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Legitimacy is a major issue for the stability of any form of government and there are many studies and various scientific/philosophical models that try address the question of the forms of legitimacy and how they lead different peoples to give their consent to as many different methods of government. In the research hereby presented, the case study of Iran, the three types of legitimacy theorized by the German sociologist Max Weber will be emphasized and, therefore, this essay will try to demonstrate how they are the most suitable method for analyzing the sociopolitical evolution of the Iranian leaderships over the past hundred years.

Rabbis, Sorcerers, Kings, and Priests examines the impact of the Persian Sasanian context on the Babylonian Talmud, perhaps the most important corpus in the Jewish sacred canon. What impact did the Persian Zoroastrian Empire, as both a real historical force and an imaginary interlocutor, have on rabbinic identity and authority as expressed in the Talmud? Drawing from the field of comparative religion, Jason Sion Mokhtarian addresses this question by bringing into mutual fruition Talmudic studies and ancient Iranology, two historically distinct disciplines. Whereas most research on the Talmud assumes that the rabbis were an insular group isolated from the cultural horizon outside their academies, this book contextualizes the rabbis and the Talmud within a broader sociocultural orbit by drawing from a wide range of sources from Sasanian Iran, including Middle Persian Zoroastrian literature, archaeological data such as seals and inscriptions, and the Aramaic magical bowl spells. Mokhtarian also includes a detailed examination of the Talmud's dozens of texts that portray three Persian \"others\": the Persians, the Sasanian kings, and the Zoroastrian priests. This book skillfully engages and demonstrates the rich penetration of Persian imperial society and culture on the Jews of late antique Iran.

The events of September 8, 1978, in Iran, commonly known as 'Black Friday', have long been portrayed as a mass killing of peaceful protesters by the Shah's regime, with widely cited death tolls ranging from several hundred to several thousand. However, this article presents a comprehensive reassessment of the incident at Jaleh Square in Tehran, arguing that the dominant narrative is rooted more in disinformation and misinformation than verifiable fact. Drawing on official records from the Imperial Iranian Government, post-revolutionary data compiled by the Islamic Republic's own Martyrs Foundation, the article establishes that approximately 58-64 people were killed in the incident thus contradicting inflated figures disseminated by opposition groups, amplified by Western media, and institutionalized in scholarly literature. The article further examines how disinformation campaigns, journalistic failures, and ideological biases contributed to the construction and persistence of the 'massacre' narrative, which continues to serve the Islamic Republic's political agenda to this day. Through this case study, the article underscores the need for critical scrutiny in reporting and historiography, particularly when unverified claims shape national memory and influence political legitimacy.

This article examines China's soft power strategy in the MENA region, which I argue are qualitatively unsubstantial, quantitatively limited, and inherently selective. As part of its broader aspirations to become a/the leading global power, China seeks to enhance its soft power. However, its efforts in this domain across the region primarily focus on lightweight educational collaborations rather than comprehensive and deep knowledge integration that reflects its global ambition. In this context, the prefix 'non' in the title signifies the gap between China's aspiration for global cultural outreach and the reality of its slow-moving initiatives, which often fall short of achieving the depth and scope expected of a truly transformative soft power strategy. Using Joseph Nye's conceptualization of soft power as a benchmark, the research highlights the establishment of Confucius Institutes, cultural agreements, and university collaborations to examine China's soft power strategy that basically prioritizes partnerships with specific countries, such as Israel and Egypt, based on economic and technological considerations. Within this examination of the scope and depth of China's soft power endeavors, the article critically explores whether China's selective approach-choosing specific 'cultural partners'-represents an inherent limitation or a pragmatic strategy for navigating the region.

This study aims to thoroughly investigate the architectural complexities and historical relevance buried in mosque entrances, particularly those reflecting the Ottoman and Safavid architectural styles. The research uses an interdisciplinary technique that combines historical analysis, comparative perspectives, and architectural critique, drawing on a variety of sources including scholarly literature, architectural treatises, historical documents, and archaeological objects. The use of visual evidence, such as architectural schematics and photographic recordings, improves the display and comparison of architectural components within mosque entrances, addressing both aesthetic and functional aspects within a larger sociohistorical framework. The study systematically unravels the complex parallels and variations that characterize mosque entryway compositions during the Ottoman and Safavid eras, highlighting distinguishing aspects inherent in each kingdom’s architectural identity. The research uses a chronological lens to examine architectural development, charting the evolution of design characteristics and functional alterations throughout many historical eras. The interpretation of results situates these findings within the larger study subject, stressing reciprocal impacts on architecture and acknowledging regional or cultural differences. The research examines the use of calligraphy, geometric patterns, and religious symbolism in mosque entry imagery to understand how these aspects contribute to the representation of cultural and religious narratives. Furthermore, it investigates the practical aspects of these architectural spaces, revealing their critical tasks in conducting religious events, meeting congregational requirements, and conserving cultural practices. By throwing light on the common splendor and nuanced contrasts in Safavid and Ottoman mosque entrances, this study not only improves our understanding of Islamic architecture but also prepares the path for future research into the community features of mosque spaces. It serves as a foundation for future research into architectural elements in Islamic civilizations and, by combining historical inspiration with modern conceptions, has the potential to contribute to contemporary mosque design. This study contributes to architectural scholarship by investigating the varied character of mosque entry design, with a focus on its visual, perceptual, and functional value. The Isfahan School era is examined, exhibiting a trend toward complex, angled entrances. The investigation of entry methods, such as from the corner and behind the Iwan, reveals novel design options. The study offers subtle insights by emphasizing the user perspective and highlighting the function of entering places in anticipation and spiritual preparation. It adds to a thorough understanding of mosque entry progression, which influences the whole user experience and so improves architectural literature.

This essay discusses the position of Sasanian Studies from its inception in the late nineteenth century, to its reinvigoration at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The work also discusses the development of the field of Sasanian history and civilization vis-à-vis the three fields of Iranian, Islamic and Late Antique Studies. It is posited that Sasanians have benefited from cross-disciplinary and new historical frameworks that go beyond the traditional field of Iranian Studies, which was never as interested in the history of the period.

Abstract This response to Majid Daneshgar's book develops his argument about apologetics in the study of the Qur'an in the Muslim Academy in two ways. First, it makes a distinction between two different senses of the term apologetics and then shows how each sense would be relevant to Daneshgar's argument. Second, it applies the argument to Islamic studies in the Iranian Academy in particular.

Examining the nature of relations between Iran and Palestine, this book investigates the relationship between state and authorities in the Middle East. Analysing the connections of the Iranian revolutionary movements, both the Left’s and the Islamic camps’ perspectives are scrutinized. To provide a historical background to the post-revolutionary period, the genealogy of pro-Palestinian sentiments before 1979 are traced additionally. Demonstrating the pro-Palestinian stance of post-revolutionary Iran, the study focuses on the roots of the ideological outlook and the interest of the state. Despite a growing body of literature on the Iranian Revolution and its impacts on the region, Iran’s connection with Palestine has been overlooked. This new volume fills the gap in the literature and enables readers to unpack the history of the two states. This unique and comprehensive coverage of Iran and Palestine’s relationship is a key resource for scholars and students interested in international relations, politics, Islamic and Middle East studies.

Examining Iran's recent history through the double lens of domesticity and consumer culture, Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran demonstrates that a significant component of the modernization process in Iran advanced beyond political and public spheres. On the cusp of Iran's entry into modernity, the rules and tenets that had traditionally defined the Iranian home began to vanish and the influx of new household goods gradually led to the substantial physical expansion of the domestic milieu. Subsequently, architects, designers, and commercial advertisers shifted their attention from commercial and public architecture to the new home and its contents. Domesticity and consumer culture also became topics of interest among politicians, Shiite religious scholars, and the Left, who communicated their respective views via the popular media and numerous other means. In the interim, ordinary Iranian families, who were capable of selectively appropriating aspects of their immediate surroundings, demonstrated their resistance toward the officially sanctioned transformations. Through analyzing a series of case studies that elucidate such phenomena and appraising a wide range of objects and archival documents-from furnishings, appliances, architectural blueprints, and maps to photographs, films, TV series, novels, artworks, scrapbooks, work-logs, personal letters and reports-this book highlights the significance of private life in social, economic, and political contexts of modern Iran. Tackling the subject of home from a variety of perspectives, Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran thus shows the interplay between local aspirations, foreign influences, gender roles, consumer culture and women's education as they intersect with taste, fashion, domestic architecture and interior design.

InThe Politics of Women's Rights in Iran, Arzoo Osanloo explores how Iranian women understand their rights. After the 1979 revolution, Iranian leaders transformed the state into an Islamic republic. At that time, the country's leaders used a renewed discourse of women's rights to symbolize a shift away from the excesses of Western liberalism. Osanloo reveals that the postrevolutionary republic blended practices of a liberal republic with Islamic principles of equality. Her ethnographic study illustrates how women's claims of rights emerge from a hybrid discourse that draws on both liberal individualism and Islamic ideals. Osanloo takes the reader on a journey through numerous sites where rights are being produced--including Qur'anic reading groups, Tehran's family court, and law offices--as she sheds light on the fluid and constructed nature of women's perceptions of rights. In doing so, Osanloo unravels simplistic dichotomies between so-called liberal, universal rights and insular, local culture.The Politics of Women's Rights in Irancasts light on a contemporary non-Western understanding of the meaning behind liberal rights, and raises questions about the misunderstood relationship between modernity and Islam.