The Politicisation of Culture and the Contestation of Iranian National Identity in Khatami’s Iran

By Shabnam Holliday

Volume 7, Issue 1, pages 27-45

Abstract

Islam and nationalism are often linked in Iranian political discourses. While looking at Islam is crucial to an understanding of Iranian nationalism, it is essential to highlight that it is not the only basis of nationalism. The political discourses during Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s presidency (1997–2005) illustrate the complexity of nationalism in Iran. This paper examines discourses of national identity that are contested by addressing the role of culture. The aim of this paper is to illustrate that the basis of the contestation is a perceived dichotomy between two cultures: Iraniyyat ‐ being Iranian in terms of Iran’s pre‐Islamic heritage and exclusion of the Islamic heritage — and Islamiyyat— being Islamic in terms of Iran’s Islamic heritage and exclusion of pre‐Islamic heritage.

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