Seyyed Abbas Salehi, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in a speech to professors and students at the State University of Culture in St. Petersburg, explained the cultural components of Iran in confronting crises. He emphasized the importance of culture as a shield against external threats, mentioning four key assets of Iran: emotional solidarity, the role of women, historical memory, and spirituality.
The Role of Cultural Components in Iran's Stability
Salehi addressed a key question in this speech: "Why do some civilizations collapse in the face of crises while others not only resist but also emerge stronger from the crisis?" Referring to the historical experiences of Iran and Russia in facing multiple crises, he pointed to the role of cultural components in maintaining the stability of these two countries, stating: "Military power and material resources alone are not sufficient; it is the cultural and civilizational components that have accumulated over centuries."
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Emotional Solidarity and the Role of Women in Crises
The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance further discussed the cultural components of Iran in confronting contemporary crises, explaining that different cultural components are activated in each crisis. According to Salehi, in the face of threats, emotional solidarity is the first component that is employed. This solidarity is rooted in a culture of altruism and collective commitment, which has been reinforced in Persian literature and religious teachings.
He also pointed to the key role of women in creating this emotional solidarity, stating: "Iranian women are at the heart of this solidarity and play a crucial role in care, aid distribution, and rebuilding social relations." Salehi emphasized the importance of empowering women in crises, drawing on the experiences of Russian women during World War II, and proposed collaboration between Iran and Russia in this area.
Additionally, the historical memory of suffering and resistance was introduced as the third influential cultural component against external threats. Salehi noted that exchanging experiences in positively recounting historical memory could aid cultural cooperation between Iran and Russia.
He identified religion, spirituality, and mysticism as the fourth cultural component of Iranians in facing external threats, stating: "The religious, spiritual, and mystical teachings and traditions of Iran play a central role." According to Salehi, these components consider commitment to others and altruism as conditions of humanity and do not tolerate passivity and selfishness.
Cultural Components in Facing Sanctions
The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in another part of his speech, addressed the cultural components of Iran in confronting sanctions and the enemy's policy of economic isolation. Among these components are resilience and informal actions, the agency of youth and communication networks, knowledge and education institutions.
Salehi emphasized that Iranians have a great capacity to change their way of life and find alternative paths in conditions of scarcity and instability. He described this ability as "resilient informal economy," which is also reflected in Persian literature. He also proposed collaboration between Iran and Russia in this area.
In conclusion, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance suggested to the professors and students that they view the cultural dialogue between Iran and Russia not as a diplomatic project but as a strategic investment in shared resilience against future crises.
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