Discourse Analysis of Ayatollah Khamenei’s Letter to American University Students: Applying Paul Gee’s Theoretical Framework

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Department of linguistics, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran

2 Department of Political Sciences, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran

Abstract

This study examines a recent letter by Ayatollah Khamenei addressed to university students in the United States who are actively participating in protests against U.S. foreign policy and its support for the Zionist regime. The central research objective is to analyze the discourse structures within the letter to determine how they function in advancing specific messages within a defined ideological framework. Additionally, the study explores how the letter constructs notions of power and identity, and how these constructions may influence public perception. Employing James Paul Gee’s discourse analysis methodology (2014, 2018), the study investigates both the textual and ideological dimensions of the letter. The findings highlight several key themes: the dichotomy between political entities (e.g., the Zionist regime versus Palestine), the praise of American students for supporting the people of Gaza, and the advocacy for Palestinian human rights in the pursuit of peace and independence. These themes are embedded within the broader context of global political conflict. The analysis also identifies multiple identity constructs, including the U.S. government and its political allies, American youth and student activists, Muslims, the Axis of Resistance, and the oppressed, particularly women and children, in occupied Palestine. Through this discourse, the letter seeks to persuade, commend, and galvanize American students, urging them to remain on what is portrayed as “the right side of history”.

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Main Subjects

©2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.

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International Journal of Textual and Translation Analysis in Islamic Studies
Volume 2, Issue 4 - Serial Number 8
October 2024
Pages 347-362

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History

  • Receive Date: 08 June 2024
  • Revise Date: 11 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 28 July 2024
  • Publish Date: 01 October 2024

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