Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

Supplementary Governance in Ashura Rituals: Identity Reproduction and Social Cohesion Engineering in Post-Revolutionary Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 National Defense University
2 Assistant Professor and Faculty Member, Amin University of Law Enforcement Sciences
3 PhD in Cultural Systems Engineering, Imam Hossein (AS) University. Tehran. Iran
4 Faculty member, Imam Hussein (AS) University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study aims to delineate the mechanisms of adjunct governance in Ashura rituals and to analyze its role in the reproduction of Islamic-Iranian identity and the engineering of social cohesion. The field data were gathered from three main sources: in-depth interviews with 30 managers of Muharram Committees and religious councils, participatory observations in 15 key rituals such as Arbaeen processions and mourning groups in Tehran and Mashhad, and analysis of high-level documents including the cultural policies of the Muharram Committee. The findings reveal a tri-layer model of “Integrated Ritual Governance.” In its infrastructural layer, it presents a governance network composed of official bodies (Muharram Committees) and unofficial entities (councils) employing discursive regulatory mechanisms (such as emphasizing Islamic unity) and symbolic capital investment. In the process layer, identity reproduction is demonstrated through ritual embodiment (collective physical experiences in ceremonies such as chain-striking), integrated narrative construction (blending the symbols of Ashura and the Sacred Defense), and discursive boundary formation (the rhetorical contrast of “Hossein versus Yazid”). Finally, in the outcome layer, social cohesion is engineered through trust-network building within councils, reconciliation in multicultural regions (e.g., joint Shia–Sunni ceremonies in Zahedan), and crisis resilience via converting committees into spontaneous relief structures. A major study challenge is the temporal rupture of ritual effects beyond Muharram, prompting proposals for institutionalizing inter-ritual programs such as committee camps. This study, by offering an indigenous model, represents an effective step toward generating beneficial knowledge in religious governance as envisioned in the Second Step of the Islamic Revolution.
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