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Author : Shahrough Akhavi Publisher : State University of New York Press Page : 282 pages File Size : 42,7 Mb Release : 1980-06-30 Category : Religion ISBN : 9780791494417
Religion and Politics in Contemporary Iran by Shahrough Akhavi Pdf
Indispensable for understanding the recent conflicts in Iran, Religion and Politics in Contemporary Iran provides a political history of the fluctuating relationships between the Islamic clergy and Iranian government since 1925. How different factions of the clergy, or ulama first lost and then regained a powerful position in Iran is the subject of this book. Akhavi analyzes how various factions within the clergy have responded to the government's efforts to encourage modernization and secularization, giving particular attention to the changes in the madrasahs, or theological colleges. He examines the main themes of the AyatullaH Khymayni's book, Islamic Government, and concludes by examining the alignments among the clergy in the past that indicate how they may develop in the future.
First Published in 1983. This book brings together the best of Professor Keddie's articles on Iran both published and newly written and spans almost two decades. Long before the current religious-political alliance in Iran startled the world and toppled the Shah, Prof.Keddie undertook a series of studies that reveal the social, economic, doctrinal and political roots of what she was the first to call the 'Religious-Radical' alliance in Iran.
Religion and Politics in Modern Iran by Lloyd Ridgeon Pdf
The first comprehensive anthology of texts to do justice to modern Iranian political thought containing many crucially important texts appear here for the first time in English. This work is unique in its emphases on questions of gender and Sufism in Iran. Covering the last hundred years of Iranian history, "Religion and Politics in Modern Iran" introduces students to some of the most crucial political and religious texts of the period. Writers represented here include Seyyid Jamal al-Afghani, Shaykh Fazlallah Nuri, Ahmad Kasravi, Ali Shari'ati, Ayatollah Khomeini and Mehrangiz Kar. Many of these writings have become core texts for students of Middle East studies, religious studies and Islamic studies, while others - while just as important - are difficult to find or have never appeared before in English. It is noteworthy in that it offers fifteen chapters of substantial length, each of which is preceded by an introduction discussing the significance of the piece and placing each writer in their historical context. "Religion and Politics in Modern Iran" is an immensely timely publication for students who wish to know not only about the past hundred years in Iran but also about the continuing trends in the country that move far beyond simplistic ideas about Iran's role in an 'axis of evil'.
Islam and Democracy in Iran by Ziba Mir-Hosseini,Richard Tapper Pdf
In today's world all eyes are on Iran, which has grappled with an experiment that has had a massive global impact. For some, the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 was the triumph of a modern, political Islam, heralding Muslim justice and economic prosperity. Others, including many of the original revolutionaries, saw religious fanatics attempting to roll back time by creating a despotic theocracy. Either way, the Iranian Revolution changed the Muslim world. It not only inspired the Muslim masses but also reinvigorated intellectual debates on the nature and possibilities of an Islamic state. The new 'Islamic Republic of Iran' combined not just religion and the state, but theocracy and democracy. Yet the revolution's heirs were soon engaged in a protracted struggle over its legacy. Dissident thinkers, from within an Islamic framework, sought a rights-based political order that could accept dissent, tolerance, pluralism, women's rights and civil liberties. Their ideas led directly to the presidency of Mohammad Khatami and, despite their political failure, they did leave a permanent legacy by demystifying Iranian religious politics, and condemning the use of the Shariah to justify autocratic rule. This book tells the story of the reformist movement through the world of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari. An active supporter of the revolution who became one of the most outspoken critics of theocracy, Eshkevari developed ideas of 'Islamic democratic government', which have attracted considerable attention in Iran and elsewhere. In presenting a selection of Eshkevari's writings, this book reveals the intellectual and political trajectory of a Muslim thinker and his attempts to reconcile Islam with reform and democracy. As such it makes a highly original contribution to our understanding of the difficult social and political issues confronting the Islamic world today.
Religion and Politics in Modern Iran by Lloyd Ridgeon Pdf
The first comprehensive anthology of texts to do justice to modern Iranian political thought containing many crucially important texts appear here for the first time in English. This work is unique in its emphases on questions of gender and Sufism in Iran. Covering the last hundred years of Iranian history, "Religion and Politics in Modern Iran" introduces students to some of the most crucial political and religious texts of the period. Writers represented here include Seyyid Jamal al-Afghani, Shaykh Fazlallah Nuri, Ahmad Kasravi, Ali Shari'ati, Ayatollah Khomeini and Mehrangiz Kar. Many of these writings have become core texts for students of Middle East studies, religious studies and Islamic studies, while others - while just as important - are difficult to find or have never appeared before in English. It is noteworthy in that it offers fifteen chapters of substantial length, each of which is preceded by an introduction discussing the significance of the piece and placing each writer in their historical context. "Religion and Politics in Modern Iran" is an immensely timely publication for students who wish to know not only about the past hundred years in Iran but also about the continuing trends in the country that move far beyond simplistic ideas about Iran's role in an 'axis of evil'.
This accessible introductory text explains the political, economic and religious developments since the formation of the Islamic Republic in 1979 and provides an analysis of the domestic politics of Iran. It identifies the ways in which the country, often imagined as ‘isolated’, is actually integrated into the global capitalist economy. It also explains the often-heated relationship of the regional powerhouse with the outside world, especially with West Asian neighbours and the United States. Both rigorous and readable, the book covers: • Iran’s unusual path of capitalist development; • The relationship between politics and religion in what is known as ‘God’s Kingdom’; • The international and domestic factors that shape Iranian politics and society. Assuming no prior knowledge, this book is an ideal starting point for students and general readers looking for a thought-provoking introduction to contemporary Iran.
The Mystery of Contemporary Iran by Mahnaz Shirali Pdf
The mystery of how an Islamic dictatorship came to power remains more than thirty years after the Islamic Republic's inception in Iran. The precise nature of a regime that calls itself both a republic and Islamic but is neither is little understood. The ayatollahs' unpopularity may have reached unprecedented heights, but their power seems more secure. Such paradoxes weigh heavily and judgments diverge. While public opinion wonders how an archaic theocratic regime could survive so long, some explain it in terms of Iran's continued modernization and the clergy's ability to reconcile itself with politics.Understanding the modernization process propelled by the Constitutional Revolution is difficult and raises questions. How and why could ideological Islam continue to dominate Iranian society since the late 1970s? How did it gain power and influence and overcome the reforms molded by the Constitutional Revolution? Mahnaz Shirali analyzes twentieth-century Iranian history to understand the Shiite clergy's role in a modernized country's social and political organization. She explains what enabled the clergy to take over prevailing political forces and gain control of the state.Studying Iran's history for the past one hundred years reveals the force of a religious conservatism opposing political modernity, repelling any attempt at democracy by Iranians, thanks to its constant metamorphoses. Shirali studies the curse of the Shiite clergy on political modernity. It is a convincing, in-depth criticism of the ideological Islam imposed on Iran.
Towards a Modern Iran by Elie Kedourie,Sylvia G. Haim Pdf
First Published in 1980. The events which took place in Iran during the time of original publication took the world by surprise. A little reflection however will suggest that they were not inexplicable prodigies. They constitute rather a manifestation, albeit sudden and astonishing, of a social, intellectual and political crisis in the throes of which Iran has found itself. The eleven studies included in this book are devoted to the examination of one or other aspect of this crisis and aim to clarify the origins and character of the crisis.
Islam and Dissent in Postrevolutionary Iran by Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi Pdf
The Islamic Republic of Iran came into being in 1979, the result of a radical revolution that overhauled not only the foundations of Iranian society, religion and politics, but also our understanding of the role of religion in modern government. Here Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi takes us on an enlightening journey, showing that contrary to widespread assumptions the Iranian revolution opened up the public sphere to competing interpretations of Islam, with profound consequences for the nature of democratic reform. Ghamari-Tabrizi sheds new light on the contingencies within which the new regime evolved, and traces the steps by which the clerical establishment sought to consolidate power during the immediate postrevolutionary period. Contrary to the received view, he argues that the ruling class failed to institute a theocratic regime, and, more significantly, unintentionally established the grounds for civic challenges to government policies underwritten by official interpretations of Islam. Far from being the exclusive preserve of high-ranking seminarians, interpretations of doctrinal Islam in contemporary Iran now form a contested, varied and negotiated discourse in which lay theologians, intellectuals, lawyers and social activists are active and influential interlocutors. Against the background of this unexpected development, Ghamari-Tabrizi addresses the early and late works of Abdolkarim Soroush, an Iranian philosopher who has become one of the most influential Muslim intellectuals in recent years, a leading force behind Iran's pro-democracy movement and vocal critic of the state. Through a close reading of Soroush's evolving ideas, and of the works of Ali Shari`ati, and by tracing the links between Muslim intellectual critique and the realpolitik of postrevolutionary power struggles, Ghamari-Tabrizi offers nothing less than a pathbreaking reassessment of the Iranian revolution. In so doing, he demonstrates how democratic transformation in Muslim societies has taken place by means of a public engagement with the teachings of Islam and highlights a most significant, if unintended, consequences of the Iranian revolution - namely the secularization of Islam. Drawing on a wealth of sources and with powerful insights, 'Islam and Dissent' is essential for an understanding of the Muslim world today and of the new relationships between religion, culture and political power visible across the globe.
Amidst recent hype about events in the Middle East, there have been few attempts to get below the surface and develop a fuller understanding of what politics means there. The Middle East: The Politics of the Sacred and Secular redresses this balance and provides essential historical and theoretical context. In this book, Shahrough Akhavi shows that the way people think about politics in the Middle East has developed in response to historical experience. Islam has obviously played a pivotal role and the book does much to disentangle myth and reality about Islamic responses to politics. Refreshingly, however, the book focuses on the universal concepts of the individual, civil society, the state, justice, authority and obligation and how these have been interpreted by Middle Eastern thinkers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Akhavi builds a dynamic picture of a politically exciting and engaged region. The fresh perspective this book brings to global political theory, and the background it gives students of politics in the Middle East make it an important addition to the World Political Theories series.
Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the re-introduction of Sharica law relating to gender and the family, women's rights in Iran suffered a major setback. However, as the implementers of the law have faced the social realities of women's lives and aspirations, positive changes have gradually come about. Here Ziba Mir-Hosseini takes us to the heart of the growing debates concerning the ways in which justice for women should be achieved. Through a series of lively interviews with clerics in the Iranian religious center of Qom, she seeks to understand the varying notions of gender that inform Islamic jurisprudence and to explore how clerics today perpetuate and modify these notions. Mir-Hosseini finds three main approaches to the issue: insistence on "traditional" patriarchal interpretations based on "complementarity" but "inequality" between women and men; attempts to introduce "balance" into traditional interpretations; or a radical rethinking of the jurisprudential constructions of gender. She introduces the debates among the commentators by examining key passages in both written and oral texts and by narrating her meetings and discussions with the authors. Unique in its approach and its subject matter, the book relates Mir-Hosseini's engagement, as a Muslim woman and a social anthropologist educated and working in the West, with Shii'i Muslim thinkers of various backgrounds and views. In the literature on women in Islam, there is no account of such a face-to-face encounter, either between religion and gender politics or between the two genders.
Iran's geographical location, its oil, its nuclear program, its volatile political landscape, its espousal of militant Islam, all combine to make it a key player in some of the most crucial issues of our time. But because of its relative isolation, there is a shortage of hard information about today's Iran. In this volume, an imposing roster of both internationally renowned Iranian scholars and rising young Iranian academics offer essays - many based on recent fieldwork - on the nature and evolution of Iran's economy, significant aspects of Iran's changing society, and the dynamics of its domestic and international politics since the 1979 revolution, focusing particularly on the post-Khomeini period. The book will be of great interest not only to Iran specialists, but also to scholars of comparative politics, democratization, social change, politics in the Muslims world, and Middle Eastern studies.
