On May 12, 2023, the Iran 1400 Project interviewed Dr. Abdie Kazemipur regarding his book, “Sacred as Secular: Secularization under Theocracy in Iran.” Dr. Kazemipur explored the role of religion in Iran and the Muslim world, questioning whether it should be seen as a rebirth or resurgence of religious influence. He also discussed the Iranian government’s secularism doctrine, which transformed from a semi-democracy to a theocracy and later to an autocracy through the merging of religious and political power. During the Q&A session, he analyzed the impact of Iran’s secularization on religious institutions, tracing its development from the Pahlavi era to the Islamic Republic. He touched upon his research sources and methodology for measuring religiosity, explored Shia quietism, and discussed the influence of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement on secularization.
Dr. Abdie Kazemipur is professor of sociology and the Chair of Ethnic Studies at the University of Calgary. He previously served as Stephen Jarislowsly Chair in Culture Change and Immigration at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and has been the founding director of two research data centres at the University of Lethbridge and Memorial University. His research is in two distinct areas: the socio-economic experiences of immigrants in Canada, and the socio-cultural developments in the Middle East.
