A Meta-Analysis of the Iranian Religious Trend over the Past Decade and Its Security Consequences
Volume 24, Issue 2, Summer 2021, Pages 33-72
Hamed Abdollahi Sefidan, Aliakbar Adbilahadi Moghadam, Mohammadtaghi Dashtei
Abstract The extent and quality of people's piety is of strategic importance in Iranian society, which has a traditional cultural-religious context and Islamic rule, and its changes can have security consequences. This article attempts to map the trend of Iranian piety during the years 2009 to 2019 and show the changes that have taken place and examine the security consequences of these changes. Findings show that in the above period, there has been no significant change in the level of religiosity of the Iranian people, but the type of piety has shifted from Shari'a-centered to emotional religion. Although this kind of change does not seem dangerous, an increase in emotional piety may have security consequences, including a change in public reference groups, an increase in religious sects, a decrease in the influence of the clergy, and a weakening of the religious authority and authority of the Vali-Faqih.