Источниковедение и историография Афганистана и Ирана
35
Saied Hamed Azimi (Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, Iran)
Development of the Theory of Religious Democracy
in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The article is dedicated to the notion of “democracy”— the main discourse among
modern political scholars. “Democracy” was invented in the West, and the theory
of democracy in the universe is western. The modern western theory of democracy
misleads people; today it is being used as an American “export good” for wreckage
of the third world’s countries, including those of the Middle East, as before that of
the Former Soviet Union republics. After the communist regimes were demolished,
western democracy became the only universally accepted way for legitimating
government, and today there are no competitors in the world against “democracy.”
Communism is dead, militarism is no longer attractive and legitimate as well; thus
only the Islamic government model could be morally and ideologically attractive
to turn into a supplant model for western democracy. However, since this model is
Islamic, it can only be implemented in Islamic societies.
One can not forget numerous challenges of today Islamic world, which is holding
its position in the world from inside and outside, neither inner social problems related
to unfair distribution of wealth and lack of political freedom in Arabic and Islamic
countries. However, main attention has to be paid to theoretical, ideological aspects of
the problem.As therewas not concept of “democracy” in Islam, it was necessary towork
out the conception of “Islamic democracy”. Sunni people could not do that, because they
acceptedwestern notion of democracy. However, Khomeini and his followers did it. The
repeated statement of Imam regarding the importance of people’s participation in Islamic
government illustrates his deep belief into the basic right of people in this respect.
There are, however, some points to take into consideration in the discussion
aimed at religious democracy. “Religious Democracy” is feasible in communities,
where people freely and being based on their deep beliefs, account
religion
as the
most trustable source for thought and act, i. e. the source for their individual and
social behavior.
The paper will follow in detail main aspects of the theory of “Islamic Democracy”
developed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Goodarz Rashtiani
(University of Tehran; Historical Archive of Russia, St. Petersburg)
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