Iran’s National Identity Problematic

Abstract

Iran’s national identity, like those of other multi-ethnic states, has been artificially constructed by historians and nationalist elites. This is particularly important since Iran’s multiple identities are diverse in the extreme. As a result of this diversity, Iranian nationalism cannot be conceived as being a uniform, monolithic concept. Iran, since the advent of its nation-state building process, has been struggling to define its national identity in a relevant and resonant way. How Iranians conceives of themselves, what links Iran’s political identity to its national interest, and how it represents itself in terms of national and international affairs, are key issues of complexity and discord in Iran’s multiple identity dilemma.

Keywords

• Iran
• Nationalism
• National Identity
• Societal Security
• Islamism