New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Long reads
10 February 2010updated 24 Sep 2015 10:46am

Ali Shari‘ati

The revolutionary.

By Ian K Smith

Shari’ati has been called the “ideologue of the Iranian Revolution”. His fusion of Islam and Marxism created an ideal of revolutionary martyrdom that led many young Iranians to sacrifice their lives in defiance of the Pahlavi regime.

His father, Mohammad Taqi Shari’ati, was a prominent lay spokesman for the faith and an important figure in 1950s Iran in the oil nationalisation movement led by Muhammed Mossadeq. Adopting his father’s religious and nationalist identity, together with the Marxism he had studied in Paris, Shari’ati developed an eclectic theology of liberation. His writing drew upon sources as diverse as Charlie Chaplin and Imam Hussein, the original martyr of the Shia tradition.

Before he could see the change that he had struggled for, Shari’ati died of a heart attack in England in 1977. His supporters allege that he was murdered by the shah. Ayatollah Khomeini would go on to ride the crest of the revolution and establish a republic formed on a clerical authority that Shari’ati had opposed all his life.

Shari’ati remains a figurehead for those who oppose the religious establishment, but still wish to frame progressive ideas within Islam. Those in power cannot dispel his influence, grounded as it is with theirs in the events of 1979.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

On the relationship between struggle and ideology:

If blood does not have a message, it remains mute in history.

Next: Sayyid Abul-A’la Maududi (d.1979)

Previous: Sayyid Qutb (d.1966)

Back to list.

Content from our partners
The Circular Economy: Green growth, jobs and resilience
Water security: is it a government priority?
Defend, deter, protect: the critical capabilities we rely on