Iran and the challenges of Modernity*

1. Setting some postulations

Following Wafula (2011) tradition and modernity are social constructs that
elude water tight definitions by virtue of their temporal connotations. The term
modernity has been criticized because it implies some cut between the
actual modern present and the traditional past (Wafula), however every society
will contain both traditional and modern elements (Moten, 2011) even when the
liberal thinking both are seen as mutually exclusive polar opposites.
According to several scholars, industrialization, capitalism, realization of
democracy, rationalist thinking and individualism with free will and free choiceare defining features of modernity. However, as Moten wisely appoints, the
term modern refers to the era that began politically with the French Revolution
and economically with the British Industrial Revolution. This has led many
social scientists to identify modernity with the West and to refer to
modernization as Westernization, that is what we can call narrative of
modernity a topic that we will explore later.
On the contrary, tradition is anything which is transmitted or handed down from
the past to the present. It includes material objects, beliefs, images, practices
and institutions (Moten, 2011). In that way, traditional society is characterized
by a stratification system and a limited social mobility.
2. The challenge of modernity

Iran and the challenges of Modernity

Now, we can ask ourselves what kind of challenges poses modernity to

traditional-orientated societies. If we remember, traditional-orientated societies
bonds are based in various beliefs usually expressed in religious prescriptions,
that knowledge gives the society some certainty of position and duties.
Modernity, challenge that arrangement proposing a complete new one with
center around the individual and its freedom. The certainties that defined
human beings and kept-them-in-place are now gone (Video 1.5, 4:34). Process
of modernization is a process of destabilization (Video 1.5, 6:09) it was
destabilizing where this process was originated (Western Europe) and it is
much more, now in societies where this process was impose by foreigners.
3. The narrative of Modernity and the Colonialism
Modernity its a Europocentric narrative, for the Europeans, modern is what
Europe say that is modern and that liberal narrative forecloses the possibility
of real local experiences and of their contribution in the realization of
modernity (Mirsepassi, 2000). That early modern definition of modernity made
in opposition to the primitives peoples those how lived in a state of nature,
helped to cement colonialism seen as a civilizing force that would benefit
those backwards peoples. And it is under the forces of colonialism that an
accelerated modernity invades the Muslim World.
4. Modernity in the Muslim World
Speaking about de Muslim World, the traditional identity was always tied to the
religious notions (Video 1.5, 13:35) when modernity arrives with its

Julio O. Gorosito

destabilization and uncertainties features comes, religion itself place a strong

role in various attempts to face modernity. We are talking about the four models
of adaptation (Video 1.5, 14:00): emulation/secularism, religious reformism,
traditionalism and fundamentalism, which we can differentiate looking at the
role of the religion as a passive or an active actor in the whole process of
adaptation.
5. Iran in a modern context
In the 19th century, Iran faced modernity in a very disadvantageous position.
Modernity comes over Iran as an outside force in the form of colonial pressure
particularly from Russia and Britain. The Russo-Persian Wars (1722-23; 1796,
1804-13; 1826-28) and the Anglo-Persian War (1856-57) were fought and lost
by the Iranian monarchy due its failure to modernize its armies (Video 5.2,
14:37). Was then that we begging to observe some attempts of reform, always
orientated to the military question following the emulation pattern but not as part
of any strategy of consolidation of the state institutions.
Following the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907, we see the increase of
foreign intervention under the way of economic concessions and monopolies
(Reuters, Talbot, Knox Darcy) most of the times very unpopular (ex. Tobbacco)
due to the need for founds of the kings.
That foreign intervention causes to the Constitutional Revolution of 1906. A
constitution is drafted based in equality and secularism that is heavily criticized
by Islamic clergy as un-Islamic even after the Supplemental Law of 1907. So
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Iran and the challenges of Modernity

we have a very clear emulation element that is neutralized by a fundamentalist

reaction.
We see in the following years, that the once-called colonial pressure now as
foreign intervention increases with several oil agreements and ends up in 53s
Coup against Mossadegh.
Under the government of Reza Shah and his son, emulation is seen as the only
answer to Iran, but not as clear as it was in Atatrks Turkey, both kings
assume a state driven pathological modernity (Video 5.4, 46:23) that only
causes alienating effects in the population.
But how do we end in the later 70s with the triumph of a fundamentalist
movement. On my view, Mohammad Shahs Land Reform and Foreign
intervention and control over the country were the main factor.
The Land Reform was part of Shahs White Revolution. When it was planned,
should to help the peasants to be part of capitalist economy but it did not
happened and much of them were expelled from their villages to the cities.
Peasants feel that they were not part of that society impose by the state and
that is the destabilizing effect of modernity, so they found in religion a refugee
against those changes. But even then, the triumph of fundamentalism, was a
success of the foreign intervention seen as a humiliation that finally
delegitimized the Western model and contributed to the search for an
alternative way in order to face modernity.

Julio O. Gorosito

6. References
*By Julio Omar Gorosito, lawyer by the National University of Crdoba,
Argentina.
- Wafula, Magdaline N. (2011) Tradition versus Modernity: Generational
conflict in Vuta NKuvute, Kufa Kuzukana, Msumu Wa Vipepeo and Tumaini
Swahili Forum 18: 135-162.
- Mirsepassi, Ali (2000) Intellectual Discourse and the Politics of Modernization.
Negotiating Modernity in Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Moten, Abdul (2011). Modernity, tradition and modernity in tradition in Muslim
societies. Intellectual Discourse 19, 1-13, 2011. IIUM Press