Podcast Summary: From Our Own Correspondent – “Iran’s Marathon Hijab Protest”

Date: December 27, 2025
Host: Kate Adie, BBC Radio 4

Episode Overview

This episode showcases vivid reporting from BBC journalists around the globe, delivering stories that move beyond headlines. The major opening story covers the powerful hijab protest during a women’s marathon in Iran. Other dispatches look at polar bear conservation in Svalbard, the fate of French chestnut farming under climate change, Irish whisky’s global comeback, and Switzerland’s complex concept of neutrality.

Segment 1: Iran’s Marathon Hijab Protest

Reporter: Faranak Hamidi
Timestamps: [01:08] – [06:47]

Main Theme

An exploration of the recent women’s marathon on Kish Island, Iran, where hundreds of women publicly ran without the mandatory hijab—a defiant act symbolizing continuing resistance against state-imposed morality codes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Marathon as Protest: Around 2,000 women ran a separate race, many unveiling with ponytails, headbands, and athletic gear—contravening laws on compulsory hijab.
• Government Response: Race organizers were arrested. In the lead-up to the event, Iran’s Chief Justice said, “More needs to be done in regard to hijab and public decency,” and state-backed marches advocated stricter enforcement ([03:23]).
• Historic Context:
  • The movement gained momentum after Mahsa Amini’s 2022 death in custody for improper hijab, sparking mass protests led by women ([02:43]).
  • Despite a crackdown, everyday acts of resistance have grown—ditching hijabs, wearing more revealing clothes, and increased public confidence.
• Shifting Social Norms:
  • Interview with Artemis, 40: “We went from ditching our headscarves that summer to wearing crop tops and leggings around Tehran the next year” ([03:09]).
  • Public behavior such as running, dancing, and cartwheeling is increasingly common, despite arrests and fines.
  • “There seems to have been an unwritten agreement…to keep spaces safe for women...The harassment comes mostly from authorities” – Artemis ([03:44]).
• Power of Solidarity at the Marathon:
  • Sara, another participant: “Being next to all those women, we all just felt so free. Even now it makes me want to cry thinking about it” ([04:22]).
  • Comparing old and new: In 1999, an all-women’s race in Tehran had runners in heavy coats and black scarves—now replaced by open defiance.
  • “Running this year’s marathon was my personal act of defiance. Passing that finish line was like finally winning over all those limitations” – Sara ([04:58]).
  • Artemis adds: “People cheered us. There was live music. It made me want to stop and cry a few times” ([05:18]).
• Emotional Impact: The event was highly emotional for participants, described as “a victory, an achievement against all odds,” and a signal that resistance persists ([06:30]).

Notable Quotes

• “Many women in Iran have been protesting the mandatory hijab for more than 40 years, but things gained momentum in September 2022 when a young woman called Mahsa Amini was arrested... She died…while in custody.” – Faranak Hamidi ([02:43])
• “Being next to all those women, we all just felt so free. Even now it makes me want to cry thinking about it.” – Sara ([04:22])
• “Running this year's marathon was my personal act of defiance. Passing that finish line was like finally winning over all those limitations.” – Sara ([04:58])

Segment 2: Polar Bears in Svalbard

Reporter: Beth Timmins
Timestamps: [06:47] – [11:58]

Highlights

• New laws mandate humans to keep 300–500 meters from polar bears to protect both species and habitat.
• Reminiscence of polar bear lore and early expeditions, highlighting human attitudes shifting from hunter to protector.
• Insights from local experts reflect on the need for adaptation amid environmental changes.
• “The purpose is to protect [the bears],” says Svalbard’s governor ([10:50]).

Segment 3: Chestnut Farming and Climate in the Cévennes, France

Reporter: Julius Purcell
Timestamps: [11:58] – [17:02]

Highlights

• Reports on the impact of drought and disease on chestnut groves, crucial to local culture.
• Farmers like Camille Fage are collecting data and seeking hope through new, climate-resistant chestnut varieties.
• Community solidarity—“We're hanging on,” says Celine Ruano, local farmer and club founder ([15:48]).

Segment 4: Irish Whisky’s Global Journey

Reporter: Jordan Dunbar
Timestamps: [18:09] – [23:29]

Highlights

• Personal journey from discovering the disappearance of Irish whisky in foreign bars to exploring its resurgence.
• Once the world’s leading exporter, Irish whisky fell from grace due to politics and competition, now seeing a revival.
• Contemporary markets in India and the U.S. are driving the whisky renaissance.
• “For me, the two biggest drinks in India are whisky and gin…we now make great Indian versions of [them]. Ironic, eh?” – Vidhi, Mumbai-based whisky drinker ([22:52]).

Segment 5: Switzerland’s Neutrality Under Scrutiny

Reporter: Imogen Foulkes
Timestamps: [24:16] – [29:47]

Highlights

• Reveals Switzerland’s covert collaboration with both Allies and Axis powers during WWII, now being re-examined.
• A new exhibition sheds light on the espionage legacy; Switzerland’s neutral stance is described as pragmatic rather than virtuous.
• Historical artifacts (e.g., pilot’s watches for both the RAF and Luftwaffe) symbolize moral ambiguity.
• “It’s a place where you can have a discussion about sensitive issues…without it being interpreted that you are under the influence of one power or another.” – Professor Jusse Hanimaki ([28:37]).

Memorable Moments & Reflections

• The emotional resonance of the Iranian marathon—runners describing feelings of hard-won freedom and solidarity ([04:22], [05:18]).
• Interwoven personal histories and national identity, especially in the whisky and chestnut segments, illustrate the local impacts of global change.
• Swiss neutrality explored as a living, evolving concept, not a fixed stance.

Suggested Listening Order (with Timestamps)

• Iran’s marathon protest & women’s resistance: [01:08] – [06:47]
• Polar bears & Arctic law: [06:47] – [11:58]
• French chestnuts & climate struggle: [11:58] – [17:02]
• Irish whisky’s rise and fall: [18:09] – [23:29]
• Switzerland’s neutrality uncovered: [24:16] – [29:47]

This episode blends human stories with historical perspective, focusing on courage, tradition, and changing definitions of identity across continents. Iranians running without hijabs; chestnut farmers battling climate change; whisky distillers reclaiming lost pride; and a small, neutral country negotiating its values—all illustrate complex local responses to global pressures.