Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Contemporary Shiite Societies: Shaping Western ʿĀshūrāʾStudies

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Hamed Khani (Farhang Mehrvash)
Associate Professor, Department of Theology, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran.
10.22034/iscw.2025.2053085.1137
Abstract
The initial attempts to analyze the Shiite ʿĀshūrāʾ ceremony through the lens of modern social sciences began shortly before the 1960s coinciding with the early political activities of contemporary Iranian Shiite Islamists, and have continued into recent years. For Shiites, these decades have been marked by significant social and cultural developments. Key events include the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979, the escalation of tensions between Shiites and the Israel following the Israel attack on southern Lebanon in 1982, the heightened importance of Iran among Islamists after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the development of the Arbaeen procession post the execution of Saddam Hussein in 2006, which saw widespread participation from Shiites globally. Western studies on the contemporary Shia ʿĀshūrāʾ ceremony reflect the collective mindset of Western academic circles and the broader cultural attitudes towards the Shiite world. This study seeks to address three primary questions: Firstly, how have these studies been influenced by the expansion of political activities among Shia Islamists? Secondly, what impact have major political and geopolitical developments in the Shia world had on the approach, methodology, and objectives of these studies? Thirdly, how has the Western perspective evolved from the initial studies to the present day?
Keywords
Shia-phobia
Ashura rituals
traditional Shia
modern Shiism
Islamism
Subjects

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Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 7
August 2025
Pages 77-108

  • Receive Date 10 February 2025
  • Revise Date 23 March 2025
  • Accept Date 20 May 2025
  • First Publish Date 20 May 2025
  • Publish Date 23 August 2025