Eurasian Studies Balkans, Anatolia, Iran, Caucasus and Central Asia Studies Notebooks

Series | Eurasian Studies
Edited book | Borders
Chapter | Marginalia on the Idea of Boundary and the Discourse on Identity in Iran

Marginalia on the Idea of Boundary and the Discourse on Identity in Iran

Abstract

The paper focuses on the theme of Iran and the frontier through five interconnected conceptual lenses, namely the broad notions of identity and identifications, the dyad Muslim/Persian and its relation with the third key denomination of ‘Arab’, the acculturative space of language, the meaningful role of the Ahl al-bayt and the Sayyids, and, finally, the meaningful polysemic place of waṭan, whose Western translation as ‘homeland’ notoriously posits several problems. More in general, a critical treatment of the all-seasons contrast between ‘centre’ and ‘periphery’ marks the whole discussion.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Language: en

Keywords FrontierDiasporaSayyids


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