Papers by Mehdi S . Shariati
Mehdi S. Shariati
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis... more Mehdi S. Shariati
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of Ashura, viewed from the distinctive perspective of the late Ali Shariati. Ashura marks a tragic event on the 10th day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar) in 680 A.D., when Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, along with his companions and family members, were killed by the forces of the Umayyad (“Islamic”) Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. The paper begins with an introduction and background overview that provides context for the event, then examines Shariati’s presentation of Ashura as a symbol of humanity’s continuous struggle for freedom and social justice. In this context, Ashura, symbolizing martyrdom, goes beyond being a single event confined to a specific time and place. This event has been consistently repeated throughout the long and often tumultuous course of human history, from Adam through Cain and Abel to modern times.
Neoliberalism, Capital Accumulation, and Austerity
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... and structural transformation of capitalism as an economic system and as an ideology has gene... more ... and structural transformation of capitalism as an economic system and as an ideology has generated considerable debate both with ... the author: Dr. Mehdi S. Shariati, Ph.D, is a professor of Economics, Sociology and Geography at Kansas City Kansas Community College. ...
KCKCC EJOURNAL, 2012
Abstract
Recent crisis in global capitalism has once again brought to the fore major structural c... more Abstract
Recent crisis in global capitalism has once again brought to the fore major structural contradictions and the consequences of these contradictions are reflected in the massive dislocation of the economy, growing number of (the) poor, concentration of wealth in the hands of a few around the globe, indebtedness, rampant speculation and an unprecedented concentration of financial capital at the expense of productive sector of the economy. The austerity program by which the global working class must endure has generated much social protests including "occupy Wall Street," but with very little discussion of an alternative to the current global system
KCKCC E-Journal, 2008
This paper examines US national debt and proposes that its causes are to be found in the politica... more This paper examines US national debt and proposes that its causes are to be found in the political and military imperatives structured into the accumulation dynamics of global capitalism. To that end four historically overlapping and essential components of the accumulation process; globalization, imperialism, militarism, and social imperialism will be analyzed. Accumulation strategies are at the same time imperialistic projects involving the internationalization of capital and production which in turn involves imperialism and militarism on a global scale.
This study introduces Ali Shariati's methodology in his approach to understanding religion as a s... more This study introduces Ali Shariati's methodology in his approach to understanding religion as a social phenomenon and an evaluation of religion as a potentially emancipatory force. It is our belief that Shariati's methodology is in the tradition of interpretive hermeneutics with built-in dialectical logic. His aim was to present an understanding of the world of phenomena by employing the medium of language and as a counterhegemonic interpretation of reality through radical textual reading. His emphasis on and the interpretation of religious texts-particularly Islam, affirms his belief in the emancipatory power of religion.
This review essay introduces two books by Mitri Raheb which ground the contemporary predicament ... more This review essay introduces two books by Mitri Raheb which ground the contemporary predicament of Palestine in its historical and structural context. Raheb challenges the uncritical historical, theological, and ethnographic narratives regarding Palestine and its peoples. He delves into the history of Palestine showing it to be much older than the history of the Bible, and "Israel." This version of history challenges the Eurocentric and deliberate misrepresentation and misreading of the bible by the traditional Christian theology, and variety of Christian and Jewish Zionists. As battleground between various empires for colonization, occupation, and control. Palestine as a multiethnic, multireligious, and multicultural land has survived the violence of competing empires and their theological constructs. The “Settler Colonial” design, however which began in the twentieth century with its own dehumanizing and demonizing language and analogies against the natives of Palestine is a refined version of the same script used by the Western colonial empires against Native Americans, and Africans, among others.
Big powers have repeatedly used the UN as the alleged voice of the so-called "international commu... more Big powers have repeatedly used the UN as the alleged voice of the so-called "international community" when formulating and implementing hegemonic global policies (including war and invasion) just to serve the interests of their own dominant classes. In recent years, various events around the world have shed light on the most powerful components of the United Nations --the Security Council, and the two affiliated agencies --International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The United Nations Security Council, which has remained totalitarian since its inception and its undemocratic veto system has served the interests of hegemonic powers, thereby causing severe global crises. This paper examines the link between global hegemonic policies and the United Nations Security Council, the IMF, and the World Bank.
From the First Industrial Revolution through the twentieth century, the global hierarchy of natio... more From the First Industrial Revolution through the twentieth century, the global hierarchy of nation states evolved. The contemporary pecking order includes social formations previously viewed as backward and underdeveloped. The twentieth century revolutions, particularly those in Russia and China, were national attempts at overcoming obstacles to development within a global system dominated by powerful neocolonial states. The organized struggle took a revolutionary socialist turn, confronting the old order with a promise of creating a condition not previously known to the masses. To that end various strategies as informed by Scientific Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism, Trotskyism, and Maoism, among others, were adopted by the two Revolutions-the Bolsheviks and the Communist Party of China under the banner of socialism. In both Russia and China the peasantry acted as the proletariat and the leaders as the vanguard revolutionaries. While Russia and its satellite countries and Soviets of post-October Revolution continued to maintain the anti-capitalist state ideology until the implosion, the People's Republic of China began reorienting its approach to the world from remaining behind the Great Wall to engaging with global capitalism-the bearer of technology and multifaceted power while maintaining its state ideology. The rise of China as the second superpower in a remarkably short period of time is owed much to the awareness of the leadership and structure that engaging with the world, particularly in the age of advanced robotics and internet, is the ultimate survival strategy. This strategy has produced positive results for China, and in the age of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has propelled it to a hegemonic position in the hierarchy of global capitalism. China provides an excellent context for assessing the
Book Review: Ali Shariati Expanding the Sociological Canon
Critical Research on Religion, Mar 23, 2022
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Papers by Mehdi S . Shariati
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of Ashura, viewed from the distinctive perspective of the late Ali Shariati. Ashura marks a tragic event on the 10th day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar) in 680 A.D., when Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, along with his companions and family members, were killed by the forces of the Umayyad (“Islamic”) Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. The paper begins with an introduction and background overview that provides context for the event, then examines Shariati’s presentation of Ashura as a symbol of humanity’s continuous struggle for freedom and social justice. In this context, Ashura, symbolizing martyrdom, goes beyond being a single event confined to a specific time and place. This event has been consistently repeated throughout the long and often tumultuous course of human history, from Adam through Cain and Abel to modern times.
Recent crisis in global capitalism has once again brought to the fore major structural contradictions and the consequences of these contradictions are reflected in the massive dislocation of the economy, growing number of (the) poor, concentration of wealth in the hands of a few around the globe, indebtedness, rampant speculation and an unprecedented concentration of financial capital at the expense of productive sector of the economy. The austerity program by which the global working class must endure has generated much social protests including "occupy Wall Street," but with very little discussion of an alternative to the current global system
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of Ashura, viewed from the distinctive perspective of the late Ali Shariati. Ashura marks a tragic event on the 10th day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar) in 680 A.D., when Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, along with his companions and family members, were killed by the forces of the Umayyad (“Islamic”) Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah. The paper begins with an introduction and background overview that provides context for the event, then examines Shariati’s presentation of Ashura as a symbol of humanity’s continuous struggle for freedom and social justice. In this context, Ashura, symbolizing martyrdom, goes beyond being a single event confined to a specific time and place. This event has been consistently repeated throughout the long and often tumultuous course of human history, from Adam through Cain and Abel to modern times.
Recent crisis in global capitalism has once again brought to the fore major structural contradictions and the consequences of these contradictions are reflected in the massive dislocation of the economy, growing number of (the) poor, concentration of wealth in the hands of a few around the globe, indebtedness, rampant speculation and an unprecedented concentration of financial capital at the expense of productive sector of the economy. The austerity program by which the global working class must endure has generated much social protests including "occupy Wall Street," but with very little discussion of an alternative to the current global system