Publications

Payam Mohseni and Mohammad Sagha

For hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world, including in the West, the Hidden Imam is at the heart of Islam. While those with some background in the study of the faith may have heard of this belief, its core centrality in the Islamic tradition is generally not recognized or properly understood. To address the gap in knowledge on this issue, the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center has produced the present report, entitled The Hidden Imam and the End of Time: A Primer on the Mahdi, Islamic Theology, and Global Politics, to raise awareness on the concept, meaning, and significance of the Hidden Imam for scholars, policymakers, and broader public audiences alike.

Mohammad Sagha (Editor)

Shi'a-Sunni relations are among some of the most important dynamics in the Islamic world. The taqrib movement was the twentieth century's most significant iteration of Shi’a-Sunni ecumenical relations and peacebuilding in the Middle East, resulting in a sustained scholarly dialogue, joint publications, and flourishing engagement with contemporary and classical Islamic sources. This report -- "Legacies of Islamic Ecumenicism: Taqrib, Shi'a-Sunni Relations, and Globalized Politics in the Middle East" -- focuses on the taqrib movement by featuring several articles by leading scholars in academia as well as by Sunni and Shi’a clergymen whose careers intimately involve them in Shi’a-Sunni dialogue. 

Payam Mohseni and Hassan Ahmadian

Iran has been a critical player in the Syrian war since 2011, crafting a complex foreign policy and military strategy to preserve its Syrian ally. What have been the drivers of Iranian decision-making in this conflict? And how has Iranian strategy evolved over the course of the war? This article argues that the logic of deterrence has been fundamental not just for shaping the contours of Iran–Syria relations since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, but also for determining the overall trajectory of Iranian strategy in the Syrian war. 

Read the full article here.

Hassan Ahmadian and Payam Mohseni

Iran's strategy with respect to Saudi Arabia is a key factor in the complex balance of power of the Middle East as the Iranian–Saudi rivalry impacts the dynamics of peace and conflict across the region from Yemen to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain. What is Iranian strategic thinking on Saudi Arabia? And what have been the key factors driving the evolution of Iranian strategy towards the Kingdom? In what marks a substantive shift from its previous détente policy, we argue that Tehran has developed a new containment strategy in response to the perceived threat posed by an increasingly pro-active Saudi Arabia in the post-Arab Spring period.

Read the full article here.