Shia Cleric: Reevaluating the West—A Prerequisite for Strategic and National Decision-Making
In an interview with Taghrib News Agency(TNA), he proposed that holding structured courses on Western thought for national decision-makers could prevent costly misjudgments and strengthen political rationality in international engagements.
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Sadat criticized what he described as a 150-year legacy of political and intellectual efforts to whitewash Western liberal democracy and justify the crimes of colonial powers such as the United States and the United Kingdom. “Like a corrosive virus,” he said, “Westernism and even West-worship have been passed down through generations—especially among the educated youth—undermining national identity and strategic clarity.”
He acknowledged that Iran’s Islamic Revolution awakened many from this ideological slumber, but lamented that in recent decades, a renewed inclination toward the West has emerged among some politicians and officials. “Due to superficial thinking and negligence,” he said, “negotiating with the West—even over our own legal and undeniable rights—has been falsely portrayed as the solution to economic, environmental, political, and security challenges.”
As a university professor and political analyst, Sadat argued that many lack a proper understanding of Western civilization, its political culture, and the philosophical underpinnings of liberal democracy. He cited key concepts such as humanism, secularism, liberalism, rationalism, positivism, globalization, and the ‘end of history’ thesis as areas where ignorance leads to strategic vulnerability. “This lack of insight,” he warned, “makes them susceptible to Western rhetoric and smiles—resulting in irreparable harm to their nations.”
Sadat concluded by recommending the establishment of continuous Western studies programs for all government officials. “Those who grasp the theoretical foundations of modern Western thought,” he said, “will engage with it in ways that protect their nation from material and spiritual losses—such as the failed JCPOA experience.”
He pointed to a decade of fruitless negotiations with Western powers, which not only inflicted heavy costs on Iran but also obstructed its progress. “In the end,” he said, “we returned to square one, facing snapback mechanisms and renewed pressure from European states. Sadly, this painful cycle continues.”
