Iran’s Deeper Battle Over Culture And Values

For now, Israel and Iran have ceased military att­acks against each other. Although the situ­ation appears unstable, there’s hope that a renewed “war of cities” will not afflict civilians. This is an opportunity to reflect on the reasons behind a conflict anticipated for years. Does the dispute stem from Iran’s nuclear programme? Would the conflict end if Iran did not possess the programme? Or should the roots of their disagreements be sought in other factors?

Evidently, the conflict between Israel and the countries of West Asia and North Africa is rooted more deeply in the identity foundations of these societies than in political and military iss­ues. Since the end of World War II, struggles in the region have been over “territorial identity” rather than “lands”. As a symbol of Western civilisation in this part of the world, Israel has tried to carve out a place for itself. It has sometimes succeeded—through war or dialogue—in aligning certain governments with itself and rendering others indifferent, yet it has failed to find a stronghold among the peoples of various societies.

Iran’s society’s animosity towards this Western symbol dates back to the Pahlavi era. Despite the government’s diplomatic rela­tions with Israel, memoirs, for instance of the aristocrat Asadollah Alam, published in English as The Shah and I: The Confidential Diary of Iran’s Royal Court reveal how cautious the government was of public reactions to relations with Israel.

With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, a new discourse emerged that emphasised Eastern civilisation and identity in contrast to what was labelled as Western colonialism and imperialism. In this new context, Israel was perceived as a symbol of Western imposition upon the nations of the East. In the post-Cold War era, Israel identified itself more with the Global North and Western powers than the Global South. These cultural and identity differences among the peoples of the region have repeatedly led to wars in which Israel has been a party. It can be argued that while Israeli leaders might believe that initia­ting wars and attacking nuclear facilities can provide them with physical security, they have no doubt that identity and existential security will never be achieved through these means.

Over the past two weeks, academics from many countries have sent messages expressing sympathy and solidarity with the Iranian people—which well demonstrates the direction of global public opinion regarding the conflict. Many messages from academics within our shared civilisational sphere—from Istanbul to New Delhi, and from Astana to Doha—have emphasised key points: Firstly, they express prayers for the safety and victory of the Iranian people. Secondly, they advise us to leave large cities for safer places. Some have offered to host Iranian friends in their countries, should the war continue. Thirdly, several messages, particularly from countries within the Nowruz cultural sphere, support Iran as a symbol of a civilisational identity to which they themselves belong.

Poetry forms an important part of the culture within our civilisational sphere. In recent days, many poems from academic friends in the region have reached us. I share one here, penned by an Afghan professor in Europe:

Tehran is a wounded lady,

Kabul’s sister city.

A bloody poem

In a two-and-a-half-millennium-old divan of civilisation,

And a tale of struggle and patience

In the Shahnameh.

Tehran

Is the Cyrus Cylinder,

Blood-stained in the clutches of the demon of war,

And Persepolis,

Anxiously gazing towards tomorrow.

Tehran is our heart,

Beating from Lahore to Kabul,

From Dushanbe to Samarkand,

From Bukhara to Balkh,

And from Herat to Isfahan.

Tehran is our soul.

In this poem, Israel’s attack on Iran has been portrayed not as a war over nuclear issues, nor as a conflict over ideology or religion, but as a war between civilisations. The US and its European allies’ support for Israel has strengthened the belief in the region that academics, media persons, artists and poets in Asian countries need greater convergence to preserve their cultural and civilisational foundations. We need a fresh identification and discussion of shared cultural and identity values within the framework of our ancient civilisations. Together, we can consider pathways for dialogue with other civilisations to establish lasting peace and security. More civilised interactions, through dialogue, diplomacy and the recognition of differences, will prevent civilisational conflicts from escalating into war.

In the 1990s, when Huntington proposed the idea of the clash of civilisations, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, then President of Iran, initiated a “Dialogue Among Civilisations” at the United Nations, leading to 2001 being named the Year of Dialogue Among Civilisations. Returning to that idea may offer the path to stability in the region.

Mandana Tishehyar teaches at the Department of Asian Studies, ECO College, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

This article is part of 해외카지노 Magazine's July 11, 2025 issue, Making Bombing Great Again. It appeared in print as 'Iran’s Deeper Battle Over Culture And Values'.