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The Representation of Islam and Shi’ism in Persian-Language Newspapers in Egypt (Hekmat, Kamal, and Chehreh-Nama)
With an Emphasis on the Influence of Egypt’s Conditions
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Azra Irandoost   , Maryam Azizian * , Abbas Sarafrazi |
| Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , maryamazizian@um.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (378 Views) |
During the Qajar era, some newspapers such as Hekmat, Kamal, and Chehreh-Nama were among the journals published by Iranian modernists in Egypt. The present research seeks to understand the impact of the political and cultural conditions of the geographical environment of Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and Iran on how these Iranian-born Shi’a journalists confronted the issue of religion and denomination. Accordingly, the primary research question addressed herein is: What similarities and differences are observed in the representation of Islam and Shi’ism in the Persian-language newspapers of Egypt (Hekmat, Kamal, and Chehreh-Nama) during the pre-Constitutional period (1906 AD), and what were the underlying reasons for this? The results of this descriptive-analytical study indicate that under the influence of increasing pressure from Europe and Russia, as well as the rise of Pan-Islamist thought and Islamic modernism—particularly the ideas of Abduh in Egypt—the editors of these three newspapers perceived the world of Islam as their homeland and viewed the Shi’a denomination as an integral part of this entity. In an effort to address the weaknesses of this "homeland," they identified a "renewed focus on Islam," "unity of Islamic states," "science and education," and "the development of industry and economy" as the key factors of "progress." Consequently, the editors of these journals made strenuous efforts to overcome the contemporary Sunni-Shi’a sectarianism, driven by the necessity of achieving "unity" against Christian states.
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| Keywords: Qajar-era newspapers, Hekmat, Kamal, Chehreh-Nama, Islam, Shi’ism. |
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Full-Text [PDF 2695 kb]
(72 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
History of Iran / Contemporary History
Received: 2025/08/16 | Revised: 2026/06/21 | Accepted: 2025/12/1 | Published: 2026/03/1 | ePublished: 2026/03/1
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