Shiism And The Democratisation Process In Iran An Evaluation Of Wilayat Alfaqih

"Since the disputed June 2009 presidential elections, international attention has been focussed on Iran as never before. Seeking to make sense of events beyond the headlines, Ibrahim Moussawi addresses the fundaments of Islamic governance in this rigorously researched and compelling book. In particular, he asks that pivotal question: Can democracy and Islam cohere? Addressing Wilayat al-Faqih, or rule by the jurisprudent, the theory upon which the Islamic Republic was constructed, he asserts that the system upholds both individual and communal rights, and provides scope for citizens to express their interests. Moussawi draws on the history and theological underpinnings of Shia Islam to argue that in today's Iran, politics and religion are neither rigid nor in diametric opposition."--