Legal Recognition of Citizenship in Iran after the Revolution: Law or Culture? Uncovering the Missing Key

The post-revolutionary landscape of citizenship in Iran offers itself to multifaceted examination. This article aims to scrutinize the status of citizenship within the Islamic Republic of Iran through a legal-political lens, drawing on the tenets of modern citizenship. To achieve this, it places substantial emphasis on the constitution and its nuanced aspects, ultimately posing the question: Is the constitution the absent linchpin in post-revolutionary Iranian citizenship? The findings of this study reveal that while the Iranian Constitution encompasses elements of modern citizenship, it is riddled with fundamental issues, notably the dearth of transparency and inclusivity. However, the crux of the challenge lies within the realm of "culture" – the normative underpinnings of daily life. This entails that the failure to recognize differences and the perpetuation of violence against others constitute cardinal obstacles to the institutionalization of citizenship within Iranian society. Consequently, fostering citizenship in Iranian society hinges, above all else, on embracing others and eradicating violence from the overarching culture of the nation. A pivotal aspect in comparing the emergence of Iranian citizenship with its Western counterpart is its historical genesis intertwined with economic, legal, and cultural interplays among social strata.