Rereading and interpreting the ideas of leading Muslim thinkers
Seyed Mostafa Taherzadeh; Hadi Noori
Abstract
his study aims to reinterpret Mirza Malkam Khan’s legal reform project as presented in the Qanun newspaper, addressing whether his thought embodies hybridity or essentialism. It further examines the extent to which Malkam Khan’s ideas enable active resistance against colonialism. Employing ...
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his study aims to reinterpret Mirza Malkam Khan’s legal reform project as presented in the Qanun newspaper, addressing whether his thought embodies hybridity or essentialism. It further examines the extent to which Malkam Khan’s ideas enable active resistance against colonialism. Employing an interpretive and fundamental research design with an interrogative strategy, the study applies postcolonial theory and utilizes the method of deconstruction for data analysis. Findings indicate that the binary oppositions within the text reflect an imitation of Western human experience. Malkam Khan perceives Iranian identity during his era not as pure but as hybrid; however, this hybridity is dominated by Western identity elements (11 instances) over indigenous traditions (3 instances), effectively requiring mere adaptation from the latter. Consequently, his legal reform project is grounded in a Eurocentric framework, limiting its capacity to foster active resistance against colonialism and Western cultural hegemony. An analysis of concepts such as the Adamiyat Project reveals the pervasive influence of essentialist thought in Malkam Khan’s legalism. The project’s fluidity proves insufficient to destabilize binary oppositions and their inherent hierarchies. Despite claims of reconciling Shari’a and progress, Malkam Khan ultimately aligns with Western stability, distancing himself from the "third space" and the creation of a novel hybrid identity.
