Religious Nationalism in Iran: Shi'ism, the State, and Iranian Identity

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.