Political Radicalism in Iran and Ahmadinejad’s Presidencies (Studies in Iranian Politics)

This book offers a critical deconstruction of radicalism as a political category and through this analytical approach seeks to interpret and assess the presidencies of the former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. It contextualizes radicalism within a broader framework of Western-derived political categories, which are too frequently used to simplify the complexities of Iran's domestic political landscape, generally reducing any comprehensive and objective understanding of Iranian politics. Since the term radicalism is often misrepresented and misused in readings of contemporary Iran, this study examines several analogous Persian and English labels, exploring their different meanings, significances, and varied applications, in order to challenge any fixed and universal interpretations of radicalism as a concept. The political experience of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who has been widely perceived as a radical politician, provides an ideal case study in this regard, offering valuable insight into how best to frame and interpret radicalism in post-revolutionary Iran. This book will be of particular interest to both scholars and students of Iranian Studies, but also to more general readers who are broadly interested in Middle Eastern studies, political science, and comparative politics. Giorgia Perletta is Adjunct Lecturer of Iranian History and Politics at the Graduate School of Economics and International Relations (ASERI) in Milan, Italy, and Visiting Lecturer at the Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic Foreword Acknowledgements Note on Transliteration Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction to Political Categories Origins of the Book and Its Contents Labelling “the Others” Labelling as a Political Act References Chapter 2 Deconstructing Labels and Power Distribution in the Islamic Republic Deconstructing Radicalism The “Dual State”: How Power Relations Shape the Islamic Republic Post-Revolutionary Factionalism Beyond Dichotomies and Labels References Chapter 3 Beyond Reformism: How Ideological Changes Shaped New Political Discourses From Revolutionaries to Reformists Political Reformism and Khatami’s Presidency Domestic Reaction to Reformism and the Regional Context From Revolutionaries to Hardliners: Renewing the Old Discourse References Chapter 4 “Back to the Revolution”: The Rise of the Hardliners and the Revival of Radicalism (2003–2005) Mahmud Ahmadinejad: The Unknown Mayor Who Become President Electoral Campaign in 2005 and Its Themes Reinterpreting Ahmadinejad’s Radical Rhetoric References Chapter 5 Radicalizing the Conservative Front: Ahmadinejad’s Domestic and Foreign Policies Socio-Economic Reforms and Domestic Politics Securitization and Militarism Mahdism as a Political Strategy Foreign Policy Between Ideology and Pragmatism References Chapter 6 The Decline of Ahmadinejad’s Circle and a New Quest for Legitimacy The 2009 Elections as a Turning Point The Deviant Current and the New References of Iranian Nationalism Back to Pragmatism and the Marginalization of Radicals The “Government of Spring,” the New Quest for Legitimacy After 2013 References Chapter 7 Conclusions Glossary Index