Spektrum Iran

Abstract In the vast part of Iran, water and water supply system have been one of the vital issues for generations. Hence, in many historic cities of Iran, there were precise water supply systems, whose study of evolution could be of great importance to Iranian studies' researchers. Qanats have a great contribution to the development of the cities in Iran, especially the desert cities. Kashan is one of the cities whose qanats and reservoirs have been mentioned in travel books and historical books. In the present paper, the status of Kashan pipelines and reservoirs in travel books, and their development and com-pletion in the course of history are explained. The present situation of these water supply systems, based on written sources, maps and sources of oral history is studied as well.

Abstract This paper focuses on the history and content analysis of Šokūfe - the second journal of Iranian women - which was published in the late Qajar period (1330 to 1334 AH/ 1911-1915). Its editor-in-chief was Maryam ‘Amīd Semnānī (Mozayyan ol-Salṭaneh), who was one of the pioneers in the areas of girls' education, women and children's health, and women's cultural and social issues. Mozayyan ol-Salṭaneh was the founder of the "Muzayyanīye" school and the "Hemmat-e Khawātīn" association, both of which are reflect-ed in editorials and reports of Šokūfeh. The content analysis of Šokūfeh seeks to provide a quantitative and qualitative picture of the intentions, goals, and actions of the editor-in-chief and writers of the journal, as well as the wishes and activities of Iranian women in line with the social changes of late Qajar period.

Abstract This article deals with language gendering, a topic often and emotionally debated in Germany. It will in this context be applied to the Persian lan-guage to reflect the situation in Iran. The main question is: how gender bal-anced is the Persian in Iran, i. e. how compatible/revealing is Persian with/concerning the gender issue on the linguistic, cultural and political level? The actual reason for dealing with this controversial, but also current topic is to be found in the differing anthropological self-images being (re-)produced with respective cultural, educational and gender policies of both Iran as a religious democracy on the one hand and of Germany as a secular democracy on the other hand. It seems that language gendering is a field, on which leftish liberal democratic circles – ignoring critical voices from the so called conservative layers of the society - try to create a new human race being defined beyond the category of gender identity, which is the exact opposite model of the Islamic Republic of Iran´s, which has always been considered as regressive and outdated. The author represents a critical view on language gendering since it neighbors on language ideology. Thereby it is not claimed that gender discrimination does not exist. The real question should be: how relevant is language correction for facing real existing gen-der inequality.

Abstract The translation of Hafiz's Divan, which is rightly presented as a treasure trove of Iranian cultural memory, seems to be a difficult, if not impossible task. The prerequisite for a precise and comprehensive understanding of Hafiz’s poems is to enter the world of his thoughts, and recognize the tradi-tion and cultural context of his time. Joachim Wohlleben (1936-2004), the German philosopher and professor of literature at Free University of Berlin, presented a new translation of Hafiz's Divan into German in 2004. In his translation, Wohlleben endeavors to transform the poetry into prose, so that what he names a “sober translation” appears, without any priority to the form of Ghazal, in which the essence and the content of Hafiz's thoughts and ideas becomes understandable to the German audience. This article attempts to critically examine the mentioned assertion with particular em-phasis on ideas of Western thinkers such as Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, and with special regard to the rhetorical theories of ʻAbd al-Qāher al-Ğorğānī.

Abstract For the Byzantine-Christian theologian and mystic Gregorios Palamas, one of the most important proponents of Hesychasm, and the Islamic mystic and Sufi master, Ibn'Arabī, the knowledge of God's reality refers only to the divine energies or qualities, and not to the inaccessible and hidden nature of God, which transcends all being and thus also all knowledge in unspeaka-ble ways. The divine essence and the divine energies or properties, howev-er, are not separated from each other, but only distinguished within the divine reality; and, despite this difference, they form an indissoluble unit. These doctrines of divine difference form the basis for their mystical vision of God in both Gregorios Palamas and Ibn'Arabī. In this paper, the princi-ples of these teachings are presented and compared. The juxtaposition should above all serve the purpose of mutual elucidation. It should be not-ed that these two mystics belong to different religions and thus to different revelatory circles, which may not be compared externally. Rather, it is about showing the inner structure of the inner divine distinction between divine essence and divine energies or properties of Gregorios Palamas and Ibn'Arabī in their fundamental importance for the correctness of the spiritu-al path to the divine vision with a view to the inner and transcendent unity of religions.

Abstract Much is being done in the US and Europe to make a hostile image of Islam. The Hungarian Prime Minister refers to the Christian West and the fear of the "Islamization of Europe" to justify why Hungary absorbs zero refugees. Thus, lack of solidarity is declared by them in the form of fear of another religion. US President is also diligently building up his hostile image of Islam, and Iran in particular. Therefore, it is time to treat the question of religions theologically. In this paper the real opinions of religions are stud-ied to step toward peace and solidarity among their followers.