Converts and the Remaking of Shi’ism in Italy

Mirshahvalad, Minoo

doi:10.1080/09596410.2020.1858596

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…As a result of this relative youth, among Italian-based communities, the second generation has not formed yet or does not have any significant role in the decision processes of the communities. In Italy, the first generation of Shiʿa-borns with or without Italian citizenship are either linguistically incapable of producing publications in Italian, or are intimidated and unwilling to externalize their religious belonging (Mirshahvalad 2019). In the absence of an active second generation of Shiʿa-borns who could have introduced Shiʿism in Italian, converts play this crucial role through their digital and printed texts.…”

Section: Converts' Publishing Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conversions to Shiʿism in Italy and Editorial Ventures

Mirshahvalad

2024

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This article presents an in-depth analysis of two interrelated topics, namely Italians’ conversions to Shiʿism and their contribution to disseminating knowledge about Twelver Shiʿism in Italy. Employing a combination of historical and sociological methods, the article explores the underlying motivations driving this religious mobility, with a particular focus on the influence of Traditionalist authors such as René Guénon and Julius Evola and the Iranian Revolution on the digital and paper publications of converts. Moreover, the paper investigates the converts’ proclivity for editorial initiatives and social visibility, which can be attributed to their penchant for social engagement and political activism. To conduct this investigation, semi-structured interviews, literature analysis, and historical sources were adopted. This research establishes a strong correlation between the reasons for conversion and the portrayal of Shiʿism in the converts’ literary works. In summary, the distinct characteristics of Italian Shiʿism are intricately intertwined with the factors influencing conversion to this religion.

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Section: Converts' Publishing Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conversions to Shiʿism in Italy and Editorial Ventures

Mirshahvalad

2024

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“…Because of this duality, when the President and the Supreme Leader have different ideas about what image Iran should present abroad, such differences may become evident in the form of a conflict of narratives. This happened in the past (Wastnidge, 2016) and the reverberation of such internal factional conflicts reached the Italian converts community too, with conservative converts, connected to the far right and loyal to the Supreme Leader Khamenei, entertaining public polemics and controversy with the more liberal-minded Iranian diplomatic institutions in Italy, controlled by the President of the Republic (Mirshahvalad, 2020). This is not a casual pattern of conflict.…”

Section: Literature Review and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The reception of Iran's state propaganda by the Italian far right: recasting the diffusion of authoritarian discourse and narratives

Rivetti

2023

Riv. ital. sci. polit.

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This article examines the reception of the Iranian state's authoritarian discourse by the Italian far right to interrogate the mechanisms of authoritarian diffusion from the point of view of the receiving actors. Coding Iran's state propaganda and searching for overlaps and resonances with the far right's discourse, this article argues that the receiving audience selectively translates the content coming from Iran for the Italian public with the goal of reinforcing its own political discourse. The article contributes to the debate on authoritarian diffusion by providing fresh empirical findings from a rarely studied case study and by shifting the focus to political discourse and narratives. This article also foregrounds the agency of the receiving audience, rather than the authoritarian state's, with the goal of interrogating the resources and infrastructures that enable diffusion, rather than the motivation or the success of the ‘sending’ authoritarian state. This article expands the understanding of complex dynamics of authoritarian diffusion and contributes to examine the establishment of transnational connections between state and non-state illiberal actors in the era of ‘sovranism’ and right-wing populism.

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Rethinking the Mosque

Mirshahvalad¹

2022

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Change

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Converts and the Remaking of Shi’ism in Italy

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Conversions to Shiʿism in Italy and Editorial Ventures

Conversions to Shiʿism in Italy and Editorial Ventures

The reception of Iran's state propaganda by the Italian far right: recasting the diffusion of authoritarian discourse and narratives

Rethinking the Mosque

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