Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor
Daryoush Mohammad Poor is an Associate Professor in the Department of Academic Research and Publications at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London, where he also lectures for the Department of Graduate Studies. He serves as Interim Head of Constituency Studies and editor of the Ismaili Heritage Series. A scholar whose intellectual range spans international relations, contemporary political theory, political philosophy, Islamic studies, Shi’i studies, and Middle East politics, he brings both academic rigour and lived experience to his writing on Iran and the wider Muslim world.
Education & Credentials
Born in Mashhad, Iran, Mohammad Poor studied mathematics at Ferdowsi University before pursuing his graduate studies at the University of Westminster, where he earned an MA in International Relations and Contemporary Political Theory (2004) and a PhD in Political and Social Studies (2012). He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Religious Minorities Under Muslim Rule.
Selected Publications
His published works include Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), Command and Creation: A Shi’i Cosmological Treatise (Bloomsbury, 2021), and The First Aga Khan: Memoirs of the 46th Ismaili Imam (I.B. Tauris, 2018, co-edited with Daniel Beben). He has also translated significant works into Persian, including Lynn Hunt’s Inventing Human Rights and Ann Elizabeth Mayer’s Islam and Human Rights: Tradition and Politics. His latest work, A Philosophical Treatise on Muslim Politics: Wisdom and Governance, has appeared in Springer’s ‘Philosophy and Politics – Critical Explorations’ series (2024).
About This Site
In March 2026, as war engulfed Iran and its political landscape fractured along old and new fault lines, Mohammad Poor began writing a series of urgent political essays – published on LinkedIn and his long-running Malakut blog (blog.malakut.org) – that sought to hold a mirror to both the Iranian regime and the diaspora opposition. Written in the heat of crisis yet with the measured voice of a scholar who refuses to surrender nuance to outrage, these essays constitute the collection you now hold.
Twin Wisdoms & Malakut
The Twin Wisdoms (twinwisdoms.org) is the English-language home for Dr Mohammad Poor’s essays and critical observations. Its sister site, Malakut (malakut.org), is his long-established Farsi-language platform, where he has published commentary and analysis for a Persian-speaking audience for many years. Both sites are authored by Dr Mohammad Poor and reflect his commitment to thoughtful, rigorous engagement with the political, intellectual, and spiritual questions of our time.
He lives and works in London.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and analyses expressed on this website are those of Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor, writing in a personal capacity. They do not represent, reflect, or constitute the official positions of The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) or any other institution, organisation, or entity with which the author is or has been affiliated. The content published here is the product of independent scholarly reflection and personal commentary, and should not be attributed to any employer, academic body, or professional association. Readers are encouraged to engage critically with the ideas presented and to form their own informed judgements.