Israel and Azerbaijan in the 21st century – sincere cooperation or a marriage of convenience? Outline of the issues

Relations between Israel and Azerbaijan were established in 1991. Israel is now one of Azerbaijan’s key partners. Despite the difficult geopolitical situation of both countries, they are developing cooperation in the field of trade, military, technical and political matters. In view of the developing relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, both countries benefit from mutual economic benefits and have also become strategic partners. The alliance with Azerbaijan gives Israel the opportunity to improve relations with Turkey and counterbalance Iran’s influence in the region. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, is developing rapidly as a result of cooperation with Israel and is becoming a key player in the South Caucasus region.

“I am Darius, the Great King, King of Kings, Achaemenid”. The Legitimacy of Power During the Achaemenid Period

The article’s subject is the legitimation of the power of the Achaemenid kings, shown on the basis of preserved inscriptions from the era. These inscriptions have been repeatedly analysed in terms of linguistic and cultural studies. According to the author, they can also be helpful for the political science. For the purposes of this paper, legitimation is understood as processes leading to legitimacy, i.e., recognising a political system as proper and valid. The author distinguishes motifs used by the Achaemenids for this purpose. These are: the divine origin of power, references to tradition, the special attributes of the ruler, and the depreciation of political opponents. Among the Achaemenid inscriptions, there is almost always an invocation to the deity – Ahuramazda. This God is shown as the divine legislator and the creator of the material world and mankind. This element is extremely important in the context of the legitimacy of power, as it suggests the origin of royal power from the supreme, divine authority. The deity guides the Persian rulers, supports them in their battles and guarantees their reign. Divine origin makes the power held by the king a sacred gift. The reign and development of the empire thus become the fulfilment of God’s plan. Additionally, Ahuramazda is the creator of the cosmic order arta. Therefore, the ruler allied with him has the mandate to establish order on Earth. Along with the religious sanction of self-legitimisation of power, comes the demonisation of Achaemenid opponents. According to Max Weber, one of the types of legitimising power is “traditional rule” based on referring to the eternal orders. This type of legitimation is discernible in Old Persian inscriptions. In addition to religious and traditional sanction, rulers also made use of other measures to show that they were worthy of the throne. King Darius I has repeatedly indicated his fighting skills and integrity. In other inscriptions, one can find references to Persian beliefs, including the hatred of lies, described by Herodotus.

Hijab Means Choice? The Importance of Women’s Dress in the Islamic Republic of Iran

The debate about the planned Islamic costumes of the countries of the Middle Empire, particularly Iran, have been going on for several decades. A Muslim state, a woman’s visit outfit (in Iran, the hijab) presents itself as a symbol of the religious identity of the state, and from the state’s perspective. Besides, Islamic women wear burqa, chak, niqab, or hijab, which are synonymous with something else. It is a serious mistake because each of the Islamic women’s outfits listed has unique characteristics.

Economic relations between the European Union and Iran versus sanctions and energy security

The article provides an analysis economical and political relationship between Islamic Republic of Iran and European Union and its members countries, particularly Greece, Italy and Spain in the context of politics of energy safety. Prior to the adoption of heavy economic sanctions the EU led a double track politics towards Iran: “carrot and stick method”. The main thesis is that sanction on Iran hurts more this country then EU but in some cases: Greece, Italy, Spain could have problems with new energy partners. Iran before sanctions was one of the main European suppliers of oil and natural gas but not for all EU, only for few countries. There are lists of main exporters and importers Iranians oil and natural gas in EU and the world. Additionally a list of EU sanctions on Iran has been attached. Additionally article presents roots of piece of Middle Eastern enemy history relationships between Great Britain, USA and Iran.

Eurasian Late Antiquity or the Silk Roads? Political, Cultural, and Economic Conceptual Constructs in the Study of Oriental History and Culture

In contemporary historiography, there is a growing interest in interactions between nomadic peoples and the empires of sedentary peoples in antiquity, with particular emphasis on late antiquity. Differences in the perception of nomadic communities’ impact on the economy cause a conceptual confusion. It is largely due to differences in the perception of the influence that nomadic communities had in shaping the functioning of trade routes leading from one part of Eurasia to another. This article organises and indicates the origin of concepts, such as the Silk Road, the cultural complex of central Eurasia, the first story, and Eurasian Late Antiquity from specific researchers. At the same time, the author compares and presents perceiving trade routes and the influence of nomads on sedentary peoples in two opposing concepts: a metanarrative of the nomad history as the main catalyst for the continent’s economic development and presenting the history of the Silk Road and nomads as part of the multi-vector interaction of various communities in Eurasia during the late antiquity, at the same time indicating a certain advantage of the latter.