The shared religious worldview conceals divergent class interests, reflected in distinct, sometimes opposing political orientations within the ruling stratum in Iran. These differences shape their approaches to imperialism and domestic economic and political policies. It is why common religious beliefs do not necessarily produce common political objectives?
Across West Asia, interpretations of “political Islam” ranges from revolutionary currents supporting peoples’ struggles against imperialism to reactionary movements such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, whose activities have served imperialist interests. Since Islam, like other religions, has historically been political, understanding these differences requires examining class relations, historical conditions, and concrete political practice, rather than treating religious political movements as a uniform phenomenon with goals.
Speaker: Journalist and writer Farshid Vahedian is a retired engineer living in Northern California, who frequently travels to Iran.
