Iran's Influence: A Religious-Political State and Society in its Region

by Elaheh Rostami-Povey

There is a saying in Arabic, me and my brother against my cousin, and me and my cousin against the outsider.

Iran's Influence is the first comprehensive analysis of the role that Iran plays both in Middle Eastern and global politics. Expert Iranian author Elaheh Rostami Povey provides a much-needed account of one of the Middle East's most controversial and misunderstood countries. Based on several years of original research carried out in Iran and across the Middle East, this insightful guide presents not only a fascinating introduction to the country, but also essential new ideas to help the reader understand the Middle East.

280 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2010

About the author

Elaheh Rostami-Povey is a Development Studies lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her areas of specialisation are gender issues in Iran and Afghanistan. She is the author of Women, Work and Islamism: Ideology and Resistance in Iran. This book was published by Zed Books in 1999 under her pen name Maryam Poya. This book was then translated into Farsi and published in Iran in 2001 under her own name. She has also written on feminisms and women's NGOs in Iran and on Afghan women in diaspora and their experience of war, conflict and foreign invasion.

Reviews

[Ashraf Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

في البداية اعتقدت أن الكتاب هو مجرد محاولة لتفخيم إيران وتحسين صورتها
ثم بدأت أراه موضوعيا بدرجة كبيرة وإن كان إنتماء الكاتبة لإيران يغلب على
موضوعيتها أحيانا.
يعرفك الكتاب أولا على تاريخ إيران الحديث ثم ينتقل إلى الثورة الايرانية
كيف بدأت الثورة وأسباب ثورة الشعب ضد الشاه كيف انتقل الحكم للاسلامين
المحافظين ومحاولات مقرطة المجتمع الايراني والتغلب على المحافظين.
ثم ينتقل الكتاب إلى تناول علاقة إيران بكل من سوريا والعراق وفلسطين
ومصر قبل وبعد الثورة الايرانية وتأثير إيران في منطقة الشرق الأوسط
ودورها في مواجهة هيمنة أمريكا واسرائيل على المنطقة.
الكتاب به بعض المعلومات التي قد تكون غير دقيقة أحيانا نظر لأن الكاتبة
تعتمد على آراء بعض النشطاء في كل دولة وتتعامل مع هذه الآراء على
على أنها حقيقة مطلقة.

[Mohanad Agha · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب قيم وواقعي يعكس صراعات الشرق

[Vehêl Gelnaskî · Rating 4 out of 5]

و كأن الكاتبة تحاول تبرير بعض تصرفات المحافظين الإيرانيين تجاه الغرب، في حين كان بالإمكان دراسة الحالة من جميع الجوانب (الجيوستراتيجية و تعدد الاثني في ايران).

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a good book. It is not very indept, but it gives a good survey of Iran's relations with many of the countries in the region. I initially wanted to only read the chapter on Hezbollah, but then I read the chapter on Iraq, then on Palestine, etc....so I am not reading it cover to cover, but whatever chapter calls my attention more, but I guess I will end up reading the whole book as it gives very good info I had no idea before.....That's the thing about books. Before you read, you think you know it all, but once you start reading you realize how many important details you didn't know or how many thing you "knew" wrongly. Or how many wrong assumptions you had.....This is not a very in dept book, but it does give some good grounding of understanding the Middle East a bit better....not to mention that it's an easy read.