Document Type : Research Article / Original Article
Author
PhD in Cultural Sociology, Social Sciences Faculty, Allameh Tabataba'i University
Abstract
The Qom Seminary experienced special conditions during the second Pahlavi era. During this period, Ayatollah Boroujerdi, on the one hand, was responsible for preserving and developing the heritage of the newly established seminary, and on the other hand, he saw himself as responsible for the consequences of the non-religious or anti-religious policies of the Pahlavi state and some of its allies and even opponents.
While applying the method of Historical Sociology, we attempt to explain the approach of the Shi'i authority in relation to the policies, actions, and positions of other forces by describing the Ayatollah's speech and behavior in the context of the socio-political developments.
Based on the data, it becomes clear that Boroujerdi's actions, in a situation where the state, leftist intellectuals, and Baha'is were trying to remove Shi'i elements from the core of the Iranian national identity structure and replace them with their own elements, were able to adopt a policy of "reminding and negotiating" with the state, firstly, to enhance his position as a representative of the religious institution among other forces. Secondly, through the strategy of Ummatism, he was able to both consolidate the position of Shiites among the Islamic Ummah and strengthen his power domestically through establishing transnational relations. The analysis also shows that Boroujerdi's set of national and transnational actions countered the two grand plans of other forces, namely "Iran without Islam" and "Iranian Islam," and was able to provide the conditions for greater convergence of Iranians around the Islamic pillar of national identity.
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