Question: In your opinion, how has the religiosity of the society changed before and after the Revolution?
Y. Noorbakhsh: From the period before the Revolution, we do not have more than two studies and surveys regarding religiosity in the Iranian society. These studies were very limited. But after the Revolution, dozens of surveys have been conducted at the national level, at the provincial level, and among different social groups. Therefore, we have more information about this period. When we study all of these surveys, we see that the religiosity of the Iranian society has not declined since the Revolution.
Various surveys show that the people of Iran are still very religious in terms of beliefs, behaviors, and rituals. Of course, individuals and groups in the society are different in their type of religiosity, and they may have differences about some religious interpretations, rituals, and behaviors. But numerous polls in different periods over the last forty years have shown that more than 90% of people believe in the principles of Islam and carry out many of the rituals.
Question: Are there statistics or surveys about the religiosity of the Iranian people to substantiate this matter?
Y. Noorbakhsh: Yes. For example, more than 80% of the people pay the alms that are due at the end of the month of Ramadan (Fetrieh). More than 70% perform various religious pilgrimages. Many ceremonies, such as the ceremonies for marriage, divorce, and burial, are still performed religiously. Religious charity work, such as giving charity voluntarily, making a religious vow, and doing good to others, is very common in the society. In addition, many religious concepts were revived after the Revolution, and religious life was returned to the Iranian society. Important concepts such as martyrdom, sacrifice, resistance, and fighting oppression were not heeded in this way before the Revolution. Rather, religion was only regarded as a series of limited rituals for worshipping, and the broad social dimensions of religion were not considered. In that period, there was even a kind of wrong way of interpreting religious topics. This is why the religious intellectuals before the Revolution started a religious awakening and raising awareness. They offered a social, non-archaic look at religion, which was able to be effective in the formation of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and which became the driving force of the Revolution.
Question: The social conditions of the society before and after the Revolution are very different. What indicators should we take into account to gain a more accurate understanding of the extent of the people’s religiosity?
Y. Noorbakhsh: When comparing the religiosity of the Iranian society before and after the Revolution, it is necessary to pay attention to the different social conditions of these two periods and then make this comparison. It should be noted that the Iranian society is no longer like the society before the Revolution. After the Revolution, the world’s media bombarded the Iranian society by broadcasting various anti-religious programs. Basically, in the new era in the world, being religious is much more difficult than in the past. With the abundance of questions and doubts, more effort is needed to inform people. Nevertheless, we see that the religious awareness of the people has increased in these new conditions.
The people’s presence during the Holy Defense was a great religious presence that proves this point. Furthermore, there have been many religious ceremonies in recent years, such as the walk for Arbaeen, religious seclusion in a mosque (Itikaf), etc., where we have witnessed the presence of people with religious motivations.
Question: Have the social developments in recent years only caused the society to become more religious, or have there also been negative developments?
Y. Noorbakhsh: Not all developments have been positive, and some harm was done in places as well. The duality of words and actions of some people, the volume of questions and doubts that the young generation is encountering, and even various political conflicts can damage social cohesion and be a kind of discouragement from religion.
Islam is a religion of logic and reasoning. If those who preach religion are not equipped with knowledge, not only are they unable to convince the youth, they themselves may also have increased questions and doubts. The Leader of the Revolution has highlighted the necessity of the clerics having a fatherly attitude toward all members of the society. Certainly, this fatherly attitude toward everyone and opening the door of kindness to others will attract people to religion. In addition, we must also deal with the issue of identifying social harms.
Question: What was the role of religion, especially the religion of Islam, in the social, political, and cultural reforms in Iran?
Y. Noorbakhsh: Throughout Iran’s history, we see that many freedom-seeking, progressive movements were inspired by Islam. For the people of Iran, Islam has always been a refuge and a driving force for social cohesion and movement against oppression. Today, there are discussions about the role of religion in development, including social development, political development, and cultural development. Even Western societies are making efforts to see how the capacities of religion and believers can be used for the growth and development of the society under secular establishments. The teachings of Islam, which advocate work and effort, can play an important role in people’s efforts for economic growth. By encouraging more resilience, resistance, and patience, Islam helps people show more resistance in the face of problems and hardships. Similarly, by fostering social cohesion, encouraging social support, and offering charitable assistance and attention to the poor and the weak, religion has been able to encourage people to move in the direction toward social justice and equality. These are all indicators of development and progress.
During the Holy Defense, we saw how belief in Islam and the Shi’a school of thought was able to motivate and inspire people granting them the awareness to create a national, religious source of pride. We can even see that Jihadi groups, which are described in sociological discussions around the world as popular, faith-based organizations, have played a significant role in the religiosity of the society in recent years. This has been happening since the beginning of the Revolution in the form of the Jihad of Construction. In what followed, Jihadi groups carried out significant activities in the fields of construction, eradicating poverty, attending to the poor, and improving healthcare and public education.
On a wider level, there are currently discussions in Iran about a new Islamic civilization. In the same way that a type of Islamic civilization emerged from Islamic teachings in the history of Islam, today the idea of a new Islamic civilization is being discussed in Iran. This idea is based on the belief that civilization and progress can be inspired by the Islamic sciences and traditions, which are not only not contradictory, but they can also bring an advanced understanding of religion that leads to society’s progress.
Therefore, it can be said that religion can lead to development. Of course, a regressive, false understanding of religion can also hinder progress, as we saw in the thinking of the Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
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