The influence of Islam on the stability and adaptability of the political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/2411-3093.2023.4(2).286914Keywords:
Islam, political system, Islamic Republic, Iran, protests, legitimacy, Faqih.Abstract
In the realm of Iran's political landscape, we find an extraordinary, indeed unique, system that has endured for over four decades. This intricate political framework is rooted in the Shia Islamic tradition, setting it apart from conventional political models. It is marked by a remarkable duality, where the secular and religious spheres of authority coexist in a delicate equilibrium. Furthermore, it boasts a dual legitimacy, with religious institutions wielding substantial influence over the state's affairs. The primary objective of this discourse lies in the assessment of the system's efficiency and adaptability within the context of Iran's socio-political environment. A profound exploration delves into the direct impact of Islam on the various political institutions and organizations that shape the nation's destiny. Thus, Islam emerges as a pivotal factor in not only maintaining political stability but also in ensuring the resilience of the entire political system. Contemporary Iran showcases a synthesis of republican and religious governing bodies, incorporating Western democratic principles with the Shia understanding of the Muslim community's life. While all republican authorities are elected through democratic processes, they remain subject to oversight by religious institutions. Notably, the past four decades have witnessed a greater consolidation of power in the hands of the Supreme Leader and religious entities at large. Elected leaders of the republican bodies have progressively emerged from the religious elite, blurring the lines between secular and religious domains. Consequently, mass civil protests are now directed not at a specific body, be it secular or religious, but rather at authority as a whole. Central to the stability of this system is the figure of the Supreme Leader. In a truly unique fashion, the Supreme Leader simultaneously embodies divine and democratic legitimacy, standing as an unparalleled entity within the governmental structure. The dynamics of political processes in Iran unveil a nuanced reality: religion, while not directly shaping political events, seamlessly integrates into the political framework, dominating it and ensuring the efficient operation of the state machinery. Temporarily, this arrangement proves capable of upholding stability, adaptability, and dynamism within Iran's political sphere. However, an alarming trend of religious authorities encroaching upon governmental powers gradually erodes the fundamental essence of Iran's dualistic religious-political system. As a result, the benefits of such a system, particularly in terms of fostering political and socio-economic equity, are placed in jeopardy.
References
Osadchuk I. Yu. Systema pravlinnia v islamskii respublitsi iran (1979–1989 roky): typova chy atypova? Naukovyi visnyk Mizhnarodnoho humanitarnoho universytetu. Ser.: Istoriia. Filosofiia. Politolohiia. 2020 № 1 S.107-110
Osadchuk I. Yu. Systema pravlinnia v islamskii respublitsi iran (1989–2019): typova chy atypova? Rehionalni studii. – Uzhhorod, Vydavnychyi dim «Helvetyka». Vyp. 20. – 2020. – S.56-64.
Semchynskyi K.V. Istoryko-politychnyi kontekst ta ideolohichne pidgruntia protsesiv islamizatsii ta demokratyzatsii v suchasnomu Irani Ukrainske relihiieznavstvo. — 2010. — Spetsvypusk 1. S.164-175
Kushnirenko V. O. Do problemy reformuvannia islamskoi derzhavy / V. O. Kushnirenko // Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA. - 2002 - Tom 20, Spetsialnyi vypusk: u dvokh chastynakh. Chastyna 1. - S.245-249
Prorochenko N.O. Evoliutsiia roli shyitskoho dukhovenstva u suspilno-politychnomu rozvytku iranu Problemy vsesvitnoi istorii. – 2019. – № 1(7) S.56-72
Orda K. S. Politychna systema Islamskoi Respubliky Iran: konstytutsiinyi vymir / K. S. Orda // Ukrainska oriientalistyka : [zbirnyk naukovykh prats]. - 2009-2010. - № 4-5. - S. 225-227.
Dorosheva, O. M. Typ vladnykh instytutsii ta vzaiemovidnosyn mizh nymy v konstytutsiinomu pravi Islamskoi Respubliky Iran. Nashe pravo, 2013. - №13, S.11-16.
Governance of the Jurist. Islamic government Imam Khomeini | The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works (International Affairs Department) [full text] https://www.iranchamber.com/history/rkhomeini/books/velayat_faqeeh.pdf
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 1979 https://en.mfa.ir/portal/viewpage/3997/constitution
Mirzayi Alireza. An Analytico-Historical Study on the Progressive Steps of the Theory of Velayat-e Faqih in the View of Shiite Scholars. Anishnameh-e Velayat, 2015, 1.1: 47-66.
Shia Ali Ali and Vahid Zare. Scrutiny on the Theory of Separation of Powers in the Islamic Republic of Iran with a View to its Relation with Velayat-e-Faqih. Public Law Knowledge Quarterly, 2018, 6.18: 111-135.
Martin Vanessa. "State, Power and Long-term Trends in the Iranian Constitution of 1906 and its Supplement of 1907." Middle Eastern Studies 47.3 (2011): 461-476.
Saleh Alam. "Iran’s national identity problematic." Sfera Politicii 20.170 (2012): 50-58.
Moaddel M., Azadarmaki T. The Worldviews of Islamic Publics: The Cases in Egypt, Iran, and Jordan // Comparative Sociology. 2002. N 1/3–4. P. 299–319.
Massarrat Mohssen. The Ideological Context of the Iran—Iraq War: Pan-Islamism versus Pan-Arabism. In: Iran and the Arab world. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1993. p. 28-41.
Peter Kihss. Mohammad Ali Rajai, Iran's president. The New York Times September 1, 1981, Section A, Page 6 https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/01/obituaries/mohammad-ali-rajai-iran-s-president.html
Rivetti Paola and Francesco Cavatorta. "‘The Importance of being Civil Society’: Student Politics and the Reformist Movement in Khatami's Iran." Middle Eastern Studies 49.4 (2013): 645-660.
Filin Nikita. The green movement in Iran: 2009–2010. In: Handbook of revolutions in the 21st century: The new waves of revolutions, and the causes and effects of disruptive political change. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. p. 571-592.
Kurzman Charles. "The Arab Spring: Ideals of the Iranian green movement, methods of the Iranian revolution." International Journal of Middle East Studies 44.1 (2012): 162-165.
Gambrell Jon, "Analysis: Iran protests show danger of economic woes". Associated Press. 9 January 2018. https://www.apnews.com/a2133dd2e55948a39c595cb36f7a6042/Analysis:-Iran-protests-show-danger-of-economic-woes
Fathollah-Nejad Ali. "The Islamic Republic of Iran four decades on: The 2017/18 protests amid a triple crisis." Doha, Qatar: Brookings Doha Center, April 9 (2020), 66p.
Shahi Afshin and Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi. "Iran’s 2019–2020 demonstrations: the changing dynamics of political protests in Iran." Asian Affairs 51.1 (2020): 1-41.
Patrick Wintour, Weronika Strzyżyńska "Head of Iran's morality police reportedly suspended amid protests". The Guardian. 19 September 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/19/mahsa-amini-iran-protests-enter-third-day-after-kurdish-womans-death-in-custody
Pourahmadi, Celine Alkhaldi, Adam (1 November 2022). "Iran to hold public trials of 1,000 people charged with involvement in Mahsa Amini protests". CNN. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
V Irani mozhut vnesty zminy do Konstytutsii, shchob vhamuvaty masovi protesty. Slovo i dilo. Analitychnyi portal. 4 hrudnia 2022 r. https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2022/12/04/novyna/svit/irani-mozhut-vnesty-zminy-konstytucziyi-vhamuvaty-masovi-protesty
Roy Olivier. "The crisis of religious legitimacy in Iran." The Middle East Journal (1999): 201-216.
Sud v Irani ukhvalyv pershyi smertnyi vyrok uchasnyku protestiv. Slovo i dilo. Analitychnyi portal. 14 lystopada 2022 r. https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2022/11/14/novyna/svit/sud-irani-uxvalyv-pershyj-smertnyj-vyrok-uchasnyku-protestiv
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Олександр Костюк
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
1. Authors bear responsibility for the accuracy of facts, quotations, numbers and names used.
2. Manuscripts are not sent back.
3. The publisher does not always agree with the authors' opinion.
4. The authors reserve the right to authorship of the work and pass the first publication right of this work to the journal under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which allows others to freely distribute the published research with the obligatory reference to the authors of the original work and the first publication of the work in this journal.
5. The authors have the right to conclude separate supplement agreements that relate to non-exclusive work distribution in the form in which it has been published by the journal (for example, to upload the work to the online storage of the journal or publish it as part of a monograph), provided that the reference to the first publication of the work in this journal is included.