DOCSLIB.ORG

?Free Speech, Scholarly Critique, and the Limits of Expression in Islam?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
?Free Speech, Scholarly Critique, and the Limits of Expression in Islam? Al-Mahdi Institute?s 9th Annual VIRTUAL Contemporary Fiqh? Issues workshop ?Free Speech, Scholarly Crit ique, and t he Lim it s of Expression in Islam ? 1st & 2nd July 2021 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Many western liberal democracies uphold the right to free speech and expression as a fundamental freedom, which albeit not an absolute right, extends to the mockery of venerated figures. Critique of Islam and ridicule of the Prophet Muhammad have disconcerted some Muslim factions. As a result, some Muslim jurists condemn many expressions that fall under the rubric of free speech in liberal 1. INTRODUCTION democracies as blasphemy, which they consider to be a punishable crime. Considering ongoing tensions and the perception that critique of religion is not tolerated in Islam, the 9th Annual Contemporary Fiqh? Issues Workshop, hosted by the Al-Mahdi Institute, seeks to provide a 2. SPEAKERS BIOS & ABSTRACTS virtual forum for discussions surrounding free speech, scholarly critique, and the limits of expression in Islam. The Workshop invites papers from seminarian trained jurists or those with an understanding of the traditional seminarian system that shed light on how freedom of expression and its limits are understood in the Muslim legal discourse and the extent to which it may be influenced by various socio-political factors. These important contemporary questions at the intersection between political theory and jurisprudence are positioned within broader discussions regarding the parameters of expression within Islam. As such, the Workshop will feature a range of papers from multidisciplinary backgrounds dealing with, but not limited to: - Philosophical, theological, and ethical analysis regarding freedom of expression. - Analysis of the scope and limits of free thinking and scholarly critique in Islam. - Analysis of legislation in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries relating to the freedom of expression and blasphemy. - Empirical research analysing the lived experiences of Muslims and the impact of the discourse on gender relations, intra and inter-faith relations, and societal relations. The inclusive model of the Workshop is pleased to host presenters from diverse academic backgrounds, alongside relevant practitioners, from a range of disciplines. As has become an effective format in our previous annual workshops, fiqh? debates will be positioned alongside contributions from broader legal and social science approaches - thereby enriching a multidisciplinary understanding of contemporary outlooks dealing with expression and its limits in Islam. ABSTRACT: Principles and Lim it s of Freedom of Ayat ollah Moham m ad ABSTRACT: Freedom t o Believe: Reassessing t he Ayat ollah Seyed Most afa Regulat ions of Apost asy Expression from t he Islam ic Jurisprudent ial Reza Modarresi Yazdi Mohaghegh Dam ad Perspect ive The freedom to choose one?s religious belief is protected Guardian Council, Iran & Shahid Beheshti University This presentation provides a descriptive and analytical as a human right in international documents. The study of what is freedom of expression and what are its Hawza Ilmiyya, Qom Universal Human Rights Declaration (1948), Article 3 principles and limits in Islamic jurisprudence. Freedom of recognises that ?Everyone has the right to life, liberty and expression is a principle that supports the freedom of an security of person.? Additionally, the International individual or a community to articulate their opinions and Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 3 says: ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal 1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, sanction. The right to freedom of expression is recognized conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom as a human right in most legal systems, including Islamic to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and law. freedom, either individually or in community with others The article proceeds in two parts. In the first part, we and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in identify the jurisprudential principles of freedom of worship, observance, practice, and teaching. expression. According to this study's findings, these 2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair principles are the principle of permissibility (al-asl his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his al-ibahah), enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong Ayatollah Mohammad Reza choice. Ayatollah Mohaghegh Damad (amr bi al-Maruf wa'l-Nahy an al-Munkar), the obligation to Modarresi Yazdi is an Iranian Shia completed his seminarian studies state the truth and the prohibition of concealing it, the Article 19 says: 1-Everyone shall have the right to hold cleric and Member of the Iranian at the Fayzieh School in Qom, Iran, obligation to fight oppression. According to these opinions without interference. Guardian Council. He has been where he achieved the status of a principles, expressing opinions is not only a legal right but, teaching dars kharij for more than Many Muslim countries, including Iran, have adopted mujtahid by the age of 25. in many cases, a legal duty. thirty years. He is also a member these conventions, and are therefore, obligated to extend Amongst his notable teachers are In the second part, our main claim is that freedom of of the Qom Seminary Teachers these rights to their citizens. Nonetheless, in practice they Allama Tabatabai and Shaykh Murtada Mutahhari, under whom expression is not an absolute right but limited to several Association, a university lecturer, continue to criminalise apostates with the most severe he studied Islamic philosophy. His limits. Some of these limits are common to the limitations and a member of the board of the punishment, namely capital punishment. Such laws are studies in Islamic Jurisprudence set in contemporary legal systems; for example, Islamic Iranian National Elite Foundation. based on the juristic understanding of apostasy within the and Legal Theory were conducted jurisprudence, similar to French and British law, restricts sharia. However, the dynamism of ijtihad in the Shi?i Dr Reza by the likes of Ayatollah freedom of expression to hate speech. But some of these tradition means that the rulings of former jurists does not Mohammed Reza Golpaygani and restrictions are confined to Islamic jurisprudence. These Pourm oham m adi prevent contemporary jurists from reassessing rulings Ayatollah Morteza Haeri Yazdi. limits are those acts that are themselves forbidden in regarding apostasy by re-looking at the sharia sources. Women?s research Centre, Iran Parallel to his seminarian Islamic jurisprudence. For example, if freedom of speech In light of this, the presentation will briefly discuss: education, Ayatollah Mohaghegh leads to insults to others who are respected, it should no 1. Can punishing apostates be evidenced from the sharia Damad pursued secular academic longer be considered a human right. However, the sources? studies, obtaining a degree in fundamental limits and restrictions on freedom of Islamic Philosophy and a Masters 2. If so, is the Islamic Government obliged to implement expression are as follows: prohibition of apostasy (irtid?d) in Islamic Jurisprudence, both and denial of religious certainties when they are not based such a punishment? from Tehran University, before on reason and are mere claims, prohibition of hate 3. Furthermore, is apostasy punishable in when it relates going on to earn his PhD in Law at speech, prohibition of profanity, etc. to individuals changing their personal beliefs or the University of only in cases where it leads to confrontation with the Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. He is faithful community? the Dean of the Department of Islamic Studies at The Academy of Sciences of Iran, and a Professor Dr Reza Pourmohammadi of Law and Islamic Philosophy at completed 14 years of seminary Tehran University. He is studies in the Hawza Ilmiyya of recognised as one of the world?s Qum, which included five years of most influential Muslims by The dars kharij (graduate) study. He Muslim 500 for his scholarly work. holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence from the Islamic Seminary of Qom. ABSTRACT: Aut horit arian or Aut horit at ive: Resolving Professor Dr Alison ABSTRACT: Free Speech as Et hical Speech in Islam : an Professor Morgan Clarke t he Free Speech Tensions bet w een Secular and Scot t -Baum ann ant hropological perspect ive. Religious Higher Educat ion University of Oxford In this paper we situate the question of free speech and SOAS, University of London Empirical research analysing the lived experiences of its relation to the Islamic tradition in comparative and Muslims often shows a one-sided narrative about gender historical context, drawing on recent work within relations, intra and inter-faith relations, and societal anthropology. While current debates about the limits of relations. In seeking to reduce the impact of such free speech are often framed as an opposition between discourse I speak from a secular position, and also with Islamic versus secular liberal notions, we identify their understanding of the Islamic seminary but with full shared genealogies. We further argue that any such awareness of the limitations of both epistemological debate must address the question of free speech within approaches. Accusations are often brought against the Muslim communities as well as between them and reputed hegemony of such approaches by the ?other? side non-Muslim societies. and this adversarial position creates an unfortunate and Modern liberal Western notions of free speech have a self-defeating binary. Antagonisms are created between deeper history. Philosopher Michel Foucault traced them social conservatism and social liberalism, each back to the ancient Greek concept of parrhesia ? speaking Morgan Clarke is Professor of exaggerated by use of decontextualized argument. truth to power. Candid speech to powerful figures was a Social Anthropology at the This situation is exacerbated by current right wing populist form of ethical speech, performed with the intent of University of Oxford. He is the debates around free speech: freedom of expression is Professor Dr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Iran 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
    IRAN 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia. The constitution states citizens shall enjoy human, political, economic, and other rights, “in conformity with Islamic criteria.” The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the Prophet”). According to the penal code, the application of the death penalty varies depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim. The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution also stipulates five non-Ja’afari Islamic schools shall be “accorded full respect” and official status in matters of religious education and certain personal affairs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, excluding converts from Islam, are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law.” The government continued to execute individuals on charges of “enmity against God,” including two Sunni Ahwazi Arab minority prisoners at Fajr Prison on August 4. Human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to report the disproportionately large number of executions of Sunni prisoners, particularly Kurds, Baluchis, and Arabs. Human rights groups raised concerns regarding the use of torture, beatings in custody, forced confessions, poor prison conditions, and denials of access to legal counsel.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifestation of Religious Authority on the Internet: Presentation of Twelver Shiite Authority in the Persian Blogosphere By
    Manifestation of Religious Authority on the Internet: Presentation of Twelver Shiite Authority in the Persian Blogosphere by Narges Valibeigi A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2012 © Narges Valibeigi 2012 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. Narges Valibeigi ii Abstract Cyberspace has diversified and pluralized people’s daily experiences of religion in unprecedented ways. By studying several websites and weblogs that have a religious orientation, different layers of religious authority including “religious hierarchy, structures, ideology, and sources” (Campbell, 2009) can be identified. Also, using Weber’s definition of the three types of authority, “rational-legal, traditional, and charismatic” (1968), the specific type of authority that is being presented on blogosphere can be recognized. The Internet presents a level of liberty for the discussion of sensitive topics in any kind of religious cyberspace, specifically the Islamic one. In this way, the Internet is expanding the number and range of Muslim voices, which may pose problems for traditional forms of religious authority or may suggest new forms of authority in the Islamic world. The interaction between the Internet and religion is often perceived as contradictory, especially when it is religion at its most conservative practice. While the international and national applications of the Internet have increased vastly, local religious communities, especially fundamentalists, perceived this new technology as a threat to their local cultures and practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Jurisprudential Principles of the Cultural System of the Is- Lamic Republic of Iran
    Propósitos y Representaciones Sep. 2020, Vol. 8, SPE(3), e764 ISSN 2307-7999 Special Number: Teaching for University Students in the Context of Quarantine Measures During Pandemics e-ISSN 2310-4635 http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 CONFERENCE Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Is- lamic Republic of Iran Principios jurisprudenciales del sistema cultural de la República Islámica del Irán Majid Sabzikaran Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Gholam Hassan Delavar Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Mohammad Reza Javaheri Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Received 06-14-20 Revised 08-10-20 Accepted 09-01-20 On line 09-30-20 *Correspondence Cite as: Email: [email protected] Sabzikaran, M., Hassan Delavar, G., & Reza Javaheri, M. (2020). Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Propósitos y Representac- iones, 8 (SPE3), e764. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 © Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, 2020. This article is distributed under license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran Summary Our revolution, unlike other movements and revolutions of the twentieth century, which often had economic and political foundations, was a cultural revolution, and we find carefully in the main slogans of the revolution (independence, freedom, republic and Islam) that Apart from the word "republic", which has a socio-political meaning, other slogans show the cultural foundations of this movement.
    [Show full text]
  • New Analysis of Shia Politics
    POMEPS STUDIES 28 islam in a changing middle east New Analysis of Shia Politics December 2017 Contents Introduction . .. 3 The Ayatollahs and the Republic: The religious establishment in Iran and its interaction with the Islamic Republic . 6 Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Brown University The Najafi Marja‘iyya in the Age of Iran’s Vali-ye Faqih (Guardian Jurist): Can it Resist? . 10 Elvire Corboz, Aarhus University The Source of Legitimacy in the Guardianship of the Jurist: Historical Genealogy & Political Implications . 15 Roozbeh Safshekan, University of Alberta and Farzan Sabet, The Graduate Institute, Geneva Becoming Hezbollahi: Religion and the Unintended Consequences of Propaganda in Post-2009 Iran . .. 20 Shirin Saeidi, The European Centre for the Study of Extremism Unpacking the Welfare-Politics Nexus in the Islamic Republic of Iran . 26 Kevan Harris, University of California-Los Angeles Sectarian Unity as a Form of Governmentality: Assessing the dynamics of Development Policy Making in Lebanon’s Shia Territories . 31 Diana Zeidan, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, IRIS, Paris The Iranian Revolution and Sunni Political Islam . 36 Toby Matthiesen, University of Oxford The Transformation of Shia Politics in the Gulf Monarchies . 39 Laurence Louër, Sciences Po CERI, Paris, France Tilly goes to Baghdad: How the War with Da'esh can create a Shi'a State . 43 Marsin Alshamary, MIT Alawite revivalism in Syria . 48 Hussein Abou Saleh, Sciences Po University, Paris Bringing the ‘Other Islamists’ back in: Sunni and Shia Islamism(s) in a sectarianized new Middle East . 52 Morten Valbjørn, Aarhus University The Project on Middle East Political Science The Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) is a collaborative network that aims to increase the impact of political scientists specializing in the study of the Middle East in the public sphere and in the academic community .
    [Show full text]
  • Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā's Commentary on Uṣūl Al-Kāfī
    Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā's Commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī Seyed Amirhossein Asghari Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, Volume 10, Number 2, Spring 2017, pp. 157-182 (Article) Published by ICAS Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/isl.2017.0011 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/731658 Access provided at 16 Sep 2019 03:20 GMT from Indiana University Libraries Journal of Shi‘a Islamic Studies Spring 2017 . Vol. X . No. 2 Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā’s Commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī SEYED AMIRHOSSEIN ASGHARI Indiana University, Bloomington, USA ABSTRACT: Mullā Ṣadrā’s (c 1571-1640) commentary on Uṣūl al- Kāfī is one of the more famous commentaries on this signiicant Shi‘i hadith collection. For his philosophical and Sui background, Ṣadrā’s approach to the hadith is slightly different and in some ways contrary to the earlier commentators such as`Allāma Majlisī in Shi‘aand Ibn Taymīyya in Sunni Islam. This paper aims to shed light on the way Ṣadrā interprets al-Kāfī and particularly to determine his understanding of the ʿaql (intellect) at the cosmic (as irst created- being) and human levels as presented in the Kitāb al-ʿAql wa al-Jahl (The Book of Intellect and Ignorance). Ṣadrā, already well-versed in the philosophical discourses on ontology and cosmology, inds al-Kāfī as a fertile ground to develop and extend his vision of cosmos and existence. This paper, furthermore, investigates and reviews some later and contemporary scholars’ critiques of Ṣadrā’s view on hadith and intellect.
    [Show full text]
  • Khomeini's Theory of Islamic State and the Making of the Iranian
    Khomeini's Theory of Islamic State and the Making of the Iranian Revolution 1 Mehdi Shadmehr2 1I wish to thank Hassan Ansari, Charles Cameron, Jose Cheibub, Amaney Jamal, Ali Kadivar, Mehran Kamrava, Charles Kurzman, Paulina Marek, Charles Ragin, Kris Ramsay and seminar par- ticipants at the University of Rochester and the University of South Carolina, and MPSA Conference for helpful suggestions and comments. 2Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. E-mail: [email protected]. Phone: (305) 747-5896. Abstract The Iranian Revolution is one of the most influential events of the late twentieth century, with far-reaching consequences that still echo through the rise of Islamic state. Drawing from both primary (interviews, autobiographies, documents, and data) and secondary sources, the paper shows that Khomeini's the doctrine of the Guardianship of the Jurist played a decisive role in the making of the Iranian Revolution by changing the goals and strategies of the religious opposition from reforming government policies to establishing an Islamic state. Khomeini's doctrine was first published in 1970 in his treatise, Islamic State. The paper argues that Khomeini's ideological innovation can account for the sharp contrast between the outcomes of widespread protests in the early 1960s and the late 1970s: they both shook the Pahlavi regime, but the former protests dissipated, while the latter culminated in the Iranian Revolution. Expanding the scope beyond Iran and Islam, the paper explores the role of ideological innovations in the Russian and American Revolutions, and discusses the potentially critical role of ideological innovations in democracy movements in Islamic countries. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations..
    [Show full text]
  • Importance and Effects of Exercising Lenience in Islamic Hadiths
    Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 Importance and Effects of Exercising Lenience in Islamic Hadiths Majid Roohi Dehkrdi1, Mohammad Shariati Kamal Abadi2, Ehsan Roohi Dehkordi3 Abstract Lenience is one of the highly repeated ethical recommendations in Islamic teachings and Muslims have been encouraged to act out and stay adherent to this ethical virtue as stated in many hadiths that express its lofty position and importance and mention its advantages. People’s differences in notions, perspectives, tastes, intellectual capabilities and so forth and their flaws are amongst the matters more revealing the necessity and high position of lenience and exercising it. Lenience means soft and mild treating of the others for such a reason as repelling their wrongdoings towards one’s own self or for such a purpose as not offending them and making them go away from one’s own self or even both. Descriptions like the most admired virtue, being of the same rank as the fulfilling of the obligations, being one of the best deeds, being the fruit of the intellect, being the prelude of wisdom and so forth about lenience in the Islamic hadiths are alone reflective of the importance of this action as viewed by the religion; the followings can be pointed out amongst its effects and advantages: keeping oneself safe against the damages, evildoings and deceits of the others, keeping religion and the human world sound, attracting the opponents to the religion and emergence of friendship and brotherhood. Keywords: Exercising Lenience, Importance of Lenience, Effects of Lenience, Islamic Hadiths 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Battle for the Soul of Shi'ism
    http://www.gloria-center.org/2012/11/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-shi%e2%80%99ism/ THE BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF SHI’ISM November 14, 2012 gloria-center.org By Phillip Smyth This piece will examine the strategies utilized by radicals within the Shi’i clerical realm, namely those who push wilayat al-faqih, the politicized Iranian conception of Shi’ism, on more traditionalist forms of Shi’i Islam. In addition, a look at efforts by those traditionalists to counter Iran’s and their allies’ tactics will be presented with an assessment on how these factors will affect the future of Shi’ism. “If two opposite theories are propagated one will be wrong.” - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib[1] KHOMEINISTS AND QUIETISTS It has been noted that, “By and large, the intellectual landscape of present-day Twelver Shi’ism is much more polymorphic than at any time in the past.”[2] The level of political involvement exerted by Shi’i clerics has been a hotly debated topic since the establishment of the sect. Yet after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the generally demure and apolitical nature of Shi’i Islam, especially at its higher levels, was forever altered, resulting in a new and more politicized facet of Shi’i Islam.[3] For the Shi’i establishment, Khomeini’s new ideology was and is an extremely radical split. Contemporarily, a broad generalization could be made saying, on one side, there are those following “Quietist” traditionalism, a principle of abstention from involvement in politics. On the other end of the divide are clerics who feel they should take a more active role in politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Al-Houthi: 1990-2000 …………………………
    Becoming Ansar Allah: How the Islamic Revolution Conquered Yemen By Oved Lobel Report n. 20, March 2021 BECOMING ANSAR ALLAH Becoming Ansar Allah: How the Islamic Revolution Conquered Yemen About the author: Oved Lobel is a Policy Analyst at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), where he focuses on the geostrategic interplay of Iran, Russia, Israel, and Turkey in the Middle East. His analysis has been widely published in newspapers and journals, including the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, The Australian, CapX, and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), as well as AIJAC’s monthly magazine, The Australia/Israel Review. Cover image credit: Aviva Childress She can be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyaviva/ European Eye on Radicalization 2 BECOMING ANSAR ALLAH Contents Page Introduction ………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………….. 4 Planting the Seeds: 1979-1989 ………………………………………………….………………………………….. 6 The Believing Youth and Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi: 1990-2000 …………………………. 7 The Iran-orchestrated Schism in the Believing Youth and Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi: 2000-2003 ………………………………………………………........... 10 Iran unleashes the Believing Youth: 2004-2010 ………………………………………………………….. 13 Iranian Policy in the Shadow of 9/11 …………………………………………………………………. 13 The Houthis’ War: No Local Matter …………………………………………………………………. 14 The Qaddafi Connection ………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 The West Refuses to See Iran in Yemen ……………………………………………………………. 17 Becoming Ansar Allah: 2011-2014 ……………………………………………...……………………………….
    [Show full text]
  • Reconceptualizing Khomeini the Islamic Republic of Iran and U.S
    Reconceptualizing Khomeini The Islamic Republic of Iran and U.S. Democratization Policies in the Middle East Adam Lewis Political Science Senior Thesis Haverford College May 2010 Adviser: Susanna Wing Table of Contents Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 CHAPTER I The Shift to Democracy Support and the Importance of Engaging Islamists U.S. Democratization Policies in the Middle East 6 CHAPTER II Imagining a Role for Islam in the Public Sphere The Political Thought of Ayatollah Khomeini 29 CHAPTER III The Unexpected Underpinnings of a Theocratic Vision The Mystical Thought of Ayatollah Khomeini 51 CHAPTER IV The Standard Bearers of a Progressive Islamic Project Iranian Discourses on Islam and Democracy 64 Conclusion Reimagining the Role of Iran in the Democratization of the Middle East 87 Appendix I: Timeline: Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution 90 Bibliography 99 Acknowledgements For my family who has given me unending educational opportunities and the unconditional support that has allowed me to take advantage of them to the fullest. For Lauren, for patiently listening to my "inspired" epiphanies about Ayatollah Khomeini and my desperate rants about the thesis I thought I would never finish. For the baseball team who has made sure I haven't made it through a single day of the semester without having at least a little fun. And lastly, for the Haverford Professors who have challenged and inspired me over the past four years. I hope that this project serves as a testament to your labors as well as mine. iv Introduction In January of 1980, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of the newly formed Islamic Republic of Iran, sat down in his house in Qom for an interview with the Middle East Bureau Chief of Time Magazine, Bruce van Voorst.
    [Show full text]
  • Implications of Urwatel Wusqa from the Perspective of Interpreters: Emphasis on the Ideas Presented by the Author of Bayān Al-Sa'ādah Tafsir
    Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND February 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 Implications of Urwatel Wusqa from the Perspective of Interpreters: Emphasis on the Ideas Presented by the Author of Bayān al-sa'ādah Tafsir Hassan Shojae’Bahar Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Department of Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran * Seyyed Hosseien Seyed Mousavi *Corresponding Author: E- mail: [email protected] Hassan Naghizadeh Abstract Quran is a book of guidance and guides us to bliss and happiness. It is necessary for all Muslims to understand and obey its orders. In this regard, Muslim scholars, particularly interpreters, try to explain and interpret its verses. Explaining the concept and implications of “Urwatel Wusqa” has been a remarkable point of attraction for interpretation scholars so that it is a subject for conflicting views. This article tries to answer these questions: What is the concept and meaning of Urwatel Wusqa? What instances have been introduced for the word by interpreters? What is the idea presented by the author of Bayān al-sa'ādah Tafsir? Is his idea consistent or inconsistent with others? The author of Bayān al-sa'ādah Tafsir believes that the meaning of Urwatel Wusqa is guardianship (Welayat); but most interpreters have presented other meanings such as faith, Unity, Islam, Quran, Imams (AS), and Ali (AS) for the concept of Urwatel Wusqa. It seems Urwatel Wusqa cannot be limited to one instance and all cases may be true. Some meanings such as guardianship can be the completed and conclusive meanings. Keywords: Urwatel Wusqa, no force in religion, guardianship, Bayān al-sa'ādah, interpretation.
    [Show full text]
  • Mehdi Khalaji
    IRAN’S REGIME OF RELIGION Mehdi Khalaji Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Islamic Republic has modernized and bureau- cratized the clerical establishment, redefined religion and created institutions to enforce this new definition. The effect has been a transformation of religion into a symbolic form of capital. By monopolizing religious affairs, the political system has become a regime of religion in which the state plays the role of central banker for symbolic religious capital. Consequently, the expansion and monopolization of the religious market have helped the Islamic Republic increase the ranks of its supporters and beneficiaries significantly, even among critics of the government. This article demonstrates how the accumulation of reli- gious capital in the hands of the government mutually influences the nature of the state and the clerical establishment and will continue to do so in Iran’s uncertain future. “The problem is not one of constructing definitions of religion. It is a matter of discovering just what sorts of beliefs and practices support what sorts of faith under what sorts of conditions. Our problem, and it grows worse by the day, is not to define religion but to find it.” Clifford Geertz1 he political orientation of the Shiite clergy did not originate with the Iranian TRevolution in 1979. Shiism had political value in Iran long before the founding of the Islamic Republic. Five centuries ago, the Safavid dynasty established Shiism as the government’s official ideology. This was a historical turning point for the Shiite clerical establishment, which benefited from new political, social and eco- nomic privileges.
    [Show full text]