Speaking at the ‘Contemporary Iranian Studies’ conference, Salehi highlighted Iran’s pivotal role in shaping Islamic thought and preserving a distinct national culture over centuries, IRNA reported.
Salehi said Iran’s "cultural dynamism" has enabled the nation to absorb external pressures, from Mongol invasions to Western cultural influences, without losing its indigenous identity.
He cited classical poets such as Ferdowsi, Sa’adi, Hafez, and Rumi as reflections of Iran’s moderation and tolerance, which have guided interactions with other civilizations.
He stressed that Iran historically contributed to systematizing and spreading Islam. "When Islam arrived in Iran, Iranian scholars refined it and introduced it to the world," Salehi said, noting their work in historiography, grammar, and Islamic sciences.
Salehi also framed the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a cultural and intellectual milestone. At a time when secular ideologies dominated global discourse, he said the revolution restored religion to the center of public thought and inspired the creation of Islamic studies departments in Western universities.
Drawing on the insights of thinkers such as Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti, Edward Said, and Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Salehi emphasized that Iran is neither purely Eastern nor Western, but a "middle ground" balancing wisdom and rationality.
He concluded that Iran continues to have the historical capacity for cultural "purification and reconstruction," positioning the country as a potential hub for global dialogue and meaning-making in the contemporary era.
Caption
President of the Iranology Foundation Ali Akbar Salehi speaks at a gathering of scholars at the University of Tehran on October 27, 2025.
IRNA