Iranian Muslim Research Articles

Donor Breast Milk Banking: Knowledge and Attitudes of Iranian Mothers.

Milk donation is allowed in Islam and considered a virtue, though according to Islam Sharia, feeding donated milk of other mothers leads to kinship between infants, complicating milk donation programs in Islamic countries. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitude of Iranian Muslim mothers regarding milk donation and milk banks. In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study, 634 mothers of infants below 1 year of age were recruited using cluster random sampling from health care centers in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected by questionnaire. The findings revealed a low level of knowledge but relatively positive attitudes. Knowledge predictors were education level, income, type of birth, breastfeeding experience, encouragement to donate milk, and hearing about milk donation (p ≤ .02). Predictors of attitude were knowledge score and encouragement to donate milk (p ≤ .001). Comprehensive, culturally congruent education of mothers during pregnancy and post-pregnancy related to milk banks is recommended.

The Ritual Fusion

Abstract This article explores domestic religious practices of Iranian Muslim women in Los Angeles. In the diasporic context, Iranian women’s voluntary engagement in vernacular Islamic practices is often associated with an unreflexive pursuit of religion and lack of agency or with complicity with the Islamic Republic’s conservative brand of Shiism. To examine the complexities of such practices in the United States, this research relies on the ethnography of a monthly domestic gathering in LA that offers a hybrid blend of multiple devotional and social genres. The article demonstrates that the event’s performative and affective characteristics cater to a range of individual framings of the shared ritual and allow for complex and multilayered modes of engaging with the practice of faith. Further, it argues that vernacular Islamic practices in the diaspora are not always tied to individuals’ expression of religious conviction and pursuit of piety. By depicting the material and sensory aspects of the space, the article suggests that such rituals can serve as sites for engaging in a mode of diasporic nostalgia that does not commonly have a place in Iranian communities’ nostalgic narratives of the homeland.

The Portrayal of an Iranian Queer Muslim Teenager in Arvin Ahmadi’s How It All Blew Up

This research examines the representation of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager in Arvin Ahmadi's How It All Blew Up. It also evaluates how the novel describes the sufferings of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager through symbolism, which Ahmadi uses as his aesthetic strategies. This research is descriptive qualitative, which examines the primary text by using close textual analysis. This research engages with Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Chris Barker's queer theory. The research investigates the symbolism representing the sufferings of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager and what aesthetic strategies the author uses to question mainstream society, which tends to exclude a queer teenager from “normal” belonging. Indeed, the analysis is engaged with Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Chris Barker's queer theory. This research discovered five representations of the protagonist character in the novel, namely Amir is represented as an Iranian queer Muslim that was born to an Iranian Muslim immigrant family, an Iranian queer Muslim that grew up in a Muslim family that did not strictly implement Islamic teachings, an irreligious Iranian queer Muslim, an Iranian queer Muslim that was attracted to people of the same sex, and an Iranian queer Muslim that struggled with his family's acceptance of his queerness. Indeed, this research discovers four symbols that are used to represent the suffering of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager, including the symbol of fortress, tunnel, tattoo, and wall. Thus, Ahmadi’s novel reveals how a queer Muslim teenager struggles to fight for his rights to be acknowledged and appreciated in the ideas of “normality” and social belonging.

The Relationship Between Religious Orientation and Death Anxiety in Iranian Muslim Patients with Cancer: The Mediating Role of Hope.

Cancers are globally prevalent often life-threatening diseases that carry an immense psychological burden such as death anxiety. Thus, identifying protective psychological factors affecting death anxiety in individuals with cancer is of strong relevance. This study investigated the potential mediating role of hope in the relationship between religious orientation and death anxiety in Iranian patients with cancer. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate death anxiety, hope, and religious orientation in a convenience sample of 320 patients (age range 18-89years) with cancer. Measures included demographic factors, health characteristics, and validated instruments of the study constructs. Path analysis was used to evaluate mediation models. The findings indicated a direct path from intrinsic religious orientation (β = -0.122, p < 0.001) to death anxiety and a direct path from hope (β = -0.258, p < 0.001) to death anxiety. However, when hope was introduced as a mediating variable, the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and death anxiety became non-significant (β = 0.001, p = 0.983). In this study, hope largely explained the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and death anxiety. In countries such as Iran where religiosity is an important psychological construct, greater hope among the more intrinsically religious may help to explain why more deeply religious persons experience less anxiety.

Ethnic Rights, Prosperity and Development in Xinjiang

This article intends to sketch an overview of state policies of China in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region. It argues that the situation of China has changed after 1949 with the change in politics. Chinese civilization has deep rooted in the ideas of Confucius which has liberal democratic tendency. The concept of Chinese modern development is pro-people development that aims to meet the basic needs of the common people. Development is for a better and safe life and it appeals to the best of many people. The CPC policy had broader implications for all minority groups, and many of the state policies are a continuation of earlier policies. China’s Muslims are clearly in the threshold in terms of self-preservation and Islamic identity. Uyghur nationalism in Xinjiang was influenced by Muslims of Central Asia, especially Iranian Muslim political ideology. In contemporary China, the growing consciousness of a distinct Uyghur identity should not be linked with political extremist movement &#8211;it distorts the political stability and development of the XUAR. China, now, is following its own path of sustainable development while learning from its own classical civilization.

Alcohol-containing Hand Rubs: A Survey on Beliefs and Self-reported Practices of Muslim Nurses

Although alcohol-containing liquid cleansers have been increasingly used by healthcare workers, their application is still suboptimal. This study was carried out to assess the beliefs and practices of Muslim nurses with respect to alcohol-based hand rub solutions (ABHRs). A total of 374 hospital nurses from a large tertiary referral medical centre in Southern Iran were recruited. Beliefs and self-reported practices toward ABHRs were measured using a structured questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were shown to be satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha value: 0.77 for beliefs and 0.86 for practices.) Overall, 16% of Muslim nurses believed that the use of ABHRs is religiously prohibited; approximately the same proportion of respondents believed that there may be concerns related to the fact that the alcoholic content of these hand rubs might be absorbed through the skin or respiratory tract. Overall, more than half of participants reported use of ABHRs before (60%) and after (75%) touching patients. Religious believers were less likely to report performing hand hygiene with ABHRs before patient contact. However, the total mean practice scores were not statistically different between religious believers and non-believers (t (372)=-0.88, P=0.413). Mean practice scores of nurses who had participated in hand hygiene training courses during the year before the study were higher than those who had not (t (372)=3.41, P&lt; 0.001). The results of the present study showed that the practice of hand hygiene with alcohol-containing hand rubs is common among Iranian Muslim nurses and is not influenced by their religious beliefs toward alcohol.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Spiritual Health Questionnaire among Iranian Muslim adults

Background: Spiritual health (SH) has received great attention from nurses and other health-care providers in recent years. The existing instruments for SH measurement measure either some aspects of SH or SH-related concepts, and there is no specific SH measurement instrument, particularly for Muslim adults in Iran. Objective: This study aimed at the development and psychometric evaluation of the Spiritual Health Questionnaire (SHQ). Methods: This exploratory sequential mixed methods study was conducted in a qualitative and a quantitative phase in 2014–2016. In the qualitative phase, a concept analysis was conducted using the hybrid model and its results were used to develop the primary SHQ. In the quantitative phase, the face, content, and construct validity and reliability of SHQ were assessed. Exploratory factor analysis and concurrent validity assessment were performed for construct validity assessment. Test–retest stability and internal consistency were also assessed for reliability assessment. Results: The qualitative phase of the study showed that the concept of SH had six main components. In the quantitative phase, the number of primary SHQ items was reduced from 88 to 59 after face and content validity assessments. In construct validity assessment, 12 more items were excluded and the remaining 47 items were loaded on six factors which explained 45.2% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha values of the questionnaire and its six dimensions were 0.778 and 0.752–0.788, respectively. Convergent validity assessment showed that the mean scores of SHQ and the Spiritual Well-Being Index had a significant correlation with each other (r = 0.35; P = 0.032). Conclusion: The 47-item SHQ is a specific instrument for SH assessment with acceptable validity and reliability.

The Role of Prayer on Social Risk Behaviors in Muslim College Students in Iran

Background and Objectives: Coping with risky behaviors (social delinquencies) consumes a substantial share of a nation’s budget; however, paying attention to these cases can lead to the prevention and treatment of such risky behaviors. The present study aimed to determine the main and interaction effects of gender and prayer behavior, as a recommended behavior in Islam, on the attitudes of students toward risky behaviors. Methods: This retrospective or ex post facto research aimed to investigate the effects of prayer on the tendency to social risk behaviors in 2019. In total, 340 male and female students from the University of Guilan (169 prayerful &amp; 171 prayerless) were selected by purposive sampling method. Accordingly, the study subjects completed the Attitude on Social Delinquencies Inventory (Aghaei &amp; Teimurtash, 2010). To determine the main and interaction effects of prayer and gender on the total score as well as the dimensions of attitudes to social delinquencies, oneway Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were used in a 2×2 factorial design. Results: Concerning the subscales, the findings suggested that the examined prayerless students were more prone to robbery, free sex relations, suicide, and home escape. At the level of gender differences, regardless of prayer behavior, males were more prone to free sex relations, and home escape, than females. Furthermore, the interaction effects of group membership and gender were only significant on aggression. Thus, the mean scores of aggression tendency were higher in the prayerless male group. Conclusion: The obtained data supported the protective role of prayer behavior in reducing the tendency to risk behaviors (especially aggression in males) in the examined Iranian Muslim students.

Effectiveness of Spiritual Counseling on the Enhancement of Hope in Iranian Muslim Patients with Myocardial Infarction: A Two-Month Follow-Up.

Hope is the most important source of coping in patients who have experienced acute cardiac events, and despair is considered an important cause of discontinued treatment and a threat to patients' mental health. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of spiritual counseling on hope in patients with myocardial infarction over a two-month period. Fifty-six Iranian Muslim patients with myocardial infarction participated; participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 28) or the control group (n = 28). The experiment group received three sessions of group spiritual counseling. The patients' hope was measured before intervention and immediately, one month, and two months after the intervention. The results indicated that no significant difference in hope was present between the intervention and control groups at baseline (Z = - 2.56, effect size = 0.75, P = 0.1). Significance between-group differences favoring the intervention group, however, were noted immediately post-intervention (Z = - 2.72, effect size = 0.91, P = 0.007), one month afterward (Z = - 6.22, effect size = 3.14, P < 0.001), and two months afterward (Z = - 6.10, effect size = 2.65, P < 0.001). Hope significantly improved in the intervention group during the study. Utilizing spiritual counseling as an effective non-aggressive form of treatment can improve hope among patients with myocardial infarction.

A Case Study on the Effect of Spirituality on Reducing Stress and Grief Caused by COVID-19

Introduction: At the beginning of 2020, the Corona Virus created a major pandemic in the world that was associated with death in all countries. In addition to the many crises caused by this pandemic, a variety of mental disorders also emerged. One of the most common disorders in the acute phase of the disease was Stress and Depression in patients as well as the general population. During this time, many protocols have been proposed for managing stress and depression. In this study, the effect of Spirituality and Religious Behavior on reducing depression caused by grief and stress has been studied. Presentation Case: Our case is a 45-year-old Iranian Muslim woman who witnessed the death of her husband at the beginning of the Corona pandemic, and she herself suffered from Covid 19. She has been quarantined and under treatment for three months. During this time, she was alone and could not even attend his wife's funeral and mourning. Due to quarantine, others did not contact him and only contacted him by phone. This person is a believer, has high spirituality and performs religious behaviors carefully, and believes that deep belief in God, spirituality, and performing religious behaviors can make suffering easier. Conclusion: Through an in-depth and semi-structured interview with a phenomenological approach, it was found that she was able to overcome the stress caused by the Corona pandemic and Covid 19 and also the depression caused by mourning her husband by relying on deep religious beliefs. And keep yourself consistent in life. It was also concluded that if there were no religious beliefs and spirituality in this person, he could not overcome the stress of illness and grief of her husband divine worldview can increase spirituality and the power of compromise in the face of suffering.

The Process of Promoting Spiritual Health in Iranian Muslim Adults: A Grounded Theory.

Background:Spiritual health is a complex concept and it is important to review its promotion and evolution from a Muslim point of view in Iran. So, the present study was designed to explore the process of spiritual health promotion among Iranian Muslims.Materials and Methods:This study is a grounded theory in which the continuous comparative analysis method Strauss & Corbin (1998) was used to analyze data. This study's sampling method was purposive in trying to select participants with the maximum variation.Results:The “striving effort to promote spiritual health” was the core category which was the participants' strategy of the participants to confront their main concern, “to achieve transcendence”. The essential spiritual process in this study was “the journey in the transcendence path”. People would find the purpose and meaning of life by interconnecting and relying on their inner forces, and by establishing the moderation between the dimensions of existence. In this way, individuals will become closer to human perfection with the help of these components. They will achieve immersive wellbeing and moral maturity through the consolidation of spiritual health. Such a person lives to serve among the people.Conclusions:Adult promotion of spiritual health is dynamic and complex. The main process in this path is spiritual growth, which begins and continues as a result of the striving to advance spiritual health and refinement. Considering these findings has become a concern for holistic care within the scope of nursing care.

Evaluation of Attention to the Pattern of Iranian Muslim Woman in Content of Religion and Life Books in Lower Secondary Schools

The present study has been compiled in order to analyze the content of the textbooks of Religion and Life in lower secondary school for attention to the formation of the Iranian Muslim Woman Pattern. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the content of religion and life textbooks in the lower secondary school on explaining the characteristics of the Iranian Muslim Woman Pattern for female students. To achieve this goal, content of this books analysis with William Romey method and then data gathered with researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed the results with using SPSS24 statistical software. The statistical sample of the study includes 306 female students and 19 teachers of religion and life lesson in lower secondary school in 9th district of Tehran who were studying and teaching in public schools. Findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the views of students and teachers regarding the content of this books. In such a way that the students had a more favorable view of the content of this books in reaching the pattern of the Iranian Muslim Woman, while from the teachers' point of view, the content of this books does not help us enough to reach the pattern of the Iranian Muslim Woman. The results of the quantitative analysis by the researchers indicate that the content of three books of religion and life in lower secondary school is primarily in the category of “monotheism and theism”, “religious ethics”, “rules” and then “women, family and society”. And the content of the books is lacking in terms of guiding students to reach the pattern of Iranian Muslim Women.

Older Iranian Muslim women's experiences of sex and sexuality: A biographical approach.

Muslim women in Iran live in a patriarchal society which significantly restricts their freedom and agency. While there is a growing understanding of social change as it relates to younger Muslim women in Iran, the perspectives and experiences of older women are marginalized; mirroring problems with the intersections of age, gender, and sexuality in the West. In order to address this occlusion, this article draws on life history interviews with 30 older Muslim women living in Tehran and Karaj. Adopting a biographical life course approach, and examining pivotal moments related to sexuality in their lives, we discuss how cultural meanings and symbols of sexuality have emerged and been negotiated by these women at the life stages of puberty, first sex at marriage, and menopause. The patriarchal and religious gender order of Iran transgresses these women's human rights so that sexuality is experienced as a source of shame, stigma, and pollution, yet the women also exert forms of agency in their lives as they adopt and challenge these norms.

Investigating the role of religious beliefs of people interacting with the environment: A case of Iranian students at Muslim universities

Undoubtedly, environmental damage is one of the most important challenges facing contemporary human beings. This is important because the signs that threaten this damage have now become apparent, threatening humans with widespread environmental pollution. On the other hand, humanity will not be able to live a normal life without a safe and healthy environment. Therefore, preservation and protection of the environment, as the most important basic needs of survival, are considered by everyone, including researchers. As a consequence, various studies aim to identify the factors that play a role in how humans and the environment interact. To this end, the present study considered the comprehensiveness of Islam and paid attention to all human needs, and intended to examine the role of religious beliefs on how to interact with the environment. It is worth mentioning that the statistical population of this study comprised 387 Iranian Muslim students (from different Islamic religions) from different universities in Iran. After the distribution of standardised research questionnaires whose validity and reliability was confirmed, the collected data were analysed by statistical software. Finally, the results concluded the following: (1) The investigated statistical population pledged and bonded to religious instructions, (2) the investigated statistical population had an appropriate interaction with the environment and (3) the obligation and pledge to religious beliefs had a positive and significant role in people interacting with the environment so that people with strong religious beliefs had a more appropriate interaction with the environment, in opposition to people with less religious beliefs whose interaction with the environment was not apt. Contribution: This research provides further insight into the relations between Theology, religious beliefs and the interaction of people with the environment.

A comparative assessment of the spiritual health behaviors of the Iranian muslim in the COVID-19 pandemic with religious evidence

Background and Aim: Based on religious beliefs, the Iranian Muslim follow the lifestyle of the Prophet and the Imams The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the spiritual health behaviors of the Iranian Muslim in the COVID-19 pandemic with religious evidence Methods: This comparative study was conducted in the period from March 1, 2020, to the end of May 2020 in Tehran, Iran Without intervening in the research samples, the researchers observed, recorded, examined and compared their individual and social behaviors with religious evidence Data collection methods were semi-structured interviews, observation, taking notes from published papers, website surveys and social networks Data were analyzed by conventional content analysis Results: Religious beliefs, as a moral motivating factor, had a positive effect on the health behaviors and spiritual health of people in the biological crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic Community adherence to health standards, spiritual self-care, home care, and family participation in health services at prevention levels were consistent with scientific findings and religious evidence Muslim people avoided doing things that endangered their own health or the health of others Conclusion: The adaptation of health behaviors of the research samples with religious evidence shows the effect of adherence to Islamic rules on the individual and social behaviors of Iranian Muslims, which can be recommended for followers of other Abrahamic religions © 2020 Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences All rights reserved

Riding the Korean Wave in Iran

Abstract This study explores the Korean Wave and fandom in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It follows Iranian women’s consumption of Korean popular culture in the context of their general pop-culture consumption patterns and how they create a fan culture through social media and pop culture. This study is based on data collected through anthropological fieldwork in Tehran. User-generated content on social media, such as Telegram and Instagram, was used to examine how young Iranian women are actively leading the fandom culture through their daily fan-related activities and how, in doing so, they forge a sense of solidarity with other women and global fans. The fandom phenomenon of the Iranian Muslim women shows how youth can effect social change in Iran while demonstrating that it is possible to trace the cultural changes taking place in Iran.

Parent - adolescent communication challenges in iranian muslim families residing in the US from parents' perspective

Parent - adolescent communication challenges in iranian muslim families residing in the US from parents' perspective

Near-Death Experience among Iranian Muslim Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Survivors.

Background:Near-Death Experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of subjective experiences associated with forthcoming death. The majority of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) survivors experience NDEs. It seems that near-death events are experienced differently by people with different cultural and religious viewpoints. Thus, this study aimed to explain NDEs in Iranian Muslim CPR survivors.Materials and Methods:A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach influenced by Ricoeur was used to understand the meaning of CPR survivors' NDEs. Eight survivors were interviewed in private. The study was conducted in southeast Iran. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and probing questions were added when necessary. The duration of the interviews was between 40 and 65 min. According to Lindseth and Norberg, in the naive understanding phase, we read the interviews several times for achieving naive understanding. In the structural analysis phase, the whole text is divided into meaningful units. Finally, the researchers formulated a comprehensive understanding of the contextualization of the text.Results:Four main themes emerged including 1) pleasing experiences along with flying and seeing light, 2) the experience of transport to the beyond, 3) out-of-body experience, and 4) reviewing life and memories in a religious context.Conclusions:Iranian Muslim CPR survivors, reported NDEs, much similar to those reported by survivors in Western countries with different theistic religions. This means that medical professionals dealing with these patients need to be aware of such experiences in Iranian Muslims.

How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi

Reviewed by: How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi Alaine Martaus Ahmadi, Arvin How It All Blew Up. Viking, 2020 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593202876 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593202883 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-12 When school bullies threaten to out eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi to his conservative Iranian Muslim parents, the usually responsible Amir does the unexpected: he runs away to Rome. Suddenly on his own in a strange city, he quickly falls in with a group of supportive young gay men, who jovially teach him about gay icons and Italian culture. Yet even as Amir slowly builds self-confidence and embraces life out of the closet, even finding an adorable Italian boy to date, he can't forget the drama he left behind. Largely focused on Amir's sweet, angst-filled narration, this novel offers readers a heartfelt coming-out story infused with a thoroughly enjoyable travelogue. While the characterization of Amir's new friends sometimes dips into cliché, readers will appreciate the comfort he finds with the memorable, outrageous band. A narrative frame involving airport security, meanwhile, gives Amir's family a chance to voice their stories, rounding out Amir's narrow perspective. It's those details that give the story its power and will lure readers to embrace Amir while daydreaming about far-off lands. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Spiritual Health as Experienced by Muslim Adults in Iran: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background: Spiritual health has attracted wide attention in health-related and nursing sciences. However, most research on this complex and ambiguous concept has been conducted from the Judeo-Christian philosophical worldview, and the Muslim community that comprises a large population of the world, and particularly the Iranian population, has not been investigated. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the experiences of Iranian Muslim adults regarding spiritual health. Methods: This qualitative content analysis was conducted among 14 participants. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and Granheim and Lundman (2004) method was used for qualitative content analysis. The results were categorized into six major themes. Results: The six major themes extracted for spiritual health included harmonious reciprocal connectedness, moderation, spiritual striving, transcendence, purpose seeking and wisdom thinking, and faith. These characteristics were reciprocally interconnected and intertwined. It should be noted that some of the extracted attributes were quite new. Conclusions: Considering the cultural and philosophical foundations of different communities, assessment of spiritual health in different societies would reveal novel and innovative aspects of this concept. Paying attention to these aspects is essential in the health promotion.