Cultural Defence

• Bruce 2002: religion is a form of cultural defense to protect against an external threat
• Poland: 

  • Catholic church embodied polish national identity 
  • Fall of Soviet Poland in 1989 
  • Solidarnosc 
  • Catholicism major player in Poland’s politics since
• Iran: 

  • Western powers and oil conglomerates overthrew democratic govt in 1950s 
  • Installed pro-western regime under Shah of Iran 
  • Successor embarked on policy of modernisation 
  • Sparked backlash in 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini 
  • Imposed Sharia law
• Haynes: Iranian resolutions atypical as it was led by religious leaders