فصلنامه آفاق امنیت
پیاپی 19 (تابستان 1392)

Domestic security is a level of national security which is unfortunately less discussed in security literature. Accordingly, this paper tries to answer the following questions, adopting the political sociological approach, and relying on library studies. What are factors which affect the domestic security? What should political systems do in order to strengthen their political stability and decrease threats against their domestic security? Regarding the discourse of security, this paper introduces domestic security in the context of a political system which seeks to enhance peace and satisfaction among its citizens; therefore, it considers domestic security as the result of reciprocal interaction between society and political system. Accordingly, ‘political legitimacy’ is a key word in explaining the factors affecting the domestic security. The current paper tries to explain the status and role of ‘political legitimacy’, have a macro-level analysis of its dimensions, and explicate other factors affecting the domestic security. In this level of analysis, the concept of ‘political legitimacy’ possess two theoretical (subjective) and practical (objective) dimensions. The theoretical dimension presents the system’s ability-political ideology and mechanisms of recognizing the society-to produce and reproduce social values and beliefs which are aligned with the political values and beliefs. Its practical dimension discusses the practical results of the political system and its benefits to people. The practical dimension studies two factors of “efficiency” and “accountability” in strengthening the legitimacy of political system, and consequently heightening security inside the country. Significantly, apart from discussing the factors affecting the domestic security, the paper explains the security challenges of each factor in domestic security.

Some scholars draw the historical trends of Islamic civilization thus: “Islamic civilization grew from 1st to 5th century AH، and then it gradually declined. After Mongol invasion، it had a deathlike decline and its main elements of political and cultural grandeur was wholly destroyed. However، it did not become extinct and grew again. In the second phase of its growth، which lasted from the last decade of 7th century AH to the end of 11th century AH، the biggest empires in the world، including Iranian Empire، Ottoman Empire، and Indian Empire، were founded in the Muslim World. This phase of growth began to decline again، from the beginning of 12th century AH to the middle of 13th century AH، and now، every corner of the Muslim World has seen Islamic Awakening.” Currently، Muslim groups are the most active political movements in the world. The main reason for their activity، which is serious and comprehensive، is their enlightenment. They have become aware of backwardness and shortcomings in the Muslim World. This enlightenment has inspired them to move and further try in recent century. This is the phenomenon which is called Islamic Awakening. Islamic Awakening is a phenomenon which involves events affecting the security of the Muslim World; therefore، it is necessary to study it further. This paper tries to examine and analyze the terminology of Islamic Awakening and discuss it as a factor of the security situation in the Muslim World. The terminology of Islamic Awakening، its nature، objectives، and criteria are the main subjects of study in this paper.

The main objective of this paper is to study and analyze the ontology and nature of Islamic Awakening and its impact on power relations in the international system, at two regional and international levels. The main question in this research is “which level of international system is or will be changed by Islamic Awakening?” In other words, “will Islamic Awakening cause the international system to change, or will it cause a change within the international system?” The main hypothesis in this research is “Islamic Awakening has made a change in regional and transregional inter/ intra-state power relations. If the policy of hijacking Islamic Awakening and making crisis in Syria by the West were not like a scar on the body of Islamic Awakening, it would entail a structural change in the regional and transregional relations and systems. Anyway, the regional and internal power formation in the Middle East is experiencing a period of transition towards stability. Therefore, Islamic Awakening, along with its internal and peripheral properties cause the formation of a new bloc of powers, which will cause a change in the power relations (unjust distribution and formation of new allies) in the international system. The methodology of this research, which is historical-analytical and descriptive-explanative, adopts a combination of interdisciplinary concepts in disciplines like strategic studies, analysis of foreign policy, comparative policy and national security policy-making, and the issue of human rights. The paper also utilized library sources, including books and articles, as well as Internet sources.

Considering the importance of Western Asia as well as the critical events and changes happening there in recent years, Turkey and other players’ roles in this region’s political and security future is effectively important. The main question of the paper is “what are the implications’ of Turkey’s increase of regional power in the Eastern Mediterranean for the national interests of the Islamic republic of Iran?” Research findings suggest that in the previous decade, Turkey’s regional power has increased. Turkey has had the resources to influence and seek its policies in the most of the regional events and processes. Turkey’s policies have endangered the Islamic Republic’s national interests in the region. These policies include: playing the role of a leader and developing to a regional reference by hosting various meetings and negotiations, like negotiations on Iran’s nuclear energy program, becoming a mediator in the so-called Israeli-Arab peace talks as well as in public events and revolutions inside the regional countries, offering an alternative model of administration, forming a new axis against Iran beside the US, western and Arab countries in order to disturb the strategic balance in the region, weakening the Islamic Resistance axis by weakening Syria as the main player of this axis, trying to decrease the Islamic Republic’s strategic depth, increasing military and security threats against Iran via Israel and its western supporters, and adopting pro-western approaches. Apparently, Turkey’s continuing such a trend will bring about the decrease of the Islamic Republic’s regional power and its ideological influence in the region.

Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which resulted in the collapse of Baati Regime, Iraq has entered a new era, the main characteristics which was the rise of new internal players to power. Accordingly, this paper tries to identify the internal players in the Iraqi political structure and their impact on the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Therefore, the following question is raised in the paper: “what is the impact of the internal players’ presence on the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran?” Considering to the nature and genre of the issue, this research answers the above question by adopting a descriptive-analytical methodology and relying on the library data and information.

The usual changes in the countries turn into strategic changes when the players’ essential values alter, that is, variables like sovereignty, social solidarity, and the political regime are completely changed by internal forces. Accordingly, in the last days of 2013, the issue of Kirkuk and its future turned into a controversial issue again, and a group of internal, regional, and international players took positions on the nature of the crisis in Kirkuk and its destiny in the future. After the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in 2011, the main speculation was that Iraq would face a critical security vacuum. All eyes were on the logics of the players in the formation of Iraq’s political life in the future. Currently, assuming that the issue of Kirkuk is the core of internal and regional players’ identity and economic interests, this raises the following questions: “what are the controversial and problematic issues about Kirkuk?. Firstly, protracting Kirkuk crisis depends on the value of the issue. The economic and identity value of Kirkuk is so high that none of the sides involved in the issue make a compromise. Secondly, contrary to the previous decades, in the light of important discourses such as human rights and anti-segregation, even the weakest minorities feel they are able to survive and choose their own lifestyle. Finally, we should discuss the conflicting interests of various powers, who consider that their rivals’ win is their defeat. They want the current issue to continue. Furthermore, the gradual increase of central government’s (Baghdad) influence and the growing self-assurance in Kurdistan are new variables, which have made the future of Kirkuk blurred.