This is the first episode of the Iran 1400 Project’s series on nationalism in Iran. Researchers Alexandra Braverman and Sydney Martin spoke with Dr. Meir Litvak about the role of religion in Iranian nationalism and Iranian identity. Dr. Litvak explained in detail how the Iranian state uses religion in order to promote a form of nationalism in line with its ideals. Examining the reaction of Iranians to this effort, he analyzed the many facets of Iranian identity, from Persian ethnolinguistic identity to Islamic religious identity. A timely discussion, Dr. Litvak also commented on the effect of mandatory hijab and state-sanctioned religion on the ongoing protests.
Meir Litvak is a Professor at the Department of Middle Eastern History and a senior research associate at the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University. His major field of research is the linkage between religion, society and politics in modern Iranian Shi`ism and the linkage between nationalism and religion in the Muslim Middle East
