Amid the multitude of Western plans and strategies against nations, few projects have been as persistent and deeply rooted as the effort to separate the Iranian people’s national identity from their religious beliefs.

Since the early twentieth century, Western think tanks have concluded that Iran’s greatest source of soft power lies not in its natural wealth or military strength, but in the unbreakable bond between its faith and its national character—a bond that has preserved Iranian identity throughout history, from the invasion of Alexander and the Mongols to the era of colonialism and the Iran–Iraq war.

It is in this context that quotations are often attributed to figures such as Zbigniew Brzezinski, the U.S. National Security Advisor under President Jimmy Carter—remarks that reveal the enemy’s deep understanding of this connection. Although no direct and documented statement from Brzezinski explicitly calls for dividing “Iranian nationalism” from “Shiism,” the spirit of such a strategy is clearly visible in the broader U.S. and Western geopolitical agenda. In his famous book The Grand Chessboard, Brzezinski describes Iran as a “civilizational and identity crossroad,” arguing that if a gap could be driven between its religious and national elements, the “spirit of resistance” across the region would collapse. This perspective, decades later, continued to shape Western media and psychological operations against Iran—campaigns launched under the banners of “cultural freedom” and “reviving Iranian nationalism,” but aimed, in truth, at weakening the link between faith and homeland.

The soft war against Iran is no longer confined to military threats or economic sanctions; it has evolved into a complex battlefield of cultural identity erosion. In recent years, foreign media outlets and Western think tanks have promoted slogans like “Islam without a homeland” or “Iran without religion,” seeking to instill a false duality in the minds of young Iranians. Through targeted content on social media, this cognitive war attempts to suggest that religion obstructs national progress, and that patriotism stands in conflict with Islam.

Yet Iran’s historical experience—from the Safavid era to modern times—refutes this claim. In every period when Iranians drew closer to genuine Islam, their cultural and scientific achievements flourished. The Islamic–Iranian civilization that extended from Khorasan to Shiraz, from Isfahan to Tabriz, was born not from the separation of faith and nationality, but from their union. The Iranian spirit never saw Islam as foreign, but as the natural continuation of its own culture—a culture that links Zoroastrian justice with Islamic mysticism in a continuous moral and intellectual tradition.

The Islamic Republic: Guardian of historical and spiritual identity

In the modern era, the only state that has managed to institutionalize this historic bond is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Contrary to hostile media portrayals that frame religion as the cause of backwardness or loss of national identity, the Islamic Republic has, since its founding, defended the intertwined heritage of Iran’s history, culture, and faith.

A glance at modern history is revealing: from the Qajar to the Pahlavi dynasties, parts of Iranian territory were lost—from the Caucasus and Herat to portions of the Persian Gulf. Only under the Islamic Republic has not a single inch of Iranian soil been ceded. During the eight-year imposed war, a nation with bare hands defended both its land and its faith. This achievement was not merely military—it was the fruit of a cultural conviction that linked religion to national identity, uniting the people of Iran in their most difficult days.

In recent years, many initiatives have reflected the Islamic Republic’s dedication to preserving Iran’s national and cultural heritage—from restoring ancient monuments and civilizational landmarks to revitalizing the Persian language and honoring classical poets. One symbolic example of this cultural synthesis is the statue in Tehran’s Revolution Square depicting the defeat of the Romans before a Sassanid king—a monument that unites Iran’s ancient glory with its Islamic and revolutionary identity.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly emphasized this connection. In his meetings with writers and artists, he stated: “The Persian language is the only means by which one can fully access a vast portion of the ancient heritage of humanity.”

He has also expressed his aspiration: “I hope that one day, the Persian language will become the scientific language of the world.”

And elsewhere he warned: “I am truly concerned about the Persian language, for it is being eroded in the general flow of society. Do not let it be destroyed.”

From this viewpoint, the cultural policy of the Islamic Republic—contrary to Western media’s portrayal—is not about erasing pre-Islamic history but about integrating Iranian civilization with Islamic teachings. In Revolution Square, in national museums, and in the education system, names such as Ferdowsi, Hafez, Saadi, and Mulla Sadra stand proudly beside the names of the Imams and Islamic scholars. This deliberate synthesis carries a clear message: Islamic Iran does not shy away from its historical memory or civilizational roots; it illuminates them through the light of faith.

In his speeches, the Leader often recalls the magnificence of Iranian civilization, declaring: “Iran is a land of glorious history; a people who, throughout the ages, have preserved knowledge, literature, and faith. This nation shall never be defeated, for it is deeply rooted.”

This statement embodies the essence of the Islamic Republic’s view of Iranian history: history is not a frozen past but an asset for the future. Within this framework, concepts such as the “New Islamic Civilization” rest on that same historical Iranian identity—a civilization that embraces Ferdowsi and Avicenna alongside Motahhari and Chamran.

Faith and patriotism both exist in Iran

The Iranian nation is a nation of Husayn and Fatimah—ever present in defending Islam and the Revolution. The bond between the people and their leadership is the secret of Iran’s endurance and honor. This is precisely the axis of cultural resistance against the West’s divisive agenda. In the logic of the Islamic Republic, patriotism is born from faith, not opposed to it. The Prophet Muhammad’s well-known saying— “Love of one’s homeland is part of faith”—has long found deep meaning in Iranian culture. From local uprisings against foreign invaders to today’s resistance against global threats, Iranians have always regarded their homeland as an inseparable element of their faith.

Despite the billions spent on Western media and cultural projects, the truth is that the enemy has failed in its core objective. The Iranian people have repeatedly shown, in decisive moments, that the bond between religion and nationhood is not a government slogan, but a deeply rooted popular conviction. During the imposed war, terrorist attacks, and even the recent twelve-day conflict in the region, the people of Iran have stood united beyond political or class divisions—with a single spirit: defending homeland and faith.

This unity is not merely emotional; it springs from civilizational roots. From ancient times—when Iran was known as the “Land of Faith and Truth”—to the Islamic era—when Persian mystics invited the world to surrender to divine reality—the Iranian spirit has always lived between two loves: love of God and love of homeland. In the Iranian heart, these two loves are one and the same.

On a grand scale, the Islamic Republic represents the historical crystallization of this enduring bond. Its ideological structure neither denies nationality nor dissolves it into religion; rather, it embodies the coexistence of Iranian civilization with Islamic mission. It is precisely this coexistence that has enabled Iran—unlike many nations in the Middle East—to maintain its cultural and political independence.

The West and its allies understand well that as long as this bond remains alive, no sanction or assault can subdue the Iranian nation. Thus, they have replaced hard warfare with soft and media warfare. Yet this too will fail—for it seeks to divide two forces that, in Iranian culture, cannot be separated.

History and future are aligned

If one draws a single historical line from Persepolis to Karbala, one discovers a shared truth: the endurance against oppression and the defense of human dignity. Persepolis stands for the glory of ancient Iran; Karbala stands for the steadfastness of believers against tyranny. The union of these two symbols in today’s Iranian consciousness forms the essence of Islamic Iran—the very reality that so unsettles its adversaries.

Under the Islamic Republic, this connection has not weakened but reached a new level of national self-awareness. The youth of today preserve the verses of Hafez and Rumi while drawing inspiration from Ashura and the Qur’an. This synthesis is what keeps the Islamic Revolution alive.

In the end, the enemy’s project to divide religion from nationality is doomed to fail—for in Iranian culture, homeland and faith are born of one another. Throughout its long history, whenever an enemy has threatened its soil or its creed, the Iranian nation has stood firm—sometimes with the sword, sometimes with the pen, and today, with consciousness.

The Islamic Republic of Iran stands at the intersection of these two eternal principles—a system that protects not only geographic borders, but cultural and spiritual frontiers as well. As Ayatollah Khamenei has said: “The Iranian nation is a nation that feels no shame in its history and will never abandon its faith. This nation carries both its history and its religion forward into the future.”

From Persepolis to Karbala, the path of this land has always been one of faith and steadfastness. No Western politician, no biased media, and no psychological warfare can change this truth—for within the soul of Iran, love of homeland is faith, and faith is Iran.