Policy, Planning, and Translation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

A Case Study of the Revival of Islam in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

Authors

Abstract

The dissolution of the Soviet Union signaled the end of crackdown on Islam in the newly independent Republic of Azerbaijan. This created a space for major Muslim countries, especially Iran, to attempt to revive Islam in the secularized society through the supply of translated religious literature, among other means. Assuming this to be an act of culture planning, the present paper aims to study the Iranian culture planning through translation in post‑Soviet Azerbaijan. Using a bibliography of religious literature translated into Azerbaijani and published in Iran, an attempt is made to explore this case by analyzing the agents involved (translators and publishers), the titles translated and their intended functions, and the policies that guided this culture planning endeavor. We argue that the post-revolutionary Iranian (foreign) cultural policy of ‘Islamization’ was the guiding force behind the activity, which was primarily carried out by mostly (semi‑)private publishers and anonymous translators.

Keywords:

Translation policy, culture planning, politics, Islam, Iran, Azerbaijan

Author Biographies

Gholam-Reza Tajvidi, Allameh Tabataba’i University

Associate Professor, Department of English Translation Studies, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Ehsan Alipour, Allameh Tabataba’i University

Ph.D. Candidate in Translation Studies, Department of English Translation Studies, Allameh Tabataba’i University

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Published

2019-05-23

How to Cite

Tajvidi, G.-R., & Alipour, E. (2019). Policy, Planning, and Translation in the Islamic Republic of Iran: A Case Study of the Revival of Islam in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Iranian Journal of Translation Studies, 16(64), 44–60. Retrieved from https://journal.translationstudies.ir/ts/article/view/673

Issue

Section

Academic Research Paper