Shi'ism and the Democratisation Process in Iran

Shi'ism and the Democratisation Process in Iran PDF

Author: Ibrahim Moussawi

Publisher: Saqi

Published: 2012-01-16

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0863568319

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Since its emergence in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has remained a conundrum for observers, particularly in the West. Shi'ism and the Democratisation Process in Iran examines the fundaments of Iran's Islamic governance and asks the pivotal question: can democracy and Islam cohere?Addressing Wilayat al-Faqih, or rule by the jurisprudent - the theory upon which the Islamic Republic was constructed - he asserts that the system upholds both individual and communal rights, and provides scope for citizens to express their interests. Moussawi draws on the history and theological underpinnings of Shi'i Islam to argue that in today's Iran, politi and religion are neither rigid nor in diametric opposition. Exhaustively researched, Shi'ism and the Democratisation Process in Iran marks an invaluable addition to the growing oeuvre of books on Iran.

Islam and Democracy in Iran

Islam and Democracy in Iran PDF

Author: Ziba Mir-Hosseini

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2006-05-26

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0857713752

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In today's world all eyes are on Iran, which has grappled with an experiment that has had a massive global impact. For some, the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 was the triumph of a modern, political Islam, heralding Muslim justice and economic prosperity. Others, including many of the original revolutionaries, saw religious fanatics attempting to roll back time by creating a despotic theocracy. Either way, the Iranian Revolution changed the Muslim world. It not only inspired the Muslim masses but also reinvigorated intellectual debates on the nature and possibilities of an Islamic state. The new 'Islamic Republic of Iran' combined not just religion and the state, but theocracy and democracy. Yet the revolution's heirs were soon engaged in a protracted struggle over its legacy. Dissident thinkers, from within an Islamic framework, sought a rights-based political order that could accept dissent, tolerance, pluralism, women's rights and civil liberties. Their ideas led directly to the presidency of Mohammad Khatami and, despite their political failure, they did leave a permanent legacy by demystifying Iranian religious politics, and condemning the use of the Shariah to justify autocratic rule. This book tells the story of the reformist movement through the world of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari. An active supporter of the revolution who became one of the most outspoken critics of theocracy, Eshkevari developed ideas of 'Islamic democratic government', which have attracted considerable attention in Iran and elsewhere. In presenting a selection of Eshkevari's writings, this book reveals the intellectual and political trajectory of a Muslim thinker and his attempts to reconcile Islam with reform and democracy. As such it makes a highly original contribution to our understanding of the difficult social and political issues confronting the Islamic world today.

Parliament and the Process of Democratization in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Parliament and the Process of Democratization in the Islamic Republic of Iran PDF

Author: Ali Pedram

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9780863723445

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In recent years, the quest for democracy has become a compelling issue in many developing countries. Iran is no exception to this. However, many argue that democracy is unlikely to emerge in Iran in the near future. This assumption is based on the strong presence of Islam in Iranian society, and a supposed intrinsic incompatibility between Islam and democracy. This book challenges this assumption by examining both the current state of democracy in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the democratization process currently underway within the country. The book examines the role of Shi'a Islam in shaping and determining socio-political realities in Iran. As well, it analyzes the Constitution and the institutional equilibrium of the Islamic Republic, and it discusses how factional politics have evolved and become a conduit for internal reform. The book argues that, in reality, the modern nation-state has incorporated functions and expectations that make democracy not merely one option anymore. The Western-liberal model of democracy is not the sole criterion for perceiving good governance. Non-Western attempts to reform, such as those in Iran, must not be seen as pre-determined to fail simply because reform or democracy is not indigenous.

Democracy in Iran:History and the Quest for Liberty

Democracy in Iran:History and the Quest for Liberty PDF

Author: Ali Gheissari

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2006-06-15

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 0195189671

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Today Iran is once again in the headlines. Reputed to be developing nuclear weapons, the future of Iraq's next-door neighbor is a matter of grave concern both for the stability of the region and for the safety of the global community. President George W. Bush labeled it part of the "Axis of Evil," and rails against the country's authoritarian leadership. Yet as Bush trumpets the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East, few note that Iran has one of the longest-running experiences with democracy in the region.In this book, Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr look at the political history of Iran in the modern era, and offer an in-depth analysis of the prospects for democracy to flourish there. After having produced the only successful Islamist challenge to the state, a revolution, and an Islamic Republic, Iran is now poised to produce a genuine and indigenous democratic movement in the Muslim world. Democracy in Iran is neither a sudden development nor a western import, Gheissari and Nasr argue. The concept of democracy in Iran today may appear to be a reaction to authoritarianism, but it is an old idea with a complex history, one that is tightly interwoven with the main forces that have shaped Iranian society and politics, institutions, identities, and interests. Indeed, the demand for democracy first surfaced in Iran a century ago at the end of the Qajar period, and helped produce Iran's surprisingly liberal first constitution in 1906. Gheissari and Nasr seek to understand why democracy failed to grow roots and lost ground to an autocratic Iranian state. Why was democracy absent from the ideological debates of the 1960s and 1970s? Most important, why has it now become a powerful social, political, and intellectual force? How have modernization, social change, economic growth, and the experience of the revolution converged to make this possible?

Understanding Shiite Leadership

Understanding Shiite Leadership PDF

Author: Shaul Mishal

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2014-06-05

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 1139916939

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In this book, Shaul Mishal and Ori Goldberg explore the ways in which Shiite leaderships in Iran and Lebanon approach themselves and their world. Contrary to the violent and radical image of religious leaderships in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Lebanese Hizballah, the political vision and practice of these leaderships view the world as a middle ground, shying away from absolutist and extremist tendencies. The political leadership assumed by Shiite religious scholars in Iran and Lebanon has transformed Shiite Islam from a marginalized minority to a highly politicized avant garde of Muslim presence, revitalized the practice and causes of political Islam in its struggle for legitimacy and authority, and reshaped the politics of the Middle East and the globe in its image. Utilizing approaches from social theory, history, theology, and literary criticism, the book presents these leaderships as pragmatic, interpretative entities with the potential to form fruitful relationships between Shiite leadership and the non-Shiite world.

Iran

Iran PDF

Author: Abbas Amanat

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780300248937

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A masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first

Light Years

Light Years PDF

Author: Maggie Gee

Publisher: Saqi Books

Published: 2012-09-22

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 0863567495

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Lottie Lucas is the luckiest person she knows. She has looks, money, three houses and a teenage son she adores So why is her husband Harold walking out on her? Light Years is also about zoos and the zodiac; the seasons and the stars; and how humans see the natural world. It is a novel about the possibilities of happiness, a surprising and beautiful contemporary love story. In the tradition of the best romantic comedy.' The Observer Sublimely funny and infinitely subtle, Light Years is pure delight.' Daily Telegraph Energetic and beguiling.' Sunday Telegraph 'This is so fine a novel, because so completely a planned and crafted one.' Times Literary Supplement

The Iran Primer

The Iran Primer PDF

Author: Robin B. Wright

Publisher: US Institute of Peace Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1601270844

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A comprehensive but concise overview of Iran's politics, economy, military, foreign policy, and nuclear program. The volume chronicles U.S.-Iran relations under six American presidents and probes five options for dealing with Iran. Organized thematically, this book provides top-level briefings by 50 top experts on Iran (both Iranian and Western authors) and is a practical and accessible "go-to" resource for practitioners, policymakers, academics, and students, as well as a fascinating wealth of information for anyone interested in understanding Iran's pivotal role in world politics.

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