Journal of Political Science and International Relations

| Peer-Reviewed |

The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles

Received: Sep. 11, 2019    Accepted: Oct. 24, 2019    Published: Dec. 17, 2019
Views:       Downloads:

Share This Article

Abstract

The current Iranian constitution is the product of two irreconcilable and at times contradictory perspectives, i.e., a merger of the traditional guidelines from Shiite Islam (or Sharia law) with some principles similar in spirit to the French constitution. The purpose of this literature review is to objectively examine the contents of the Iranian constitution and elaborate on the similarities and differences compared with the principles enshrined in the French constitution that made France a major cradle of Western democracy. Despite the limited analytical literature available on the subject, the authors selected the relevant articles and books to critically compare and contrast the language and spirit of the Iranian constitution versus its French counterpart. The Iranian constitution is a reflection of the Islamic theocracy and fundamentalism, combined with democratic-appearing but irreconcilable articles to govern the nation’s affairs by three branches of independent yet controlled government. The constitution provides the freedom to obey the absolute and unaccountable Leader, and the 177 articles that are claimed to be sufficient for prosperity in this world and the eternal life after. The outcome of the Iranian constitution, which was never tested in a real society before its ideals were put into practice in Iran, suggest that the Islamic guidelines are not reconcilable for the most part with those of the modern democracies as a method of governance in the 21st century.

DOI 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13
Published in Journal of Political Science and International Relations ( Volume 2, Issue 4, December 2019 )
Page(s) 93-100
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Constitution, Democracy vs Theocracy, Sharia Law, Globalization, Fundamentalism, Separation of Powers

References
[1] Castells M. The Power of Identity (The Information Age). Blackwell Publishers. Oxford, UK, 2003.
[2] Robertson R. European Globalization in Global Context. Palgrave Macmillan. Hampshire, UK, 2014.
[3] Catarina Kinnvall C. Globalization and Religious Nationalism: Self, Identity, and the Search for Ontological Security. Political Psychology. 2004; 25 (5): 741-767.
[4] Esposito JL. Who speaks for Islam? What a billion Muslims really think. Gallup Press. New York, USA, 2009.
[5] Wall J. Democratizing Democracy: The Road from Women’s to Children’s Suffrage. International Journal of Human Rights. Special Issue, ed. Sonja Grover. 2014; 18 (6): 646-659.
[6] Chtatou M. Is Democracy out of Reach for Much of the Middle East? Available at: https://intpolicydigest.org/2017/01/24/democracy-reach-much-middle-east/.
[7] Hamid S. The Struggle for Middle East Democracy. Brookings University. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-struggle-for-middle-east-democracy/.
[8] Yildirim N. Leadership in the Middle East: Culture, Power or Democracy? Turkey Tribune. Available at: https://www.turkeytribune.com/2017/05/leadership-in-the-middle-east-culture-power-or-democracy/.
[9] Perlini C. Democracy in the Middle East: External Strategies and Domestic Politics. IRIA Report No. Available at: http://www.ir-ia.com/reports/Democracy-in-the-Middle-East.pdf.
[10] Miller D. Is Islam a religion of peace? The West’s definition of ‘peace’ differs dramatically from Islam’s. Available at: https://world.wng.org/2014/10/is_islam_a_religion_of_peace.
[11] Levinson S, Balkin JM. Democracy and dysfunction: An exchange. Indiana Law Review. 2015; 50: 281-285. https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/ilr/pdf/vol50p281.pdf.
[12] Van Reybrouck D. Why elections are bad for democracy. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/29/why-elections-are-bad-for-democracy.
[13] Report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. State of democracy, human rights and the rule of law: Available at: https://edoc.coe.int/en/an-overview/6926-pdf-state-of-democracy-human-rights-and-the-rule-of-law.html.
[14] Mizruchi S. Introduction to Religion and Cultural Studies. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 2001. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Cultural-Studies-Susan-Mizruchi/dp/0691005036/.
[15] Borbor D. A Comparative Overview of the Iranian Constitutions of 1906-07 and 1979. In: Iran and the Caucasus. Publisher, BRILL. 2006; 10 (2): 263-286. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4030928.
[16] Amir Arjomand S. Governance in the Constitutions of Iran: A comparative perspective. Stony Brook Institute for Global Studies. ISMC’s Dialogues Series 2015-6; pp: 1-10. Available at: https://www.aku.edu/govprogramme/papers/Documents/Said%20Arjomand_Governance%20in%20the%20Constitutions%20of% 20Iran_ENGLISH.pdf.
[17] Garrett W. Social Consequences of Religious Belief. New Ecumenical Research Association (Unification Theological Seminary). Paragon House Publishers. New York, 1989.
[18] Lyden J. Enduring Issues in Religion: Opposing Viewpoints. Green haven Press, Inc., 1995. Available at: https://www.gettextbooks.co.in/isbn/9781565102606.
[19] Shannon MK. The Window: Negotiating Modernization and Rights during the Kennedy Era. In: Losing Hearts and Minds: American-Iranian Relations and International Education During the Cold War. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, USA. 2017; Chapter 2, pp: 43-68.
[20] Curtis M. Is Islamic Ideology Totalitarian? Available at: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3348/islamic-ideology-totalitarian.
[21] Bale J. Islamism and Totalitarianism. In: Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions. 2009; 10 (2): 73-96.
[22] Rivera JE, Castillo S. The Secularization of Discourse in Contemporary Latin American Neoconservatism. The Religious Studies Project. https://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/podcast/the-secularization-of-discourse-in-contemporary-latin-american-neoconservatism.
[23] Walker J. Religious Belief and Violence in the Middle East. Available at: https://www.nobeliefs.com/religiouswars.htm.
[24] Horowitz J, Sahgal N. Modernizers vs. Fundamentalists: How Religion, Politics and Economics Shape Attitudes in the Muslim World. 2011. APSA 2011 Annual Meeting Paper. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1899738.
[25] Cerar Miro. The Relationship between Law and Politics. Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law. 2009; 15 (1): 1-23. Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/annlsurvey/vol15/iss1/3.
[26] Said A. Three observations on religion, politics, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Social Science Research Council. Brooklyn, NY, USA. April 1, 2014. https://tif.ssrc.org/2014/04/01/three-observations-on-religion-politics-and-the-muslim-brotherhood/.
[27] Atassi N. Democracy and Sharia Law: Mutually exclusive or mutually misunderstood? Chicago Monitor, June 5, 2013. http://chicagomonitor.com/2013/06/democracy-and-sharia-law-mutually-exclusive-or-mutually-misunderstood/.
[28] Baima NR. Plato: The Laws. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Florida Atlantic University. Florida, USA. Available at: https://www.iep.utm.edu/pla-laws/.
[29] 1979 Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini's Role in the Revolution. Bartleby Research. Available at: https://www.bartleby.com/essay/1979-Iranian-Revolution-and-Ayatollah-Khomeinis-Role-PKJ8X3PZTC.
[30] Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran.
[31] Fyffe CA. A History of Modern Europe – Vol. 2. Available at: https://www.questia.com/library/94956976/a-history-of-modern-europe.
[32] Mitzman A. Max Weber, German sociologist. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Max-Weber-German-sociologist.
[33] Prosperity Theology. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology.
[34] Qvortrup M. The Political Philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The impossibility of reason. Manchester University Press. Manchester, UK. Available at: http://library.umac.mo/ebooks/b28028284.pdf.
[35] Boothe BB. Montesquieu defined separation of powers in democratic government (throwing out tyranny). Politics. Boothe Global Perspectives. Available at: https://bootheglobalperspectives.com/article/1523915876WBG288450464/montesquieu-defined-separation-of-powers-in-democratic-government-throwing-out-tyranny.
[36] Ahmad M. Elucidation of Freedom, Slavery and Islamic teachings. Al Islam: Ahmadyya Muslim Community. Friday Sermon, Nov. 25th, 2011. Available at: https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2011-11-25.html.
[37] Sajid A. Common Moral Grounds for the Common Good: An Islamic Perspective. Universal Peace Federation. Available at: https://uk.upf.org/leadership-conferences/494-common-moral-grounds-for-the-common-good-an-islamic-perspective.
[38] Mondal P. Speech on Democracy: Meaning, Types and Problems of Democracy. Available at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/speech/speech-on-democracy-meaning-types-and-problems-of-democracy/31367.
[39] Inozemtsev V. The Cultural Contradictions of Democracy. The American Interest. Available At: https://www.the-american-interest.com/2012/02/01/the-cultural-contradictions-of-democracy/.
[40] Somin I. More on libertarian skepticism about democracy – A rejoinder to Will Wilkinson. Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/11/17/more-on-libertarian-skepticism-about-democracy-a-rejoinder-to-will-wilkinson/.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Sara Zalzar, Sadegh Zibakalam. (2019). The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles. Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 2(4), 93-100. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Sara Zalzar; Sadegh Zibakalam. The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles. J. Polit. Sci. Int. Relat. 2019, 2(4), 93-100. doi: 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Sara Zalzar, Sadegh Zibakalam. The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles. J Polit Sci Int Relat. 2019;2(4):93-100. doi: 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13,
      author = {Sara Zalzar and Sadegh Zibakalam},
      title = {The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles},
      journal = {Journal of Political Science and International Relations},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {93-100},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jpsir.20190204.13},
      abstract = {The current Iranian constitution is the product of two irreconcilable and at times contradictory perspectives, i.e., a merger of the traditional guidelines from Shiite Islam (or Sharia law) with some principles similar in spirit to the French constitution. The purpose of this literature review is to objectively examine the contents of the Iranian constitution and elaborate on the similarities and differences compared with the principles enshrined in the French constitution that made France a major cradle of Western democracy. Despite the limited analytical literature available on the subject, the authors selected the relevant articles and books to critically compare and contrast the language and spirit of the Iranian constitution versus its French counterpart. The Iranian constitution is a reflection of the Islamic theocracy and fundamentalism, combined with democratic-appearing but irreconcilable articles to govern the nation’s affairs by three branches of independent yet controlled government. The constitution provides the freedom to obey the absolute and unaccountable Leader, and the 177 articles that are claimed to be sufficient for prosperity in this world and the eternal life after. The outcome of the Iranian constitution, which was never tested in a real society before its ideals were put into practice in Iran, suggest that the Islamic guidelines are not reconcilable for the most part with those of the modern democracies as a method of governance in the 21st century.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Iranian Constitution: A Compilation of Irreconcilable Articles
    AU  - Sara Zalzar
    AU  - Sadegh Zibakalam
    Y1  - 2019/12/17
    PY  - 2019
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13
    T2  - Journal of Political Science and International Relations
    JF  - Journal of Political Science and International Relations
    JO  - Journal of Political Science and International Relations
    SP  - 93
    EP  - 100
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-2785
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jpsir.20190204.13
    AB  - The current Iranian constitution is the product of two irreconcilable and at times contradictory perspectives, i.e., a merger of the traditional guidelines from Shiite Islam (or Sharia law) with some principles similar in spirit to the French constitution. The purpose of this literature review is to objectively examine the contents of the Iranian constitution and elaborate on the similarities and differences compared with the principles enshrined in the French constitution that made France a major cradle of Western democracy. Despite the limited analytical literature available on the subject, the authors selected the relevant articles and books to critically compare and contrast the language and spirit of the Iranian constitution versus its French counterpart. The Iranian constitution is a reflection of the Islamic theocracy and fundamentalism, combined with democratic-appearing but irreconcilable articles to govern the nation’s affairs by three branches of independent yet controlled government. The constitution provides the freedom to obey the absolute and unaccountable Leader, and the 177 articles that are claimed to be sufficient for prosperity in this world and the eternal life after. The outcome of the Iranian constitution, which was never tested in a real society before its ideals were put into practice in Iran, suggest that the Islamic guidelines are not reconcilable for the most part with those of the modern democracies as a method of governance in the 21st century.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Political Science, Azad University, Chaloos Campus, Chaloos, Iran

  • Department of Political Science, School of Law & Political Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

  • Section