My paper for the JGU-Leeds seminar series on Monday, 16 November 2020 explored the engagement of the Pakistani Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) with the Iranian Revolution. I argue that the Islamist JI was drawn to the events because it reflected a core concern and signature idea of its founder Abu ’l-Aʿla Maududi (d. 1979), namely to establish the sovereignty of God (hakimiyya) on earth. JI observers were deeply familiar with internal revolutionary dynamics and Iran’s Shiʿi identity. Yet, the prospect of seeing a proper Islamic system in action, with potentially global consequences for their cause, initially crowded out any sectarian concerns for the JI.
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