JOURNAL OF DEFENSE POLICY
Year:2014 | Volume:22 | Issue:1 (86)|Papers Count:7

A "Geographical region" is a geographical space or span which includes maximum of homogeneity, resemblance and integrity from human and natural phenomena and factors point of view. Concept of "region" is of great importance in political geography and is applied to a group of countries enjoying highest amount of similar and common factors such as natural, cultural, political and economic ones .It is said that these linking factors should differentiate one region from the other regions and environments. This paper, considering some geographical properties for the concept of Umm al-Qura (the Mother of Cities), which is a Quranic concept, tries to make it adaptable with "Region", regional system in political geography and consider it within a framework of regionalism and regional system with their own cultural, political and economic characteristics. This paper, through a qualitative descriptive-analytic method along with library way of data gathering from among books and specialized articles. The main question is: "Can the idea of Umm al-Qura be considered as a pattern and basis for regionalism? Taking its geographical properties into account, our hypothesis is: "Islamic Umm al-Qura can be a basis and system for regional convergence.

Soft power as one the characteristics of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, theoretically and practically has had considerable impacts on both regional and Int' l political developments. Signs of this impression, can be taken into account in the process of emergence and activation of Islamic fundamentalist movement, formation of liberation ones as well as developing, continue and promoting of Middle East and north African Islamic Awakening. The main idea of the present paper is: "what impacts has soft power of Islamic Revolution of Iran had on the revolutions of the Middle East and North Africa"? Responding to above question, hypothesis of this research is: ' Regarding the overlap of the Iranian revolution's soft power in the region with the nature of Middle East revolutionary developments, Islamic revolution's inspiration is inevitable ".This paper enjoys a descriptive analytic method and its data are gathered according to library research method.

What has entered the literature related to policy and government in the Middle East under the title of Islamic Awakening or Arab Spring, and paved the way for the toppling of totalitarian governments united with the West in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and shook the bases of Arabic dictatorships throughout the world, have more or less things in common which originate from the Islamic and Arabic identity in these countries. However, various internal factors and the often different interests of the regional countries and international actors have caused the weakness and strength as well as the type of these developments in each country to undergo changes that differ from those in other countries. This writing tries to address how circumstances are in Bahrain. Therefore the question posed by this article is that “how are the circumstances in Bahrain with regard to the causes of Islamic Awakening and the collapse of the dictatorial rulers in Arabic countries and in comparison with other Arab countries?” The crucial question is: Will to overthrow of the kingdom Islamic Awakening in Bahrain lead? Based on the above question, the main hypothesis of this paper is: Due to its different and multiple religious context and interests of countries like US and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is experiencing quite different circumstances amongst its Shiite majority Protests to Al Khalifa regime during its Islamic Awakening? In spite of all out suppress of Bahrain protests, it seems that Al Khalifa regime is reviving its nearly gone validity among the protesting Shiite majority. This paper uses a descriptive-analytic method.

It can be argued that Iran, Syria and Hezbollah axis is the only coalition that has confronted the U.S. objectives in the Middle East. Considering the fact that the United States has attached much importance to its interests in the Middle East, the present article seeks to answer this question: To what extent has Iran, Syria and Hezbollah axis affected the U.S. interests in the Middle East after 11 September? The result of the research indicates that this axis-as the only opposing force against the U.S. presence in the region- has played a considerable role in increasing the costs and decreasing the U.S. interests in the region by adopting policies and actions including opposing the Zionist regime, opposing the Arabic conservatism, opposing the US presence, considering oil as a tool for applying pressure upon the West, supporting the Palestinian cause, accepting the forgotten role played by people in determining their destiny, the fact that the Shiite minorities have achieved power in alternative democracies, and the revitalization of religious thinking and Islamic movements in the form of Islamic awakening in the public opinion of the region’s people.

Along with considerable opportunities that exist for Iran to have strategic depth in Azerbaijan, there are major challenges in this way as well. The Aim of this paper is to survey these opportunities and challenges in the Republic of Azerbaijan after its independence in 1991. Through a descriptive-analytic method, this paper tries to answer a crucial question: What kind of opportunities are there in Azerbaijan republic for Iran's favorite process? What challenges are there in this way? The results of the study show that there are positive responses to above questions. But in practice, Iran hasn' t been able to seize these opportunities neither to overcome the challenges to have its strategic influence there. Among many internal and environmental challenges of Azerbaijan for Iran's influence, we can refer to its sovereignty system, mental ideological and political impressions, and the ever increasing presence of regional and meta-regional players in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In Islam, defense and security are among the first duties of the government. To accomplish this crucial task, states apply various methods in obtaining and educating human power among which military service is a very old and common one. However, history of military service in Islam still is a non-clarified issue. What is the idea of holy prophet and his household on military service as it is done in Iran? Is it sacred or not? These questions are not answered clearly yet. This article, through a descriptive-analytic method is to verify the before-gone issue according to Quranic verses and Imam Ali's ideas in Nahjolbalagheh.

Iran's Islamic Revolution because of issuing new ideas, managed to have a considerable impact on its surrounding environment. regional and Int' l negative and destructive reactions to Iran's Islamic Revolution depicts its meta natural nature in the best way among which was Iraqi invasion to Iran as a substitute war on behalf of both regional and Int' l states. Based on this idea, to shed light on this issue, writers try to answer the following question: Why was Iraqi invasion to Iran a beginning and continuation with the protection of regional and meta-regional states as well as silence and inaction of Int' l community? In other words, what factors justify Iraqi invasion to Iran as well as an unwritten alliance of both regional and meta- regional states to protect Iraqi regime? Our hypothesis is: " Due to enjoying a very powerful idea of political Islam as well as the fact that Iraqi community, in particular and the whole region in general, were vulnerable to political Islamic ideas which provided a ground for its acceptance among Muslim communities, Islamic political idea could distort the power balance between Iran and Iraq from one side and other aspects of power distribution in regional and meta-regional states from the other side. Applying a combination of historical analytical method, this paper tries to verify above-gone issues.