazraei (Washington, D.C.), Behnam Bayat (Toronto), and Sergio Khadem (Toronto). They discuss the purpose of the demonstration, the coordination across cities, and the broader significance for the Iranian diaspora. The episode opens with an essay by Jian examining a recent Canadian poll suggesting that roughly one in five Gen Z respondents express support for the Islamic Republic - and what this reveals about disinformation, ideology, and the urgency of better public understanding. This episode is supported by: Famluxy - https://famluxy.com Avoca Chocolates - https://avocachocolates.com
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Roqe Ep. 424 - IRAN RISES - Decoding Trump - Shooka Bidarian, Shayan Sami'i, Ardeshir Zarezadeh

    Roqe Ep. 424 - IRAN RISES - Decoding Trump - Shooka Bidarian, Shayan Sami'i, Ardeshir Zarezadeh
    Mar 23 2026
    On this episode of Roqe, Jian is joined by a global panel to unpack a fast-moving and uncertain moment around Iran and the role of Donald Trump’s rhetoric and positioning in shaping what may come next. Joining from London, Washington, and Toronto are Shooka Bidarian, Shayan Sami’i, and Ardeshir Zarezadeh - bringing perspectives from media, policy, and activism to explore where things stand right now, how Iranians inside the country may be processing events, and whether the Islamic Republic is weaker than it appears. Jian opens the episode with an essay that zooms out from the daily chaos and makes a larger case: that Iran is not the Islamic Republic - and that this regime represents a temporary rupture in a much longer and richer history. This episode is supported by: Famluxy - https://famluxy.com Stellar Law - https://stellarlaw.ca
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    50 mins
  • Roqe Ep. 423 - IRAN RISES - Beware Regime Narratives in Western Media - Forouq Canaani

    Roqe Ep. 423 - IRAN RISES - Beware Regime Narratives in Western Media - Forouq Canaani
    Mar 13 2026
    On this episode of Roqe, Jian opens with an essay titled “Beware the Regime Narratives in Western Media.” As the conflict surrounding Iran continues, Jian examines how Islamic Republic propaganda can travel through Western media ecosystems - and how narratives amplified abroad can eventually be used to influence audiences inside Iran. He looks at several examples currently circulating in Western coverage - from the discussion around Mojtaba Khamenei and regime succession, to the claim that the Iranian revolution has faded because people have not returned to the streets during the bombing campaign, to the repeated assertion that there is no opposition leadership. Later in the episode, Jian speaks with Germany-based researcher and political analyst Forouq Canaani, joining from Munich. Their conversation explores: the war so far the regime’s disinformation tactics how narratives move between Iran, the diaspora, and Western media the question of succession and whether the conditions for a new uprising inside Iran may be emerging. This episode is supported by: Avoca Chocolates https://avocachocolates.com
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    48 mins
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