Iran’s Soft Power in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Zahid Shahab Ahmed is Associate Professor at National Defence College of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Dr. Ali Akbar is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia where he received his PhD in Islamic Studies. He is an expert in the fields of Islamic Studies with a focus on contemporary Islamic thought and Middle Eastern politics as well as Iranian politics with a focus on Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond. He is co-author of Iran’s Soft Power in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Edinburgh University Press, 2023) as well as lead author of Contemporary Approaches to the Qur’an and Its Interpretation in Iran (Routledge, 2020) and sole author of Contemporary Perspectives on Revelation and Qur’anic Hermeneutics (Edinburgh University Press, 2020). In addition to these books, Dr. Akbar has published extensively in top-tier journals including Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, British Journal of Middle East Studies, Iranian Studies, Mediterranean Politics, Third Word Quarterly and Political Theology.Iran’s Soft Power in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Soft power is not the exclusive preserve of superstates like the US and China in influencing the world around them. Focusing on Iran this new book spotlights the ways Iran brings soft power to bear on neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan in shaping the cultural, economic and strategic relations in its immediate region.
- Howard Brasted, University of New England,
A fascinating study of the soft-hard power nexus that sheds light on how historical memories, language, culture, institutions and instruments of influence used by Iran have resulted in differing outcomes in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while enabling Tehran to recruit Shi’a youth in these two states to advance its strategic interests in the ‘Shi’ite crescent’.
- Samina Yasmeen, University of Western Australia,
Iran’s Soft Power in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a timely and insightful offering that sheds much needed light on Iranian relations with both of the other states [...] The book will certainly be a useful reference work for scholars interested in Iranian foreign policy and soft power.
- Edward Wastnidge, Open University, Middle East Journal
A valuable contribution to understanding the specifics and issues of Iran's soft power policies in individual countries, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan. The research value is enhanced by its use of not only existing theoretical literature and media publications but also data obtained from qualitative interviews.
- Artyom Tonoyan, Contemporary Eurasia
[T]his book offers a comprehensive and well-researched analysis of Iran’s complex relationships with its eastern neighbours through the lens of soft power. It will be of particular interest to scholars of Middle Eastern and South Asian politics, as well as to readers exploring the intersection of soft power, historical context, and regional geopolitics in a borderland shaped by both strategic commonalities and distinct security, political, and cultural tensions.
- Giorgia Perletta, European Review of International Studies
Soft power is not the exclusive preserve of superstates like the US and China in influencing the world around them. Focusing on Iran this new book spotlights the ways Iran brings soft power to bear on neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan in shaping the cultural, economic and strategic relations in its immediate region.
- Howard Brasted, University of New England,
A fascinating study of the soft-hard power nexus that sheds light on how historical memories, language, culture, institutions and instruments of influence used by Iran have resulted in differing outcomes in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while enabling Tehran to recruit Shi’a youth in these two states to advance its strategic interests in the ‘Shi’ite crescent’.
- Samina Yasmeen, University of Western Australia,
Iran’s Soft Power in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a timely and insightful offering that sheds much needed light on Iranian relations with both of the other states [...] The book will certainly be a useful reference work for scholars interested in Iranian foreign policy and soft power.
- Edward Wastnidge, Open University, Middle East Journal
A valuable contribution to understanding the specifics and issues of Iran's soft power policies in individual countries, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan. The research value is enhanced by its use of not only existing theoretical literature and media publications but also data obtained from qualitative interviews.
- Artyom Tonoyan, Contemporary Eurasia
[T]his book offers a comprehensive and well-researched analysis of Iran’s complex relationships with its eastern neighbours through the lens of soft power. It will be of particular interest to scholars of Middle Eastern and South Asian politics, as well as to readers exploring the intersection of soft power, historical context, and regional geopolitics in a borderland shaped by both strategic commonalities and distinct security, political, and cultural tensions.
- Giorgia Perletta, European Review of International Studies