The issue of the power and active activism of the clergy in the Middle East, , A case study of clergy activism in the nationalization of the oil industry in Iran
Subject Areas :
Mohammad Sadegh
Golmohammadi
1
(Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.)
Siamak
Bahrami
2
(Assistant professor and faculty member of Islamic Azad University)
Keywords: Middle East, Nationalization of the Oil Industry, Shia Clergy, Iran, Pragmatic Clergy,
Abstract :
Without considering the activism of religious institutions,including Shia and Sunni clergy,or even Jewish religious figures, studying the political and social history of the Middle East will be imperfect.The clergy within any religious or social group has had a significant impact on these groups’ internal and external developments. The focus of the present research has been whether this activism is solely aimed at defending a particular ethical or religious purity,or if it is in a close relationship with the power-seeking motives of these activists.In this regard,an attempt has been made to explore and investigate the activism of Shia clergy in Iran during one of the most crucial periods in Iran’s political history, i.e.the nationalization of the oil industry in the 1940s.The primary question of this study is what was the role of Shia clergy in the nationalization of the oil industry and what were the objectives they pursued in doing so? According to the research results, if we categorize Shia clergy into three groups:conservative,revolutionary and pragmatic,the pragmatic movement has been the dominant force in the nationalization of the oil industry.Through accepting balancing role for itself, it sought to create alliances and temporary coalitions,sometimes conflicting with other social activists in the course of nationalization of the oil industry to provide the grounds for the emergence and empowerment of activists who could better contribute to the consolidation of their power and position.In this path, the defense of religious values was on the sidelines or just served as a means to their ultimate goal.