Role of Religion in Expansion of Sphere of Influence Case Study: of Shiism and Iran

The major thrust of the present paper is to study the role of religion in the expansion of sphere influence of a country. What is meant by religion is an spectrum of beliefs, interests, inclinations, and ideals of the people and officials of a country as well as the activities and functions that are religious or are formed with the support of religious beliefs. What is meant by sphere of influence is the spaces that are created for the visible and invisible presence of country enabling it to promote its values. The present paper is an attempt to study the role of Shiism for Iran's role in international arena after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.