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Professor Modjtaba Sadria speaks at panel discussion - Iran and Global Issues
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| Professor Modjtaba Sadria spoke at the panel discussion, Iran and Global Issues, held at SOAS |
On the 13th of December, AKU-ISMC Professor Modjtaba Sadria participated in a panel discussion about Iran, alongside eminent Iranian intellectual and Tehran University Professor Habibollah Payman, Azad University Professor Marzieh Mortazi Langrudi and BBC World Service journalist Roger Hardy. The discussion was chaired by Ziba Mir-Hosseini of the London Middle East Institute.
In his presentation, Iranian modernity and modernity in Iran, Sadria identified two elements of modernity faced by Iran – modernity within Iran and the modernity of Iran. Within this, Sadria explored to what extent the issue of modernity is a major concern in contemporary Iranian society. His reading of this dual perspective is within the framework of a plurality of modernity – that social and cultural circumstances define the processes through which societies shape a path in accessing modernity.
“In this regard, for me modernity is important as more of a process than an outcome, and thus can be seen as a process where Iranian society, through multi-layered practices and discourses, creates autonomy, and a path of social consensus, on its own terms.”
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| Speakers at the panel discussion included Habibollah Payman, Marzieh Mortazi Langrudi, Modjtaba Sadria and Roger Hardy |
Sadria defined the process of modernity as taking place in three separate spheres which relate to private (ie family/domestic), semi-private (ie community) and public (ie political). Within these three spheres, modernity manifests itself in a number of ways – either as recognition of self empowerment (in the example of a domestic setting, a teenager wanting more self control and individuality), or modernity could be seen as a ‘mechanism of conflict’ that represents a desire for autonomy on the one hand and a framework which reflects power structures within society (ie within politics) on the other.
When questioned about the validity of modernity as a means to explore cultural change, Sadria explained that he sees modernity as an analytical tool – one which can account for the socially recognised autonomy of human beings. Sadria said that the perception of modernity in Iran, outside of submission or opposition to the west, is a relatively new concept, one which brings with it the possibility of new avenues of thinking about the subject.
Habibollah Payman’s discussion, entitled Islam and violence, expressed the reasons why there is no intrinsic link between Islam and violence. Marzieh Mortazi Langrudi, described as an Islamic feminist, shared her research about the possibility of female emancipation through Islam in a discussion entitled Religion and violence against women. BBC World Service journalist Roger Hardy’s discussion focused on the rise of Iran as a regional power, investigating Iran’s advantages in the Middle East and potential role in relation to Iraq.
The audience included a range of people from a variety of age groups and backgrounds, leading to a diverse discussion. The participation of AKU-ISMC faculty in such events highlights the Institute’s approach to the study of Muslim cultures – exploring contemporary and historical issues to better understand the needs and importance of Muslim societies today.
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