Fundamentalism in Iranian Kurdistan and its others: a critical discourse analysis

Salehipour, Farhad, Seyed Hossein Serajzadeh, and Kamal Khaleghpanah. 2026. “Fundamentalism in Iranian Kurdistan and Its Others: A Critical Discourse Analysis.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, February, 1–21. doi:10.1080/13530194.2026.2632201. Abstract: Although Islamist movements in the Middle East share certain similarities, their diversity and divergences are closely tied to their specific social, historical, and political contexts. This qualitative study, focusing on Iranian Kurdistan and employing critical discourse analysis, examines the construction of ‘others’ within fundamentalist discourse. To this end, 20 speeches delivered by representatives of fundamentalism in Kurdistan were analysed to uncover the mechanisms of othering and its effects on the social and political sphere. The findings indicate that fundamentalism constructs two categories of others: intra-religious others and extra-religious (secular) others. It may be argued that the process of othering in this discourse not only fails to secure the social and political interests of the Kurds but also fragments Kurdish society by excluding its discursive plurality. Through its particular interpretation of religion, this discourse seeks to reshape Kurdish society under signifiers such as the ummah, the caliphate, and transnational thought. Such an approach transforms fundamentalist discourse into a tool for legitimizing regional hegemonic powers—including dominant nationalisms and mainstream Islamisms—while simultaneously articulating discursive antagonism in Kurdistan in ways that further subalternize the Kurdish lifeworld and reproduce domination across multiple dimensions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit necropolitics.substack.com