Spektrum Iran

Abstrakt Amid intensifying global environmental crises, growing scholarly attention has turned to the role of religion in shaping pro-environmental behavior. This study compares the influence of Islamic and Christian teachings on environmental behavior among Muslims in Iran (N = 442) and Christians in Germany (N = 58), using a researcher-designed questionnaire and nonparametric statistical methods, including direct cross-national comparison of key associations. Among Iranian Muslims, religiosity and religious socialization were positively associated with pro-environmental behavior and a sense of environmental responsibility, underscoring the ethical potential of Islamic concepts such as khilafah (stewardship), the sacredness of creation, and moral responsibility toward nature. However, religiosity was negatively related to general environmental awareness and showed no significant association with low-consumption practices or beliefs about the harms of consumerism. Moreover, religious institutions and leaders in Iran were perceived as playing a limited role in environmental engagement. Among Christians in Germany, institutional religiosity showed no significant relationship with environmental behavior, awareness, or responsibility, while pro-environmental behavior was shaped primarily by secular norms, environmental education, and civic culture. Direct cross-national comparisons confirmed that the association between religiosity and both environmental behavior and religious awareness was significantly stronger in Iran than in Germany, whereas the relationship between environmental behavior and religious socialization was comparably strong in both countries.

The findings demonstrate that religion’s influence on environmental behavior is context-dependent and mediated by cultural, institutional, and social conditions. In Iran, religion remains closely connected to collective identity and moral socialization, while in Germany environmental values are largely embedded in secular institutions and civic culture. The study concludes that religious traditions can contribute to sustainability when their ethical resources are effectively connected with contemporary ecological knowledge and social practices.

Abstrakt This summary, drawn from various chapters and reports, provides a comprehensive depiction of the Safavid era in Iran and its impact on religious culture, society, and daily life. The establishment of the Safavid government in the 16th century laid the foundation for a new era in Iran characterized by political stability and religious tolerance. European travelers Olearius and Kaempfer played a crucial role in conveying the image of Iran to Europe, leading to a broader understanding of Iranian culture and religion. Religious culture was deeply embedded in the daily lives of people, influencing burial rituals, educational institutions, and religious festivals and ceremonies. The connection between religion, society, and politics was strong, with religious authorities playing significant roles in administration and the legal system. The diversity of religious practices and beliefs was reflected in reports on superstition, astrology, and social norms. These reports also highlighted the tensions and differences between various religious groups, particularly between Shiites and Sunnis, as well as the relationship between Christianity and Safavid Iran. These relationships were shaped by religious differences, political influences, and social norms. Overall, the reports by Olearius and Kaempfer underscore the deep connection between religion and culture in the Safavid era and how it influenced societal life and the perception of Iran in Europe. This comprehensive depiction contributes to a better understanding of this historical period and lays the groundwork for further investigations into German Orientalism and religious culture in Safavid Iran.

Abstrakt Women's hiddenness has a long history in the Islamic world and the orient.
Women have been clothed and hidden and in terms of social distancing, somehow kept at home and away from society. Although it was not always like this, and there are some women who are Muslims but don't observe the hijab. In this research we adopted a sociological and semiotic approach towards hijab and its significance in different eras according to religious criteria. The method of research is a descriptive-analytical one.
We have looked at different documents to gather data, as well as journals and websites devoted to this issue. First, we have a theoretical discussion about clothing and creation of meaning and clothing as a social act. Then we looked at hijab and its symbolic development. Has the social interpretation of hijab led to different reactions across different social and cultural contexts? The research shows that Islamic societies have sometimes gone astray from what the Quran teaches about the hiddenness of women and taken on new conceptions. But has this led to a reinforcement of patriarchy?