Quarterly Journal of Political
Research in Islamic World

The workers played an effective role in the victory of the 1979 Iranian revolution, but after the revolution, they were pushed to the edge. In order to answer the question how did the process of depoliticization of workers happen in Iran after the revolution and what was the role of the ideological space and especially the interpretation of political Islam about work and worker in the process of depoliticization of work and worker? this article, articulated this hypothesis that holistic interpretation of the discourse of political Islam about the ummah on the one hand and dealing with marxist idealogy on the othe other hand had a key role in the process of depoliticization of work and worker because ummah-centered interpretation did not provide a place for workers to differentiate and act independently in the form of labor movements and unions. Also, the empowerment of workers in the form of Marxist idealogy was recognized dangerous for the information of an Islamic society. Therefore, organizing workers as an independent class (for itself) was prevented. At the intellectual level, the discourse of political Islam interprets the concept of work not as a customary act for earning a living but as a devine act that transcends the soul and serves the Islamic community. Overall, findings show that the discourse of political Islam has advanced the process of depoliticization of work and worker in two ways: One is the change of dual oppositions, for example the change of capitalist-worker to arrogant-oppressed; and the other one was giving Islamic identity to worker’s action in the form of slogans such as: “work is worship of god”. Such a process continued in almost all governments after the Islamic Republic of Iran.