Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

Between Religious Principlism and Pragmatism: Islamic Iran`s Approach to Communist China

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Visiting Scholar, Department of Government, Harvard University, Visiting Fellow, Middle East Center, LSE, USA
2 Assistant Professor. Department of Political Science. University of Mazandaran. Babolsar. Iran
10.22034/irfa.2025.504231.1275
Abstract
Along with geopolitical reasons lurking beneath the surface of Tehran-Beijing connections, such an odd partnership between an Islamist government and a communist one brings religious-ideological elements to the fore. Iran’s relationship with China is compatible with its dominant ideological-religious doctrine. The paper introduces a new understanding of the Sino-Persian Connections from a religious-ideological prism. ‘How and under what mechanisms has Iran made its Chinese policy compatible with its religious-ideological codes? This is the pivotal question that guides the analytical narrative of the paper. The paper argues that Shia Jurisprudence has specific religious foundations that justify Iran’s policy towards China. It highlights both ‘Principlism’ and ‘Jurisprudence Pragmatism’ through which Iran expands its relations with China. Principlism asserts that the expansion of ties with China does not conflict with the religious principle of rejecting domination by non-Muslim foreigners. That is why Iranian elites do not perceive the expansion of China's influence as a form of new imperialist expansionism that could lead to the domination of a non-Muslim country over a Muslim one. Jurisprudence Pragmatism posits that the rule of expediency in Shia jurisprudence mitigates the conflict between China's policies towards its Muslim population and Iran's proclaimed support for Muslims worldwide. This pragmatism provides a religious justification for maintaining relations with Beijing.
Keywords

Subjects


Article Title Persian

میان اصولگرایی و پراگماتیسم مذهبی: رویکرد ایران اسلامی به چین کمونیست

Authors Persian

آرش رئیسی نژاد 1
محسن عباس زاده مرزبالی 2
1 پژوهشگر میهمان، گروه علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه هاروارد، ایالات متحده آمریکا
2 استادیار گروه علوم سیاسی. دانشگاه مازندران، بابلسر، ایران
Abstract Persian

در کنار دلایل ژئوپلیتیکی که در زیر سطح روابط تهران و پکن نهفته است، چنین شراکت عجیبی بین یک دولت «اسلام گرا» و یک دولت «کمونیست»، از وجود پشتوانه مذهبی-ایدئولوژیکی نیز حکایت دارد. رابطه ایران- چین با دکترین ایدئولوژیک مذهبی جمهوری اسلامی ایران سازگار است. مقاله حاضر به معرفی این درک جدید از پیوندهای چین و ایران می پردازد. ایران چگونه و تحت چه مکانیسم هایی سیاست خود در قبال چین را با کدهای مذهبی-ایدئولوژیک خود سازگار کرده است؟ در پاسخ، مقاله استدلال می‌کند که فقه شیعه دارای مبانی مذهبی خاصی است که امکان توجیه سیاست ایران در قبال چین را میسر می‌سازد. در این راستا، هم «اصول گرایی» و هم «پراگماتیسم فقهی» ای را برجسته می کند که از طریق آن ایران روابط خود را با چین گسترش می دهد. «اصولگرایی» مدعی است که گسترش روابط با چین با اصل دینی رد سلطه بیگانگان غیرمسلمان در تضاد نیست. به همین دلیل، نخبگان ایرانی، گسترش نفوذ چین را نوعی توسعه‌طلبی امپریالیستی جدید که منجر به تسلط یک کشور غیر اسلامی بر یک کشور مسلمان شود، تلقی نمی کنند. «پراگماتیسم فقهی» معتقد است که قاعده مصلحت در فقه شیعه تضاد بین سیاست های چین در قبال جمعیت مسلمان خود و حمایت اعلام شده ایران از مسلمانان در سراسر جهان را تحت الشعاع قرار می هد. این نوع عمل گرایی، توجیه مذهبی برای حفظ روابط با پکن فراهم می کند.

Keywords Persian

سیاست خارجی ایران
آرمان
واقعیت
کشورهای غیرمسلمان
مصلحت
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Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 40
December 2024
Pages 311-332

  • Receive Date 05 October 2024
  • Revise Date 04 November 2024
  • Accept Date 22 November 2024