religionГосударство, религия, церковь в России и за рубежомState, Religion and Church in Russia and Worldwide2073-72032073-7211РАНХиГСreligion-419Research ArticleVARIAVARIAОт Кербелы до Карабаха: шиитская мифология и иранский стратегический нарратив борьбы с наемниками такфириFrom Karbala to Karabakh: Shia Mythology and Iran’s Strategic Narratives of the Fight Against Mercenarieshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0124-4029ГеворгянА. С.GevorgyanA. S.

Ереван

Yerevan

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5015-9496ОваннисянД. А.HovhannisyanD. A.

Ереван

Yerevan

Ереванский государственный университетАрменияYerevan State UniversityArmenia20250210202543289–113Copyright © Геворгян А.С., Ованнисян Д.А., 20252025Геворгян А.С., Ованнисян Д.А.Gevorgyan A.S., Hovhannisyan D.A.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://religion.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/419

Шиитская мифология играет важную роль во внешней политике Исламской Республики Иран. Хотя прагматика и Realpolitik часто лежат в основе отношений Ирана с другими странами, контекст этой политики и национальный дискурс в целом однозначно связаны с религиозной мифологией. В политическом дискурсе, связанном с ближневосточной политикой Ирана, центральное место занимает идея борьбы с группами такфири‑вероотступников, которые считают собратьев‑мусульман неверными. Эта борьба легла в основу исламско‑политического оправдания Ираном своего участия в ближневосточных конфликтах. Во время и после войны в Нагорном Карабахе 2020 года эта мифология также проникла в политический дискурс Ирана на Южном Кавказе, где сирийские наемники, используемые Азербайджаном, были обозначены как группы такфири. Как на Ближнем Востоке, так и на Южном Кавказе присутствие и действия наемников изображались и интерпретировались через призму этой мифологии, которая пронизана темами сопротивления, мученичества и защиты угнетенных. Эта мифологическая структура формирует внутриполитический дискурс Ирана и распространяется на его внешнеполитические нарративы, позволяя иранскому государству выстраивать последовательное идеологическое обоснование своих представлений о восприятии внешних угроз.

 

When examining the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it’s crucial to recognize the significant role that Shia mythology plays. While pragmatic policies and Realpolitik often guide its relations with other countries, the context of this policy and the national discourse is uniquely shaped by religious myths. In the political discourse related to Iran’s Middle Eastern policy, the fight against so‑called takfiri groups, deemed apostates for declaring fellow Muslims as infidels, holds a central place. This struggle formed the basis of Iran’s Islamic‑political justification for its involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts. Shia mythology plays a profound role in shaping this religious‑political construct. During and after the 2020 Nagorno‑Karabakh war, this mythology also penetrated Iran’s South Caucasus political discourse, where the Syrian mercenaries used by Azerbaijan were labeled as takfiri groups. In both the Middle East and the South Caucasus, the presence and actions of mercenaries have been portrayed and interpreted through the lens of this powerful mythology, which emphasizes the themes of resistance, martyrdom, and the defense of the oppressed. This mythological framework informs Iran’s domestic political discourse and extends to its foreign policy narratives, allowing the Iranian state to construct a coherent ideological justification for its threat perception notions.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.