Ali Shariati (November 23, 1933 – 1977) was a highly influential
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
ian
revolutionaryA revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavour...
and
sociologistSociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
, who focused on the
sociology of religionThe sociology of religion concerns the practices, social structures, historical backgrounds, developments, universal themes and roles of religion in society. There is particular emphasis on the recurring role of religion in all societies and throughout recorded history...
. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century and has been called the 'ideologue of the
Iranian RevolutionThe Iranian Revolution of 1979 or 1979 Islamic Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution...
' .
Ali Shariati was born in 1933 in Kahak (a village in Mazinan), a suburb of
SabzevarSabzevar is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran.It is approximately 250 kilometres west of Mashad, the provincial capital. This city in the old age was called Beihagh...
, found in northeastern
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
. His father, Mohammad-Taqi, was a teacher and Islamic scholar, who opened in 1947 the 'Centre for the Propagation of Islamic Truths' in
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
, in the province of Khorasan , a social Islamic forum which became embroiled in the oil nationalisation movement of the 1950's.
In his years at the Teacher's Training College in
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
, Shariati came into contact with young people who were from the less privileged economic classes of the society, and for the first time saw the poverty and hardship that existed in Iran during that period.
Ali Shariati (November 23, 1933 – 1977) was a highly influential
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
ian
revolutionaryA revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavour...
and
sociologistSociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
, who focused on the
sociology of religionThe sociology of religion concerns the practices, social structures, historical backgrounds, developments, universal themes and roles of religion in society. There is particular emphasis on the recurring role of religion in all societies and throughout recorded history...
. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century and has been called the 'ideologue of the
Iranian RevolutionThe Iranian Revolution of 1979 or 1979 Islamic Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution...
' .
Biography
Ali Shariati was born in 1933 in Kahak (a village in Mazinan), a suburb of
SabzevarSabzevar is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran.It is approximately 250 kilometres west of Mashad, the provincial capital. This city in the old age was called Beihagh...
, found in northeastern
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
. His father, Mohammad-Taqi, was a teacher and Islamic scholar, who opened in 1947 the 'Centre for the Propagation of Islamic Truths' in
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
, in the province of Khorasan , a social Islamic forum which became embroiled in the oil nationalisation movement of the 1950's.
In his years at the Teacher's Training College in
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
, Shariati came into contact with young people who were from the less privileged economic classes of the society, and for the first time saw the poverty and hardship that existed in Iran during that period. At the same time he was exposed to many aspects of
Western philosophicalWestern philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies and the varieties of indigenous philosophies....
and political thought. He attempted to explain and provide solutions for the problems faced by Muslim societies through traditional Islamic principles interwoven with and understood from the point of view of modern sociology and philosophy. His articles from this period for the
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
daily newspaper,
Khorasan, display his developing eclecticism and acquaintance with the ideas of modern Islamic and extra-Islamic thinkers such as Jamal al-Din al-Afghani,
Muhammad IqbalHazrat Allama Sir Dr. Muhammad Iqbal was a Persian and Urdu poet, philosopher and politician whose vision of an independent state for the Muslims of British India was to inspire the creation of Pakistan...
,
Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud , Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology...
and
Alexis CarrelAlexis Carrel was a French surgeon, biologist and eugenicist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1912...
.
In 1952 he became a high-school teacher and founded the Islamic Students' Association, which led to his arrest after a demonstration. In 1953, the year of Mossadeq's overthrow by the CIA and allied Iranians, he became a member of the
National Resistance MovementThe National Movement of Iranian Resistance was founded in the early 1980s by Shapour Bakhtiar, the last prime minister of Iran under the Monarchy before it was destroyed in the February 1979 revolution. Even though he was an opponent to the Shah, he assumed the post of prime minister "to save his...
. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Mashhad in 1955. In 1957 he was arrested again by the
ShahMohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, , was the emperor of Iran from 16 September 1941, until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
's police, along with 16 others members of the National Resistance Movement.
Ali Shariati then managed to obtain a
scholarshipA scholarship is an award of access to an institution, or a financial aid award for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
for France, where he continued his graduate studies at the
University of ParisThe historic University of Paris was founded in the mid 12th century, likely between 1160 and 1170 , In 1970 it was reorganized as 13 autonomous universities...
. There he was considered a brilliant student and elected best student in letters in 1958. He worked towards earning his doctorate in
sociologySociology is the scientific or systematic study of human societies. It is a branch of social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such...
, leaving Paris before he was able to complete his studies in 1964. During this period in Paris, Shariati started collaborating with the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1959. The next year, he began to read
Frantz FanonFrantz Fanon was a psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary, and author from Martinique. He was influential in the field of post-colonial studies and was perhaps the pre-eminent thinker of the 20th century on the issue of decolonization and the psychopathology of colonization...
and translated an anthology of his work into Persian.. Shariati would introduce Fanon's thought into Iranian revolutionary émigrée circles. He was arrested in Paris during a demonstration in honour of
Patrice LumumbaPatrice Émery Lumumba was an African anti-colonial leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
, on January 17, 1961.
The same year he joined
Ebrahim YazdiEbrahim Yazdi is the Secretary-General of the Freedom Movement of Iran, which is considered an "illegal party" by some factions within the Iranian government...
,
Mostafa ChamranMostafa Chamran Savei was an Iranian scientist who served as defence minister and member of parliament, as well as commander of paramilitary volunteers in Iran–Iraq War. He was killed in action during the course of the war....
and Sadegh Qotbzadeh in founding the
Freedom Movement of IranThe Freedom Movement of Iran is an Iranian political organization which was founded in 1961 by Mehdi Bazargan, Mahmoud Taleghani, Yadollah Sahabi, Mostafa Chamran, Ali Shariati, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh and some other political or religious figures...
abroad.
In 1962 he continued studying sociology and history of religions, and followed the courses of Islamic scholar
Louis MassignonLouis Massignon was a French scholar of Islam and its history. Although a Catholic himself, he tried to understand Islam from within and thus had a great influence on the way Islam was seen in the West; among other things, he paved the way for a greater openness inside the Catholic Church towards...
,
Jacques BerqueJacques Augustin Berque was a French Islamic scholar and sociologist. His expertise was the decolonisation of Algeria and Morocco.-Biography:Born of French parents in Molière, provincial Algeria, he was a pied-noir...
and the sociologist
Georges GurvitchGeorges Gurvitch was a Russian born French sociologist and jurist. One of the leading sociologists of his times, he was a specialist of the sociology of knowledge. In 1944 he founded the journal Cahiers internationaux de Sociologie...
. He also came to know the philosopher
Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy and Existentialism, and his work continues to influence further...
that same year, and published in Iran Jalal Al-e Ahmad's book
GharbzadegiGharbzadegi is a pejorative Persian term often translated as "Westoxication," "West-struck-ness" or Occidentosis. It is used to refer to the loss of Iranian cultural identity through the adoption and imitation of Western models and Western criteria in education, the arts, and culture; through the...
(or
Occidentosis) .
He then returned to Iran in 1964 where he was arrested and imprisoned by the Imperial Iranian authorities for engaging in subversive political activities while in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. He was released after a few weeks, at which point he began teaching at the University of
MashhadMashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan...
.
Shariati then went to
TehranTehran is the capital and largest city of Iran, and the administrative center of Tehran Province. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Tochal mountain range with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia...
where he began lecturing at the
Hosseiniye ErshadThe Hosseinieh Ershad or Hosseiniyeh Ershad is a religious institute in Tehran, Iran. It was closed for a time by the Pahlavi government in 1972...
Institute. These lectures proved to be hugely popular among his students and were spread by word of mouth throughout all economic sectors of the society, including the middle and upper classes where interest in Shariati's teachings began to grow immensely.
Shariati's continued success again aroused the interest of the Imperial authorities, who arrested him, as well as many of his students. Widespread pressure from the populace and an international outcry eventually led to his release after eighteen months in solitary confinement, and he was released on March 20, 1975.
Shariati was allowed to leave the country for
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He died three weeks later in a
SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
hospital. It is unclear who was responsible for his death. There have been speculations that the
SAVAKSAVAK was the domestic security and intelligence service of Iran from 1957 to 1979...
were involved because of his anti-Shah activities.
Views
Shariati's works were highly influenced by the
MarxismMarxism is the political philosophy and economic worldview based upon a materialist interpretation of history, a Marxist analysis of capitalism, a theory of social change, and an atheist view of human liberation derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels; three primary aspects of...
and Third Worldism that he encountered as a student in Paris — ideas that
class warClass war can refer to:* Class conflict, the social phenomenon* Class War, the anarchist group, and its paper of the same name* Class Warfare a book by Noam Chomsky* Cla$$war, a comic book series by Rob Williams...
and revolution would bring about a just and classless society — from one side, and the Islamic Puritanism (or the Islamic Reformation) movements of his time from the other side. He is said to have adopted the idea of
GharbzadegiGharbzadegi is a pejorative Persian term often translated as "Westoxication," "West-struck-ness" or Occidentosis. It is used to refer to the loss of Iranian cultural identity through the adoption and imitation of Western models and Western criteria in education, the arts, and culture; through the...
from Jalal Al-e Ahmad and given it "its most vibrant and influential second life."
He sought to translate these ideas into cultural symbols of Shiism that Iranians could relate to. He believed Shia should not merely await the return of the
12th ImamMuhammad al-Māhdī also known as Hujjat ibn al-Hasan is the individual believed by Twelver Shī‘a Muslims to be the Māhdī, the ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imām of the Twelve Imams...
but should actively work to hasten his return by fighting for
social justiceSocial justice is a notion used to describe a society with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution, policies aimed toward achieving that which developmental economists refer to as equality of opportunity and...
, "even to the point of embracing martyrdom", saying "everyday is Ashoura, every place is
KarbalaKarbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad at 32.61°N, 44.08°E. In the time of Husayn ibn Alī's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriyah, Naynawa, and Shathi'ul-Furaat. The estimated population in 2003 was 572,300 people. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate...
."
Shariati referred to his brand of Shiism as "red Shiism" which he contrasted with clerical-dominated, unrevolutionary "black Shiism" or Safavid Shiism. His ideas have been compared to the
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
Liberation TheologyLiberation theology is a school of theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism. Its theologians consider sin the root source of poverty, the sin in...
movement founded in South America by
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
vian
Gustavo GutierrezGustavo Gutiérrez Merino, O.P., is a Peruvian theologian and Dominican priest regarded as the founder of Liberation Theology. He holds the John Cardinal O'Hara Professorship of Theology at the University of Notre Dame...
and
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian
Leonardo BoffLeonardo Boff was born 14 December 1938 in Concórdia, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. He is a theologian, philosopher and writer, known for his active support for the rights of the poor and excluded....
.
Shariati's most important books and speeches
- Hajj (The Pilgrimage)
- Marxism and Other Western Fallacies : An Islamic Critique
- Where Shall We Begin?http://www.shariati.com/kotob.html
- Mission of a Free Thinkerhttp://www.shariati.com/kotob.html
- The Free Man and Freedom of the Manhttp://www.shariati.com/human.html
- Extraction and Refinement of Cultural Resourceshttp://www.shariati.com/culture.html
- Martyrdom (book)http://www.shariati.com/arise.html
- Ali
- An approach to Understanding Islam PART1-http://www.shariati.com/lesson1.htmlPART2-http://www.shariati.com/lesson2.html
- A Visage of Prophet Muhammadhttp://www.shariati.com/kotob.html
- A Glance of Tomorrow's Historyhttp://www.shariati.com/kotob.html
- Reflections of Humanity
Reflections of Humanity is one of Ali Shariati's important lectures, which concerns the role of culture in human life. It defines culture and barbarism and how it is discussed in the light of the "Islamic Doctrine". He defines Modernity and its role in the vital issues confronting Western and, more...
- A Manifestation of Self-Reconstruction and Reformation
- Selection and/or Election
- Norouz, Declaration of Iranian's Livelihood, Eternity
- Expectations from the Muslim Woman
Expectations from the Muslim Woman, also called Our Expectations of the Muslim Woman, is one of Ali Shariati's most important lectures regarding women's rights in Islam....
- Horr
Horr was a book by the Iranian author Ali Shariati about the historic Battle of Karbala in which Hussein, the grandson of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, was killed by Yazid . Horr was a commander of the army of the Caliph Yazid during the battle...
(Battle of Karbala)
- Abu-Dahr
- Islamology
- Red Shi'ism vs. Black Shi'ism
Red Shi'sm vs. Black Shi'ism is an essay written by the Iranian author Ali Shariati which discusses his ideas on the perceived dual aspects of the Shi'a religion throughout history. Red Shi'ism, which he sees as the pure form of the religion, which is concerned with social justice and salvation for...
- Jihad and Shahadat
- Reflections of a Concerned Muslim on the Plight of Oppressed People
- A Message to the Enlightened Thinkers
A Message to Enlightened Thinkers is one of Ali Shariati's important written works and is an interpretation of a Qur'anic chapter called the Byzantines....
- Art Awaiting the Saviour
- Fatemeh is Fatemeh
Fatemeh is Fatemeh is a book written by Ali Shariati. In the book, Fatima Zahra the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad is described as a role model for Muslim women around the world...
- The Philosophy of Supplication
Written by Ali Shariati, the Philosophy of Supplication is a famous Islamic/Iranian prayer. It is written in poetic tense and regards the human life and a human's relation with God...
- Religion versus Religion
- Man and Islam - see chapter "Modern Man and His Prisons"
See also
- List of Islamic scholars
- Intellectual Movements in Iran
Intellectual movements in Iran involve the Iranian experience of modernity and its associated art, science, literature, poetry, and political structures that have been changing since the 19th century.- History of Iranian modernity :...
- Religious Intellectualism in Iran
Religious intellectualism in Iran develops gradually and subtly. It reached its apogee during the Persian Constitutional Revolution . The process involved numerous philosophers, sociologists, political scientists and cultural theorists...
- Islamic Marxism
- Abdulaziz Sachedina
Abdulaziz Sachedina is the Frances Myers Ball Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, teaching mainly subjects associated with Islam. He has been a professor for 33 years, beginning in 1975. He annually teaches courses on Classical Islam, Islam in the Modern Age, Islam,...
, a student of Shariati
- Philosophy in Iran
- Jalal Al-e-Ahmad
Jalal Al-e-Ahmad was a prominent Iranian writer, thinker, and social and political critic.-Personal life:...
- Red Shi'ism vs. Black Shi'ism
Red Shi'sm vs. Black Shi'ism is an essay written by the Iranian author Ali Shariati which discusses his ideas on the perceived dual aspects of the Shi'a religion throughout history. Red Shi'ism, which he sees as the pure form of the religion, which is concerned with social justice and salvation for...
- Hamid Algar
Hamid Algar is a British-American Professor of Persian studies at the Faculty of Near Eastern Studies, University of California Berkeley. He is a prolific writer on Persian and Arabic literature and contemporary history of Iran, Turkey, the Balkans and Afghanistan.Hamid Algar was born in 1940 in...
Further reading
- Rahnema, Ali. 1998. An Islamic Utopian. A political biography of Ali Shariati. London: I.B. Tauris.
- Gheissari, Ali. 1998. Iranian Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century. Austin: University of Texas Press.
External links
Videos