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Gulf Women and Anti-European Imperialism : Forgotten Gender Discourses in Interwar Iran’s Shi’i Reformation Movement

Moslehzadeh, Fatemeh LU orcid and Blumi, Isa (2025) In Middle East Critique
Abstract

Often treated as simply anti-modernism, a focus on three reformist figures with transnational intellectual ties—Shariat Sangelaji, Asadollah Kharaqani, and Muhammad Khalesizadeh—reveals how Iranian natives of the Gulf littoral contributed to reconstitute modern life by criticizing the global structures of power arising with European imperialism. Blurring the dichotomy of modern/traditional, Iran and the West, these intellectuals with trans-regional scholarly connections combined different aspects of modernity with a reading of Islamic practice to offer a global model of resistance for Muslims. A version of this Shi’i empowerment in the face of growing changes in the larger world and at home mobilized discussions about women in Iran as... (More)

Often treated as simply anti-modernism, a focus on three reformist figures with transnational intellectual ties—Shariat Sangelaji, Asadollah Kharaqani, and Muhammad Khalesizadeh—reveals how Iranian natives of the Gulf littoral contributed to reconstitute modern life by criticizing the global structures of power arising with European imperialism. Blurring the dichotomy of modern/traditional, Iran and the West, these intellectuals with trans-regional scholarly connections combined different aspects of modernity with a reading of Islamic practice to offer a global model of resistance for Muslims. A version of this Shi’i empowerment in the face of growing changes in the larger world and at home mobilized discussions about women in Iran as the source of the necessary social cohesion during the anti-imperialist struggle. A challenge to normative portrayals of Islam (and religion more generally) as an impediment to progress, studying these three Gulf scholars’ alternative modernity allows for identifying a campaign to free women from the consequences of their economic exploitation.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
alternative modernity, Asadollah Kharaqani, gender, Gulf, Iran and West, Muhammad Khalesizadeh, Shariat Sangelaji, Shi’i reformists
in
Middle East Critique
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85215546291
ISSN
1943-6149
DOI
10.1080/19436149.2025.2453318
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
020098ae-3094-4500-b379-77967442bd42
date added to LUP
2025-04-23 13:01:04
date last changed
2025-04-23 13:01:26
@article{020098ae-3094-4500-b379-77967442bd42,
  abstract     = {{<p>Often treated as simply anti-modernism, a focus on three reformist figures with transnational intellectual ties—Shariat Sangelaji, Asadollah Kharaqani, and Muhammad Khalesizadeh—reveals how Iranian natives of the Gulf littoral contributed to reconstitute modern life by criticizing the global structures of power arising with European imperialism. Blurring the dichotomy of modern/traditional, Iran and the West, these intellectuals with trans-regional scholarly connections combined different aspects of modernity with a reading of Islamic practice to offer a global model of resistance for Muslims. A version of this Shi’i empowerment in the face of growing changes in the larger world and at home mobilized discussions about women in Iran as the source of the necessary social cohesion during the anti-imperialist struggle. A challenge to normative portrayals of Islam (and religion more generally) as an impediment to progress, studying these three Gulf scholars’ alternative modernity allows for identifying a campaign to free women from the consequences of their economic exploitation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Moslehzadeh, Fatemeh and Blumi, Isa}},
  issn         = {{1943-6149}},
  keywords     = {{alternative modernity; Asadollah Kharaqani; gender; Gulf; Iran and West; Muhammad Khalesizadeh; Shariat Sangelaji; Shi’i reformists}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Middle East Critique}},
  title        = {{Gulf Women and Anti-European Imperialism : Forgotten Gender Discourses in Interwar Iran’s Shi’i Reformation Movement}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19436149.2025.2453318}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/19436149.2025.2453318}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}