Iran, Islam and the Rule of Law
The Wall Street Journal / Francis Fukayama
27-Jul-2009 (4 comments)

Political scientists categorize the Islamic Republic of Iran as an “electoral authoritarian” regime of a new sort. They put it in the same basket as Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela or Vladimir Putin’s Russia. By this view, Iran is fundamentally an authoritarian regime run by a small circle of clerics and military officials who use elections to legitimate themselves. Others think of Iran as a medieval theocracy. Its 1979 constitution vests sovereignty not in the people, but in God, and establishes Islam and the Quran as the supreme sources of law. The truly problematic part of the constitution is Section Eight (Articles 107-112) on the Guardian Council and the “Leader.” All the democratic procedures and rights in the earlier sections of the constitution are qualified by certain powers reserved to a council of senior clerics. These powers, specified in Article 110, include control over the armed forces, the ability to declare war, and appointment powers over the judiciary, heads of media, army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Another article lays out conditions under which the Supreme Leader can be removed by the Guardian Council. But that procedure is hardly democratic or transparent. Eliminating religion altogether from the Iranian Constitution is more problematic. The rule of law prevails not because of its formal and procedural qualities, but because it reflects broadly held social norms. If future Iranian rulers are ever to respect the rule of law as tr... >>>

Ali Lakani

This protest is not about regime change

by Ali Lakani on

I agree with Fukayama that the Green Movement is entirely about reforms to Islamic Republic of Iran.  It is not about a regime change at all, even though many of us might like to see that happen sooner than later.  If we want to support the movement inside Iran, we have to understand what the protesters' demands are.



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AK69

R U Kidding Me???

by AK69 on

- Okay tell me .... if we offered Regime Change or Slight Adjustment To Shia Law (Maybe; let's vote on it), that the "protesters" would choose anything but regime change!

OMG Kill me now, please LOL

AK69 

Bar Labe Goore Man, Avaz Bekhan


oktaby

Fukuyama is the same jackass

by oktaby on

That predicted a boring eventless world in his then (1992) post Soviet famous pronouncemnt called 'The End of History' that made him a political right & elite media superstar. Idiot biggots like this hiding in the cloak of Think Tanks are dime a dozen (remember Pearl, Wolfowitz....). In any place of repute he should have gone and hid under a ton of rock and never come out. But here he is again being recycled with his half baked assanine 'analysis' about a place he understands nothing about, a culture he would not comprehend if he was slapped with it, and with a bias that will never allow him to see anything clearly. One would think that after 17 years he has matured marginally but nooooo that's too much to ask. Looks like you want to defend this murderous regime and and have found Fukuyama's shadow to hide under. At least go read on this deufesses past & track record before endorsing him to support your unjustifiable position.


Abarmard

I agree Mr. Lakani

by Abarmard on

There are many people on this site, and out of Iran that want to dictate their path to the rest. That's the reason we have no opposition to the Islamic Republic.

The talks of many others that I am in line with has been that if anything needs to happen, it has to happen from within. 

At this time, the issue is not regime change, although I believe that the people will eventually arrive to that. If something revolutionary happen to Iran that Reforms takes place, than everything will be fine, but that's just a dream.