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Ali Shariati

Dr Ali Shariati (Persian: ) (November 23, 1933 1977) was an Iraniansociologist and revolutionary, well known and respected for his work in the field ofsociologyof religion. He is known as one of the most original and influential Iranian social thinkers of

the 20th century, as he was the ideologue of the Iranian Revolution.

Contents

1 Biography

2 Views

3 Legacy

o 3.1 Shariati's most important books and speeches

4 References 5 Further reading

6 See also

Biography

Ali Shariati was born in 1933 in Kahak (a village in Mazinan), a suburb ofSabzevar, north-

east ofIran

. His father, Mohammad-Taghi, was an Islamic scholar, founder of the Center for Propagation

of Islamic Truths in theprovince of Khorasan in a time when Marxism was on rise in Iran. Hewould later be criticized by his son for his beliefs.

In his years at the Teacher's Training College, 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 ofWestern philosophical 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. Shariati was also deeply influenced by Moulana Rumi and

Muhammad Iqbal.

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 ofMossadeq's overthrow by

the CIA and allied Iranians, he became a member of theNational Resistance Movement. He

received his bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Mashhadin 1955. In 1957 he was

arrested again by theShah's police, along with 16 others members of the National Resistance

Movement.

Ali Shariati then managed to obtain a scholarship for France, where he continued his graduate

studies at theUniversity of Paris. There he was considered a brilliant student and elected best

students in letters in 1958. He worked towards earning his doctorate in sociology, leaving

Paris before he was able to complete his studies in 1964. During this period in Paris, Shariatistarted collaborating with the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1959. The next

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year, he began to readFrantz Fanon and translated an anthology of his work in Persian.[1].

Shariati would introduce Fanon's thought in Iranian revolutionary emigrees circles. He was

arrested in Paris during a demonstration in honour ofPatrice Lumumba, on January 17, 1961.

The same year he joined Ebrahim Yazdi,Mostafa Chamran and Sadegh Qotbzadeh in

founding the Freedom Movement of Iran abroad. He became the main figure in Iranianrevolution in absence of Ayoutullah Khomeni. In 1962 he continued studying sociology and

history of religions, and followed the courses of Islamic scholarLouis Massignon, Jacques

Berque and the sociologistGeorges Gurvitch. He also came to know the philosopherJean-

Paul Sartre that same year, and published in Iran Jalal Al-e Ahmad's bookGharbzadegi (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 France. He was

released after few weeks, at which point he began teaching at the University ofMashhad.

Shariati then went toTehran where he began lecturing at the Hosseiniye Ershad 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 and arrested

him, as well as many of his students. Widespread pressure from the populace and

international outcry eventually led to his release after eighteen month in solitary confinement,

and he was released on March 20, 1975.

Shariati was allowed to leave the country forEngland. Three weeks later he died in

Southampton of a heart attack[2] (according to certain sources, this was an assassination[3]by

theSavak).

Views

Shariati's works were highly influenced by theMarxism and Third Worldism that he

encountered as a student in Paris - ideas thatclass warand revolution would bring about a just

and classless society - from one side, and theIslamic Puritanism (or the Islamic Reformation)

movements of his time from the other side. He is said to have adopted the idea of

Gharbzadegi from Jalal Al-e Ahmad and given it "its most vibrant and influential second

life." [4]

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 Imam but should actively

work to hasten his return by fighting forsocial justice, "even to the point of embracing

martyrdom", saying "everyday is Ashoura, every place is Karbala." [5]

Shariati referred to his brand of Shiism as "red Shiism" which he contrasted with "black

Shiism" orSafavid Shiism. His ideas have been compared to the CatholicLiberation

Theology movement founded in South America byPeruvianGustavo Gutierrez and Brazilian

Leonardo Boff.[6] (see Red Shi'ism vs. Black Shi'ism)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frantz_Fanonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frantz_Fanonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumbahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebrahim_Yazdihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebrahim_Yazdihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostafa_Chamranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadegh_Qotbzadehhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Movement_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Massignonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Berquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Berquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Gurvitchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Gurvitchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Al-e_Ahmadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Al-e_Ahmadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharbzadegihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashhadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosseiniye_Ershadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southamptonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Worldismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamic_Puritanism&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamic_Puritanism&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharbzadegihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Al-e_Ahmadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Mahdihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashourahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karbalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Theologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Theologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Gutierrezhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Boffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Shi'ism_vs._Black_Shi'ismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frantz_Fanonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumbahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebrahim_Yazdihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostafa_Chamranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadegh_Qotbzadehhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Movement_of_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Massignonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Berquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Berquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Gurvitchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Al-e_Ahmadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharbzadegihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashhadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosseiniye_Ershadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southamptonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Worldismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Islamic_Puritanism&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Reformationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gharbzadegihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Al-e_Ahmadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Mahdihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashourahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karbalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Theologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Theologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Gutierrezhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Boffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Shi'ism_vs._Black_Shi'ism

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Legacy

Shariati's most important books and speeches

1. Hajj (The Pilgrimage)2. Marxism and Other Western Fallacies : An Islamic Critique

3. Where Shall We Begin?[1]

4. Mission of a Free Thinker[2]

5. The Free Man and Freedom of the Man[3]

6. Extraction and Refinement of Cultural Resources[4]

7. Martyrdom (book)[5]

8. Ali

9. An approach to Understanding Islam PART1-[6]PART2-[7]

10.A Visage of Prophet Muhammad[8]

11.A Glance of Tomorrow's History[9]

12.Reflections of Humanity13.A Manifestation of Self-Reconstruction and Reformation

14. Selection and/or Election

15.Norouz, Declaration of Iranian's Livelihood, Eternity

16.Expectations from the Muslim Woman

17.Horr(Battle of Karbala)

18.Abu-Dahr

19.Islamology

20.Red Shi'ism vs. Black Shi'ism

21.Jihad and Shahadat

22.Reflections of a Concerned Muslim on the Plight of Oppressed People

23.A Message to the Enlightened Thinkers24.Art Awaiting the Saviour

25.Fatemeh is Fatemeh

26. The Philosophy of Supplication

27.Religion versus Religion

28.Man and Islam - see chapter "Modern Man and His Prisons"

References

1. ^ La jeune gnration est un enjeu, interview with Gilles Kepel inL'Express, 26 January

2006 (French)2. ^An Islamic Utopian: A Political Biography of Ali Shariatipar Ali Rahnemar

3. ^ Saints et hros du moyen-orient contemporain: actes du colloque des 11 et 12 dcembre2000, l'Institut universitaire de Francepar Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen

4. ^ Mottahedeh, Roy, The Mantle of the Prophet : Religion and Politics in Iran, p.330

5. ^Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.128-9

6. ^Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.129

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