The Contemporary History of Iran - Part 24: “Secularization in Post-Revolutionary Iran”
The revolution of 1979 is often called, ‘The Islamic Revolution,’ as it culminated with the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But was it really a victory for religion? Or has the Islamization project self-destructed? More specifically, in the years after the revolution did Iran become a more religious and spiritual society, or did it continue its journey into secularism, but…a different kind of secularism? Iranian-Australian social scientist and philosopher, Dr. Mahmoud Pargoo, author of the fascinating new book, “Secularization of Islam in Post-Revolutionary Iran,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Sydney to discuss the largely unsuccessful attempts by Khomeini to achieve ‘de-secularization’ in the aftermath of the revolution, and the growing secularization of discourse and culture in Iran today despite the stated mission of its theocratic leaders.