The potential of the mosque in the public diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Emphasizing the experiences of Muslim countries

Shoaee, Mohammad Hosein

doi:10.22083/jccs.2024.471518.3908

The potential of the mosque in the public diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Emphasizing the experiences of Muslim countries

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Mohammad Hosein Shoaee

Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Culture and Communication, Imam Sadiq University (AS) 0000-0001-9701-3585

10.22083/jccs.2024.471518.3908

Abstract

Today, public diplomacy, in relation to the importance of culture and religion in the world arena, has created new close ties with policymakers and politicians. This article tries to analyze the possibility of interaction between mosque and public diplomacy by examining the conceptual and operational framework of this field which includes public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy and religious diplomacy. In this way, which has been done by the method of textual analysis, the alignment and the possibility of interaction between these two areas in the form of mosque diplomacy in the keywords of "the people of the destination country" as the audience of public diplomacy, "informing, influencing and persuading" as the goals and results of public diplomacy were confirmed in the political literature of modern public diplomacy. Mosque diplomacy is: using the mosque as a tool in public diplomacy. The instrumental use of the mosque in this area can take the form of: building or financing mosques and Islamic centers in other countries (especially non-Islamic). In Islamic countries or in countries that are predominantly Muslim, mosques are a form of nation-building. Mosques act as a means of visually demonstrating the nation's attitude towards Islam. These magnificent buildings are located in the capitals of the Islamic world and compete with each other in beauty and grandeur. Throughout history, mosques have not only been places of worship, but their purpose has also been to promote the political doctrines and political will of progressive elites. The connection between the mosque and the place of caliphate and government in the early centuries of Islam indicates the convergence and subordination of religion and politics in the body of mosque diplomacy. Also, the multi-purpose capacities of mosques, which are aligned with the belief, moral and commandments of Islam in the three groups of vision, orientation and action, are presented as an attractive idea for attention in mosque diplomacy. In the end, while examining the policies and activities of some Muslim countries in the field of mosque diplomacy, a set of ideas and suggestions on three fundamental, political and practical levels for the Islamic Republic of Iran is presented.
Theoretical level (fundamental): At this level, attention should be paid to the relationship between the fundamental concepts of religion and foreign policy, religion and public diplomacy, and the propagation of religion and public diplomacy in the form of theoretical theories and approaches. The doctrine of the Islamic Republic at this level should be formulated by referring to the opinions of the leaders of the revolution. A comparative study of Islamic-Iranian approaches with mainly Western approaches at this level can explain and analyze the foundations, concepts, and theoretical approaches well.
Political level (intermediate): The formulation of a document/policy for the internationalization of mosques in the real space as well as the virtual space can be placed at this level. Basically, the international reading and assessment of the mosque’s capacity in the field of public diplomacy in the policy-making space should be considered in line with domestic and foreign policy. This document should, while utilizing the theoretical level (doctrine) in the strategies for selecting mosques and giving them an international attachment among the functions of the mosque in the first place, should consider their internationalization arrangement in the second place at the political level. Taking charge of this field in the form of an independent institution (given its importance and impact and successful foreign examples) or affiliated with relevant departments in the government sector such as the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Affairs, is also a political and strategic matter that must be thought about. Likewise, the institutional mapping of this field must be carried out at this level. In this sense, various related institutions must know and find their role and place in the map of mosque diplomacy of the country.
Practical level (objective): Creating movements and campaigns in the field of training religious diplomats with a focus on the mosque for foreigners (with due regard to goal setting) on the one hand and producing content with international order and system are among the issues that can be considered in the form of training, information and impact (in line with the goals of public diplomacy) in a skill-training manner at this level.

Keywords

Key Words: Public diplomacy

cultural diplomacy

religious diplomacy

mosque diplomacy

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تارنماها:

https://farsi.khamenei.ir/

https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5909007/

https://www.irna.ir/news/85213694/

https://www.irna.ir/news/85250527/

https://www.isna.ir/news/1400031712105/

https://www.masjed.ir/fa/article/258/