Islamic Revolution Turned Shiism into a Geopolitical Phenomenon
The Islamic Revolution has been highly influential in changing Shiism from a mere religious sect limited to its followers into a largely geopolitical phenomenon.
Talking to IQNA, Seyyed Abbas Ahmadi, professor of political geography and geopolitics in Tehran University and secretary of Shia Geopolitics Congress, added that geopolitics includes the three fields of geography, politics and power that are in close interactions with one another.
“From this point of view, Shia geopolitics concerns the way Shiism is placed within the context of these three elements,” he went on to say, adding: “In terms of geography, we can see that the majority of Shia-populated countries are mostly located in Persian Gulf Region which can be considered a geopolitical origin for lots of international developments during the past 50 years.”
“As for politics, it can be viewed in two ways, either the Shia ideology and principles that are political in nature or the Shias’ viewpoints regarding power and politics. Therefore, like other schools of thought, Shiism is based on a political theory, the most important of which being ‘Velayt-e Faqih’ that emerged following the Islamic Revolution.”
“The third element is power which is a key concept in this discussion, as it had not come into effect before the Revolution and was mostly viewed as an aspiration to be pursued by Shia followers.
Ahmadi further elaborated on the close correlation between power and Shiism, adding: “Without power, Shia school could not have been spread so widely throughout the world, and this reveals the geopolitical nature of Shiism during the post-Revolution years.”
“The great number of books and articles written on the topic as well as the international forums and conferences held regarding the issue can be witnesses to the fact that Shiism has changed from a mere religious sect into a more political trend that is now ruling over Iran and is more or less showing up in the international community as well.”
Highlighting the role of the Islamic Revolution as a historic event in all Shia societies, he noted: “Iran gained a geopolitical identity after the Revolution and managed to extend its influence in the neighboring countries with which it shares certain religious commonalities.”
“From a geopolitical perspective, Iran has turned into a remarkable center for Islamic and Shia communities, playing a crucial role in cultural, religious, medical, sport, media, construction and other domains at both national and international levels.”
Ahmadi also called for strengthening the solidarity among different Shia sects to promote more stable and secure relations with the neighboring countries which can eventually foster overall unity in the entire world.
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“From this point of view, Shia geopolitics concerns the way Shiism is placed within the context of these three elements,” he went on to say, adding: “In terms of geography, we can see that the majority of Shia-populated countries are mostly located in Persian Gulf Region which can be considered a geopolitical origin for lots of international developments during the past 50 years.”
“As for politics, it can be viewed in two ways, either the Shia ideology and principles that are political in nature or the Shias’ viewpoints regarding power and politics. Therefore, like other schools of thought, Shiism is based on a political theory, the most important of which being ‘Velayt-e Faqih’ that emerged following the Islamic Revolution.”
“The third element is power which is a key concept in this discussion, as it had not come into effect before the Revolution and was mostly viewed as an aspiration to be pursued by Shia followers.
Ahmadi further elaborated on the close correlation between power and Shiism, adding: “Without power, Shia school could not have been spread so widely throughout the world, and this reveals the geopolitical nature of Shiism during the post-Revolution years.”
“The great number of books and articles written on the topic as well as the international forums and conferences held regarding the issue can be witnesses to the fact that Shiism has changed from a mere religious sect into a more political trend that is now ruling over Iran and is more or less showing up in the international community as well.”
Highlighting the role of the Islamic Revolution as a historic event in all Shia societies, he noted: “Iran gained a geopolitical identity after the Revolution and managed to extend its influence in the neighboring countries with which it shares certain religious commonalities.”
“From a geopolitical perspective, Iran has turned into a remarkable center for Islamic and Shia communities, playing a crucial role in cultural, religious, medical, sport, media, construction and other domains at both national and international levels.”
Ahmadi also called for strengthening the solidarity among different Shia sects to promote more stable and secure relations with the neighboring countries which can eventually foster overall unity in the entire world.
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