Author: Mahnaz Zahirinejad | Pages: 45–67 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.60018/Hemi.MRDH3384
Abstract
The social and cultural foundations of Iran and Turkey have long been rooted in Islam, expressed through their respective Shia and Sunni traditions. During the early 20th century, however, Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944) and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) initiated modernisation and secularisation reforms aimed at curbing clerical authority, particularly through education. While Atatürk replaced Ottoman Islamic institutions with a secular framework, Reza Shah’s efforts were constrained by resistance from Iran’s entrenched Shia clergy. Despite these differences, traditional religious values largely persisted and, over time, reasserted themselves. By comparing the education-focused secular policies of both governments their attempts to reduce the influence of Islamic traditions, and the role of clerics, the present research seeks to explain why, despite extensive cultural reforms, Islamic culture and values remained resilient in both societies.
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