Hüccetiye Cemiyeti modern İran’ın en etkileyici dini gruplarından biridir. Cemiyet, bir anti-Baha... more Hüccetiye Cemiyeti modern İran’ın en etkileyici dini gruplarından biridir. Cemiyet, bir anti-Bahai hareket olarak 1950’lerde ortaya çıktı ama kendini Humeyni'nin Velayet-i Fakih teorisi ile mücadele ederken buldu ve Humeyni karşıtı ve Mesihçi bir gündemin lideri olarak temayüz etti. Cemiyet, Humeyni ile mücadelesine rağmen, üyelerinin İran siyasetinde yüksek devlet kademelerini ellerinde tutmaları ile birlikte, istemeyerek ve bilmeyerek, İslam Devrimi içinde önde gelen bir hizip haline geldi.
Hüccetiye Cemiyeti, Humeyni tarafından 1983’te yasaklanmasına rağmen, İran siyasetindeki izlerinin hala bulunabiliyor olmasının ortaya koyduğu üzere, siyasi alanı tamamıyla terk etmiş görünmüyor. Hatta Mahmud Ahmedinecad ve akıl hocası Ayetullah Misbah Yazdi’nin de Hüccetiye üyeleri olduğu söyleniyor.
At the outbreak of the Islamic revolution on 1979, a small religious group, whose name was at fir... more At the outbreak of the Islamic revolution on 1979, a small religious group, whose name was at first 'The Kahfis' (The Cavemen) emerged with new look and name: the Forqan Group. Under the leadership of Akbar Goodarzi, a young religious fanatic, the Forqan looked for support amoung the younger generation in their fight against the Ayatollah Khomeini and his Velayat-e Faqih theory. For them, the new Shi'a that Khomeini wished to establish and promote as the state's religion was a call for war against Khomeini and his circles. While fighting Khomeini, the Forqan also tried to gain supporters and adherents through religious lectures and distribution of religious pamphlets called the Forqan ('the Truth,' 'the right path'), the way of the Quran. After a series of successful assassinations of Khomeini's supporters, the new regime of Khomeini fought back against the Forqan and defeated the group. The question remains whether foreign intelligences agencies, such as the Mossad , the CIA, and the remnants of the SAVAK, supported the Forqan's actions. This book provides an in-depth look at what really happened behind the fog of revolution.
Identities in Crisis in Iran aims at finding answers to the questions about the puzzling characte... more Identities in Crisis in Iran aims at finding answers to the questions about the puzzling character of the Iranian identity. The contributors acknowledge that identity, especially when it is faced with fundamental tensions as in the case of Iran, is a phenomenon that is constantly developing via factors involving the private self and common social components. This book addresses the tension many Iranian people face that lie between the Persian culture and the Shi’a religion, women versus men, and culture versus traditions.
"The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and Practice of a Revolution is a book t... more "The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and Practice of a Revolution is a book that tries to theoretically challenge one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East – its revolutions and social protests. The book offers theoretical paradigms that are culturally, religiously and historically suited to the conditions that prevail in the Middle East. The book deals with seventeen case studies taken from all the Muslim and Arab states and provides a theoretical framework for the study of other cases from all over the world and also from the recent Arab Spring.
Revolution, as a political action, can occur in all societies but it has appeared more frequently in the Middle East than in other places. What are the reasons for the Middle East being more vulnerable to revolution than other modern societies in other regions? What makes the Middle Eastern revolution unique and surprising? And is this going to be the fate of the Middle Eastern countries in the future? This book tries to answer these questions and provide some theoretical understanding for the phenomenon together with an examination of cases of revolution that have been successful and those that were doomed to fail. "
The Hojjatiyeh Society is one of the most fascinating religious groups in modern Iran. The soci... more The Hojjatiyeh Society is one of the most fascinating religious groups in modern Iran. The society started its way in the 1950s as an anti-Baha'i movement but found itself fighting Khomeini's Velayat-i Faqih and leading an anti-Khomeini and messianic agenda. Despite the Hojjatiyeh's fight against Khomeini, the Hojjatiyeh became, unwillingly and unintentionally, a leading faction in the Islamic Revolution, with its members coming to occupy some of the highest echelon posts in Iranian politics. The Hojjatiyeh was dismissed in 1983 by Khomeini, but it seems it never truly left the political sphere until today, when its traces can still be found on Iranian politics. Even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his mentor the Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi are reported to be Hojjatiyeh members.
"The Mojahedin Khalq Organization is an Iranian political party that helped Khomeini’s religious ... more "The Mojahedin Khalq Organization is an Iranian political party that helped Khomeini’s religious sect in Iran bring about the Islamic revolution of 1979, after being at the forefront of opposition to the rule of the Shah. However, as the revolution got underway the Mojahedin, which used some elements of Mao Tse Tung’s political and warfare philosophy, were sidelined by the religious clerics and were expelled from the political arena. They responded by attacking the dominant polity through democratic means (such as political demonstrations, increasing the role of women), and later through armed resistance via Iraq, to become the most significant opposition powerbase to the current regime of Iran.
… The author details the Organization’s relations with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, European host nations, and most particularly with Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military, and the end of war (1980–1988) negotiations between Iran and Iraq. Towards the end of its major activities, the Organization acted as little more than a cult, demanding total reverence to its leader Massoud Rajavi. Since 1997 the Organization has dissolved and depleted, and now functions at little more than a rhetoric level.
… This book provides a detailed history of the Organization and its members, and addresses its complex relationship with western and international powers, most specifically the United States, in its endeavours to harness agreement to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran."
The main effort of the Azerbaijani government regarding the historical conflict between the Shiit... more The main effort of the Azerbaijani government regarding the historical conflict between the Shiites and the Sunnis in the state, is to keep the status quo between these factions. However, the Arab Spring’s regional impact and the emergence of ISIS (ISIL and IS) led to waves of religious radicalisation, especially in the Sunnite part of Azerbaijan, which is more Turkic aligned, yet far territorially from the immediate influence of the Islamic radicalism. The article’s main conclusion is that the Islamic radicalisation in Azerbaijan could emerge only as a result of the structurally unbalanced status quo, which the Sunnis view as favouring more the Shiites.
Much has been said and written about anti-Semitism in the Islamic and Arab world, concerning its ... more Much has been said and written about anti-Semitism in the Islamic and Arab world, concerning its roots and its significance in political life all over the Arab world and beyond. However, within the volume of religious and secular ideas of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in the Arab and Islamic world, we can find few voices that express views that contrast the deep-rooted conventional hatred toward Jews. These voices present a tolerant and inclusive approach that opposes both religious and secular anti-Semitism. This study focuses on anti-Semitism in the Islamic world, presenting rather the other voices in the Arab world, those that oppose anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
The article reviews the development of the modern idea of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) wh... more The article reviews the development of the modern idea of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) whose buds appeared after the First World War, matured during the Cold War and demonstrated in 1982 in the First Lebanon War by the Israeli Air Force, and in 1991 in the Iraq War by the American Army. After analyzing the essence of RMA, with reference to the concept of both evolution and revolution of military technologies and doctrines, the article suggests that two types of revolutions should be distinguished. The first is a revolution in military affairs in the broadest sense in which a paradigm shift in the nature of war is occurred, and it is possible to apply it mainly by superpowers. The second, is a limited revolution that is essentially an approach of solving a military problem, suitable for small countries. The article examines these ideas and shows that Operation Mole Cricket 19, in which Syrian missile batteries made in the USSR were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force in 1982, ...
Acknowledgments Introduction, Ronen A. Cohen Section One: Historical and Current Perspectives on ... more Acknowledgments Introduction, Ronen A. Cohen Section One: Historical and Current Perspectives on Persian, Islamic, and Contested Religious Identities Chapter One: The Unending Battle between the Persian and Islamic Identities of Iran, Harold Rhode Chapter Two: National Identity or Political Legitimacy: The Reconstruction of the City of Bam, Ladan Zarabadi Section Two: An Islamic-National Identity and Nuclear Program Chapter Three: The Islamic Identity Project: Between Coercion and Voluntarism, Ofira Seliktar Chapter Four: Iran's National Identity and the Nuclear Program: A Rational Choice Theory Analysis, Farhad Rezaei Chapter Five: Overcoming "the -isms": Iranian's Role in the Modern World, from the Perspective of Mahmud Ahmadi-nezhad, Moshe-hay S. Hagigat Section Three: Sexuality, Beauty, and Social Networking-Between the Private, Self, and the Public Sphere Chapter Six: The Identity Designers of the Self in Sexuality, Beauty, and Plastic Surgery in Iran, Ronen A...
Trames-journal of The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2021
The Middle East is experiencing a new era involving a cold war between the theocratic Shi&#39... more The Middle East is experiencing a new era involving a cold war between the theocratic Shi'i state of Iran and its rival Saudi Arabia, a theocratic Sunni state, both considering themselves the leader of the Muslim world. These countries have been rivals for decades, and the consequences of this rivalry have been shaping the Middle East since 2011. This research intends to review the main issues over the last four decades involved in the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. By examining the main issues involved in this rivalry, the research attempts to discover whether the animosity between Tehran and Riyadh following the Arab Spring is based on both sides' effort to strengthen their proxies by using the Arab Spring's flames. The research suggests a new conceptualization of how religion-Sunna and Shi'a-represents the historical clash on the question of who should have, must have, and who has the historical right to lead the Islamic world. This clash originated mainly from one focal base, Islam, yet it represents a separation between 'theo'-the Islamic religion, and 'civilio'-ethnic rivalry, or Arab vs. Persian culture. The objective of the study is to offer a practical solution to enable the two rivals to coexist for the region's greater good, even if they cannot fully resolve their rivalry.
Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to ... more Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to be more modern and advanced than previously—and less religious, though not totally secular, than its...
In the world of Realpolitik, Israel and Azerbaijan seem to have closer relations than just pragma... more In the world of Realpolitik, Israel and Azerbaijan seem to have closer relations than just pragmatic ones. This article intends to shed light on the strategic and regional interests of Israel and Azerbaijan, while considering Iran’s efforts to maintain an alliance with Azerbaijan. From the Israeli side, these relations have multi-dimensional components that enable Israel to keep an eye on Iran without dragging Azerbaijan into the conflict. Azerbaijan and Iran, for their part, sharing a common religion and, partly, culture, both use Realpolitik in order to retain the Caucasus balance of power.
This article examines the social components of national resilience as the source of the Islamic R... more This article examines the social components of national resilience as the source of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ability to cope with possibly lethal blows and economic setbacks through four stages: (I) an account of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War and the surprising outcome that left Iran undefeated, (II) a review of several theories that can aid us to analyze Iran’s national resilience ability, (III) an analysis of Iran’s wartime survival using the abovementioned theoretical infrastructure, (IV) a concise review of current issues in Iranian society which concludes with an evaluation of the state of Iran’s resilience regarding attacks on their nuclear program and its ramifications.
The structural tensions that exist in the religious dynamics between Shi‘its and Sunnis in Azerba... more The structural tensions that exist in the religious dynamics between Shi‘its and Sunnis in Azerbaijan Republic has led the country’s government to establish a new institution to monitor and supervise the religious issues. This article not only aims to surface the tensions between the “State Committee for Religious Affairs” and the informal religious institutions, but also to show if the secular image of the Azerbaijani State has been affected by this tensions.
Hüccetiye Cemiyeti modern İran’ın en etkileyici dini gruplarından biridir. Cemiyet, bir anti-Baha... more Hüccetiye Cemiyeti modern İran’ın en etkileyici dini gruplarından biridir. Cemiyet, bir anti-Bahai hareket olarak 1950’lerde ortaya çıktı ama kendini Humeyni'nin Velayet-i Fakih teorisi ile mücadele ederken buldu ve Humeyni karşıtı ve Mesihçi bir gündemin lideri olarak temayüz etti. Cemiyet, Humeyni ile mücadelesine rağmen, üyelerinin İran siyasetinde yüksek devlet kademelerini ellerinde tutmaları ile birlikte, istemeyerek ve bilmeyerek, İslam Devrimi içinde önde gelen bir hizip haline geldi.
Hüccetiye Cemiyeti, Humeyni tarafından 1983’te yasaklanmasına rağmen, İran siyasetindeki izlerinin hala bulunabiliyor olmasının ortaya koyduğu üzere, siyasi alanı tamamıyla terk etmiş görünmüyor. Hatta Mahmud Ahmedinecad ve akıl hocası Ayetullah Misbah Yazdi’nin de Hüccetiye üyeleri olduğu söyleniyor.
At the outbreak of the Islamic revolution on 1979, a small religious group, whose name was at fir... more At the outbreak of the Islamic revolution on 1979, a small religious group, whose name was at first 'The Kahfis' (The Cavemen) emerged with new look and name: the Forqan Group. Under the leadership of Akbar Goodarzi, a young religious fanatic, the Forqan looked for support amoung the younger generation in their fight against the Ayatollah Khomeini and his Velayat-e Faqih theory. For them, the new Shi'a that Khomeini wished to establish and promote as the state's religion was a call for war against Khomeini and his circles. While fighting Khomeini, the Forqan also tried to gain supporters and adherents through religious lectures and distribution of religious pamphlets called the Forqan ('the Truth,' 'the right path'), the way of the Quran. After a series of successful assassinations of Khomeini's supporters, the new regime of Khomeini fought back against the Forqan and defeated the group. The question remains whether foreign intelligences agencies, such as the Mossad , the CIA, and the remnants of the SAVAK, supported the Forqan's actions. This book provides an in-depth look at what really happened behind the fog of revolution.
Identities in Crisis in Iran aims at finding answers to the questions about the puzzling characte... more Identities in Crisis in Iran aims at finding answers to the questions about the puzzling character of the Iranian identity. The contributors acknowledge that identity, especially when it is faced with fundamental tensions as in the case of Iran, is a phenomenon that is constantly developing via factors involving the private self and common social components. This book addresses the tension many Iranian people face that lie between the Persian culture and the Shi’a religion, women versus men, and culture versus traditions.
"The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and Practice of a Revolution is a book t... more "The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and Practice of a Revolution is a book that tries to theoretically challenge one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East – its revolutions and social protests. The book offers theoretical paradigms that are culturally, religiously and historically suited to the conditions that prevail in the Middle East. The book deals with seventeen case studies taken from all the Muslim and Arab states and provides a theoretical framework for the study of other cases from all over the world and also from the recent Arab Spring.
Revolution, as a political action, can occur in all societies but it has appeared more frequently in the Middle East than in other places. What are the reasons for the Middle East being more vulnerable to revolution than other modern societies in other regions? What makes the Middle Eastern revolution unique and surprising? And is this going to be the fate of the Middle Eastern countries in the future? This book tries to answer these questions and provide some theoretical understanding for the phenomenon together with an examination of cases of revolution that have been successful and those that were doomed to fail. "
The Hojjatiyeh Society is one of the most fascinating religious groups in modern Iran. The soci... more The Hojjatiyeh Society is one of the most fascinating religious groups in modern Iran. The society started its way in the 1950s as an anti-Baha'i movement but found itself fighting Khomeini's Velayat-i Faqih and leading an anti-Khomeini and messianic agenda. Despite the Hojjatiyeh's fight against Khomeini, the Hojjatiyeh became, unwillingly and unintentionally, a leading faction in the Islamic Revolution, with its members coming to occupy some of the highest echelon posts in Iranian politics. The Hojjatiyeh was dismissed in 1983 by Khomeini, but it seems it never truly left the political sphere until today, when its traces can still be found on Iranian politics. Even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his mentor the Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi are reported to be Hojjatiyeh members.
"The Mojahedin Khalq Organization is an Iranian political party that helped Khomeini’s religious ... more "The Mojahedin Khalq Organization is an Iranian political party that helped Khomeini’s religious sect in Iran bring about the Islamic revolution of 1979, after being at the forefront of opposition to the rule of the Shah. However, as the revolution got underway the Mojahedin, which used some elements of Mao Tse Tung’s political and warfare philosophy, were sidelined by the religious clerics and were expelled from the political arena. They responded by attacking the dominant polity through democratic means (such as political demonstrations, increasing the role of women), and later through armed resistance via Iraq, to become the most significant opposition powerbase to the current regime of Iran.
… The author details the Organization’s relations with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, European host nations, and most particularly with Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military, and the end of war (1980–1988) negotiations between Iran and Iraq. Towards the end of its major activities, the Organization acted as little more than a cult, demanding total reverence to its leader Massoud Rajavi. Since 1997 the Organization has dissolved and depleted, and now functions at little more than a rhetoric level.
… This book provides a detailed history of the Organization and its members, and addresses its complex relationship with western and international powers, most specifically the United States, in its endeavours to harness agreement to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran."
The main effort of the Azerbaijani government regarding the historical conflict between the Shiit... more The main effort of the Azerbaijani government regarding the historical conflict between the Shiites and the Sunnis in the state, is to keep the status quo between these factions. However, the Arab Spring’s regional impact and the emergence of ISIS (ISIL and IS) led to waves of religious radicalisation, especially in the Sunnite part of Azerbaijan, which is more Turkic aligned, yet far territorially from the immediate influence of the Islamic radicalism. The article’s main conclusion is that the Islamic radicalisation in Azerbaijan could emerge only as a result of the structurally unbalanced status quo, which the Sunnis view as favouring more the Shiites.
Much has been said and written about anti-Semitism in the Islamic and Arab world, concerning its ... more Much has been said and written about anti-Semitism in the Islamic and Arab world, concerning its roots and its significance in political life all over the Arab world and beyond. However, within the volume of religious and secular ideas of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in the Arab and Islamic world, we can find few voices that express views that contrast the deep-rooted conventional hatred toward Jews. These voices present a tolerant and inclusive approach that opposes both religious and secular anti-Semitism. This study focuses on anti-Semitism in the Islamic world, presenting rather the other voices in the Arab world, those that oppose anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
The article reviews the development of the modern idea of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) wh... more The article reviews the development of the modern idea of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) whose buds appeared after the First World War, matured during the Cold War and demonstrated in 1982 in the First Lebanon War by the Israeli Air Force, and in 1991 in the Iraq War by the American Army. After analyzing the essence of RMA, with reference to the concept of both evolution and revolution of military technologies and doctrines, the article suggests that two types of revolutions should be distinguished. The first is a revolution in military affairs in the broadest sense in which a paradigm shift in the nature of war is occurred, and it is possible to apply it mainly by superpowers. The second, is a limited revolution that is essentially an approach of solving a military problem, suitable for small countries. The article examines these ideas and shows that Operation Mole Cricket 19, in which Syrian missile batteries made in the USSR were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force in 1982, ...
Acknowledgments Introduction, Ronen A. Cohen Section One: Historical and Current Perspectives on ... more Acknowledgments Introduction, Ronen A. Cohen Section One: Historical and Current Perspectives on Persian, Islamic, and Contested Religious Identities Chapter One: The Unending Battle between the Persian and Islamic Identities of Iran, Harold Rhode Chapter Two: National Identity or Political Legitimacy: The Reconstruction of the City of Bam, Ladan Zarabadi Section Two: An Islamic-National Identity and Nuclear Program Chapter Three: The Islamic Identity Project: Between Coercion and Voluntarism, Ofira Seliktar Chapter Four: Iran's National Identity and the Nuclear Program: A Rational Choice Theory Analysis, Farhad Rezaei Chapter Five: Overcoming "the -isms": Iranian's Role in the Modern World, from the Perspective of Mahmud Ahmadi-nezhad, Moshe-hay S. Hagigat Section Three: Sexuality, Beauty, and Social Networking-Between the Private, Self, and the Public Sphere Chapter Six: The Identity Designers of the Self in Sexuality, Beauty, and Plastic Surgery in Iran, Ronen A...
Trames-journal of The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2021
The Middle East is experiencing a new era involving a cold war between the theocratic Shi&#39... more The Middle East is experiencing a new era involving a cold war between the theocratic Shi'i state of Iran and its rival Saudi Arabia, a theocratic Sunni state, both considering themselves the leader of the Muslim world. These countries have been rivals for decades, and the consequences of this rivalry have been shaping the Middle East since 2011. This research intends to review the main issues over the last four decades involved in the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. By examining the main issues involved in this rivalry, the research attempts to discover whether the animosity between Tehran and Riyadh following the Arab Spring is based on both sides' effort to strengthen their proxies by using the Arab Spring's flames. The research suggests a new conceptualization of how religion-Sunna and Shi'a-represents the historical clash on the question of who should have, must have, and who has the historical right to lead the Islamic world. This clash originated mainly from one focal base, Islam, yet it represents a separation between 'theo'-the Islamic religion, and 'civilio'-ethnic rivalry, or Arab vs. Persian culture. The objective of the study is to offer a practical solution to enable the two rivals to coexist for the region's greater good, even if they cannot fully resolve their rivalry.
Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to ... more Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to be more modern and advanced than previously—and less religious, though not totally secular, than its...
In the world of Realpolitik, Israel and Azerbaijan seem to have closer relations than just pragma... more In the world of Realpolitik, Israel and Azerbaijan seem to have closer relations than just pragmatic ones. This article intends to shed light on the strategic and regional interests of Israel and Azerbaijan, while considering Iran’s efforts to maintain an alliance with Azerbaijan. From the Israeli side, these relations have multi-dimensional components that enable Israel to keep an eye on Iran without dragging Azerbaijan into the conflict. Azerbaijan and Iran, for their part, sharing a common religion and, partly, culture, both use Realpolitik in order to retain the Caucasus balance of power.
This article examines the social components of national resilience as the source of the Islamic R... more This article examines the social components of national resilience as the source of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ability to cope with possibly lethal blows and economic setbacks through four stages: (I) an account of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War and the surprising outcome that left Iran undefeated, (II) a review of several theories that can aid us to analyze Iran’s national resilience ability, (III) an analysis of Iran’s wartime survival using the abovementioned theoretical infrastructure, (IV) a concise review of current issues in Iranian society which concludes with an evaluation of the state of Iran’s resilience regarding attacks on their nuclear program and its ramifications.
The structural tensions that exist in the religious dynamics between Shi‘its and Sunnis in Azerba... more The structural tensions that exist in the religious dynamics between Shi‘its and Sunnis in Azerbaijan Republic has led the country’s government to establish a new institution to monitor and supervise the religious issues. This article not only aims to surface the tensions between the “State Committee for Religious Affairs” and the informal religious institutions, but also to show if the secular image of the Azerbaijani State has been affected by this tensions.
The main goal of the 2003 war with Iraq of the coalition forces led by the United States was to t... more The main goal of the 2003 war with Iraq of the coalition forces led by the United States was to topple Saddam Hussein's regime and establish a new political system that would adopt democratic practices. Iran, a country that deemed Saddam's regime to be a threat, considered this war to be very helpful in many ways — first because it put an end to Clinton's “dual containment” approach and would thus help Iran to become a regional superpower at Iraq's expense. Second, a war with Iraq could put an end to the decades of oppression of the Shi'a community in Iraq. This article argues that Iran's involvement in Iraq's internal affairs created chaos in Iraq and contributed to the sectarian conflict against Sunni terror groups, notably the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known by the Arabic name Daesh, a terror group with the most extreme form of Sunni Radical Islam ever known. The sectarian conflict that resulted from the above is now taking place between the Sunnis and the Shi'a of both Persian and Arab backgrounds and this clash could not have become as radical as it is without Iran's aggressive foreign policy. It should, however, be noted that Iran is not the sole player in the country and therefore its part in inflaming sectarian conflicts should be viewed through a realistic prism that allows other forces — domestic and foreign — to be seen as having influenced the events for their benefit.
Since 1986, when the Iraq–Iran war was at its climax, the Mojahedin organization and its private ... more Since 1986, when the Iraq–Iran war was at its climax, the Mojahedin organization and its private army, the National Liberation Army (NLA), were fortunate to gain Iraq’s financial support as well as...
""The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and P... more ""The book - The Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theory and Practice of a Revolution is a book that tries to theoretically challenge one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East – its revolutions and social protests. The book offers theoretical paradigms that are culturally, religiously and historically suited to the conditions that prevail in the Middle East. The book deals with seventeen case studies taken from all the Muslim and Arab states and provides a theoretical framework for the study of other cases from all over the world and also from the recent Arab Spring. Revolution, as a political action, can occur in all societies but it has appeared more frequently in the Middle East than in other places. What are the reasons for the Middle East being more vulnerable to revolution than other modern societies in other regions? What makes the Middle Eastern revolution unique and surprising? And is this going to be the fate of the Middle Eastern countries in the future? This book tries to answer these questions and provide some theoretical understanding for the phenomenon together with an examination of cases of revolution that have been successful and those that were doomed to fail. ""
A clandestine group, symbolically called after the 9th century Iranian historical figure, “Babak ... more A clandestine group, symbolically called after the 9th century Iranian historical figure, “Babak Khorramdin Organisation”, appeared after the Islamic Revolution with the aim of overthrowing the Islamic government and restoring the Iranian nationalism at the expense of what they consider to be an overcultivation of the Muslim and Shi‘a identity. The article describes the organisation’s structure, character and methods, its political and national agenda, its vision and its struggle against the Islamic regime.
During the deadliest period—in Iran’s history—for clerics, between April and December 1979, the c... more During the deadliest period—in Iran’s history—for clerics, between April and December 1979, the clerics regularly accused the Forqan of having connections with other domestic and foreign intelligence services such as the SAVAK, the Israeli Mossad, and the American CIA. These accusations mainly arose from the reputations of these agencies, the fear they raised among the clerics, and the knowledge that the above agencies were not only professional, sophisticated, and efficient but that, probably, only they could have carried out such professional and deadly operations against such prominent religious figures as the Forqan allegedly had done.
The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies (JIMES), 2021
The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies (JIMES) aims to provide a unique forum f... more The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies (JIMES) aims to provide a unique forum for presenting original interdisciplinary articles from the social sciences, international relations and humanities that are related to the study of the broader Middle East. The journal encourages theoretical and empirical studies on broad issues that include history and contemporary political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.
In the past decade, the Middle East has experienced significant changes. Following the regional u... more In the past decade, the Middle East has experienced significant changes. Following the regional upheavals that were expressed in protests, violent acts, and the retirement of several long-time rulers, the time has come to discuss old and new issues in a fragile and unstable reality.Questions such as the future of the nation-state, regional and tribal identities, human rights, power struggles between Sunna and Shia, the awakening of Salafism, and the creation of alliances between different actors are only part of the region’s new reality. All these factors influence the involvement of international elements such as the United States, Russia, Europe, Arab States and the UN. The political, ideological and social changes have confronted Israel with new threats and opportunities.
MECARC hereby invites researchers from Israel and the world with expertise in Middle East Studies, Political Science, Israel Studies, International Relations, Sociology, Law and other relevant fields to share their studies with our growing community, either by presenting a paper or by participating in one of the workshops. Organized panels are welcome.
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies / Political Science
announces the call for articles for ... more The Department of Middle Eastern Studies / Political Science announces the call for articles for the special issue for the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran: "Iran’s Forty Years of Revolution: Surviving the Dilution and Constructing Illusion" To be published on February 2019.
The call is open also for the 3rd volume of the journal to be published Oct-Nov- 2018.
"בינת ג'בל: יומן אירועים" - מגולל את סיפורו של ניר, חפ"ש (חייל פשוט), דתי, צעיר, המשרת ברצועת הבי... more "בינת ג'בל: יומן אירועים" - מגולל את סיפורו של ניר, חפ"ש (חייל פשוט), דתי, צעיר, המשרת ברצועת הביטחון בלבנון. צעד-צעד הוא מוביל את הקורא אל תוך לבנון ואל המתרחש שם, עד שהקורא חש כי הוא מכיר על בוריים את המקום ואת הנפשות שפעלו בו. הספר מוקדש לזיכרו של חברו של ד"ר כהן, סגן אורי הלמן ז"ל, שאף מופיע כדמות בספר.
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Books
Hüccetiye Cemiyeti, Humeyni tarafından 1983’te yasaklanmasına rağmen, İran siyasetindeki izlerinin hala bulunabiliyor olmasının ortaya koyduğu üzere, siyasi alanı tamamıyla terk etmiş görünmüyor. Hatta Mahmud Ahmedinecad ve akıl hocası Ayetullah Misbah Yazdi’nin de Hüccetiye üyeleri olduğu söyleniyor.
Revolution, as a political action, can occur in all societies but it has appeared more frequently in the Middle East than in other places. What are the reasons for the Middle East being more vulnerable to revolution than other modern societies in other regions? What makes the Middle Eastern revolution unique and surprising? And is this going to be the fate of the Middle Eastern countries in the future? This book tries to answer these questions and provide some theoretical understanding for the phenomenon together with an examination of cases of revolution that have been successful and those that were doomed to fail. "
… The author details the Organization’s relations with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, European host nations, and most particularly with Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military, and the end of war (1980–1988) negotiations between Iran and Iraq. Towards the end of its major activities, the Organization acted as little more than a cult, demanding total reverence to its leader Massoud Rajavi. Since 1997 the Organization has dissolved and depleted, and now functions at little more than a rhetoric level.
… This book provides a detailed history of the Organization and its members, and addresses its complex relationship with western and international powers, most specifically the United States, in its endeavours to harness agreement to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Papers
Hüccetiye Cemiyeti, Humeyni tarafından 1983’te yasaklanmasına rağmen, İran siyasetindeki izlerinin hala bulunabiliyor olmasının ortaya koyduğu üzere, siyasi alanı tamamıyla terk etmiş görünmüyor. Hatta Mahmud Ahmedinecad ve akıl hocası Ayetullah Misbah Yazdi’nin de Hüccetiye üyeleri olduğu söyleniyor.
Revolution, as a political action, can occur in all societies but it has appeared more frequently in the Middle East than in other places. What are the reasons for the Middle East being more vulnerable to revolution than other modern societies in other regions? What makes the Middle Eastern revolution unique and surprising? And is this going to be the fate of the Middle Eastern countries in the future? This book tries to answer these questions and provide some theoretical understanding for the phenomenon together with an examination of cases of revolution that have been successful and those that were doomed to fail. "
… The author details the Organization’s relations with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, European host nations, and most particularly with Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military, and the end of war (1980–1988) negotiations between Iran and Iraq. Towards the end of its major activities, the Organization acted as little more than a cult, demanding total reverence to its leader Massoud Rajavi. Since 1997 the Organization has dissolved and depleted, and now functions at little more than a rhetoric level.
… This book provides a detailed history of the Organization and its members, and addresses its complex relationship with western and international powers, most specifically the United States, in its endeavours to harness agreement to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Submission:
https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/aup-jimes
MECARC hereby invites researchers from Israel and the world with expertise in Middle East Studies, Political Science, Israel Studies, International Relations, Sociology, Law and other relevant fields to share their studies with our growing community, either by presenting a paper or by participating in one of the workshops. Organized panels are welcome.
announces the call for articles for the special issue for the 40th
anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran:
"Iran’s Forty Years of Revolution: Surviving the Dilution and
Constructing Illusion"
To be published on February 2019.
The call is open also for the 3rd volume of the journal to be
published Oct-Nov- 2018.
For submissions:
https://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/aup-jimes