Sociological Requirements and Imperatives for the Realization of the Purposeful Development of Cyberspace from the Perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution

Abstract

Cyberspace, as a technological infrastructure for communication and social interaction, occupies a distinctive position in the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution. Within cyberspace, communications have been facilitated, and multimedia data, including video, audio, and text, are readily accessible. Such data are available to users for storage and shared utilization. At present, cyberspace, given its form and nature, has generated both disadvantages and advantages. Consequently, new opportunities and challenges associated with this environment have emerged. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the sociological requirements and imperatives necessary for the realization of the purposeful development of cyberspace from the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. The study population consisted of specialists and experts relevant to the research topic, including congregational prayer leaders and university scholars in the fields of communication sciences and social sciences in the city of Kazerun. Based on the qualitative research design, 10 participants were selected through snowball sampling and interviewed until theoretical saturation was achieved. This study employed a qualitative methodology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the sociological requirements and imperatives for realizing the purposeful development of cyberspace from the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution include strengthening cyberspace, managing cyberspace, utilizing opportunities available in cyberspace, promoting Islamic concepts and teachings in cyberspace, combating disbelief, atheism, and hypocrisy in cyberspace, planning to address the harms of cyberspace affecting children and adolescents, emphasizing hope-generating content, ensuring cyberspace security, producing and promoting Iranian digital games, establishing the National Information Network, utilizing the unprecedented capacity of cyberspace for disseminating Islamic teachings, expanding the “Cultural NATO” to guide societal transformations, and fulfilling the requirements of globalization and the new world order.