ISLAMIC REVOLUTION STUDIES
Year:2010 | Volume:6 | Issue:19|Papers Count:8

This essay discusses Imam Khomeini's views on the weak points of international relations. The hypothesis is that those weak points can be studied in two levels: structural and functional.In the structural level, Imam Khomeini's political thought reflects that the desired international relations would be based on fair distribution of power, equal financial interactions and maintenance of cultural identity.On the other hand, Imam Khomeini believed that in the functional level the true justice can be fulfilled only when cruelty and tyranny vanish internationally and global peace is achieved.

Discussing the application of political-religious addresses to those politically competent includes two major questions: what conditions should be considered in application of such addresses to man; and who is a politically competent person who has a social identity?The article seeks to answer the above questions according to Imam Khomeini's theory of "Political-Religious addresses ". Based on this theory, political-legal addresses apply to any politically competent person nonspecifically and that is the duty that can apply to a specific person.Imam Khomeini's theory is unique in Principles of Jurisprudence which can pave the way to expand the scope of jurisprudence to the social arena.

This essay discusses the goals of political development in Imam Khomeini' s view. The author suggests that Imam Khomeini believes in fulfillment of Divine rule as the main goal of human life, and hence as the main goal of political development, rather than Materialism and Hedonism. He states that the Western model of materialistic development tries to establish a corporal political development that rejects traditions and religion, and attempts to fulfill a humanistic development with secular features where God is not at the center. On the other hand, Imam Khomeini tried to present his transcendental model of political development in which God rules. He brings up the fulfillment of monotheism as the highest goal in political development.

Believing in Pluralism has led some to find the Islamic principle of " enjoining Good and forbidding evil " contrary to the Humanistic principle of "Religious and social diversity" so that it may impose certain personal or political beliefs to others, pave the way to violence in the society, and clashes among religious sects and ethnic groups and thus, make the Islamic Revolution and society vulnerable from within. This essay examines jurisprudential and historical reasons to reject this supposition, considering the basis of Islamic Revolution. The author tries to prove that this principle is not in contrast to Pluralism, but rather, all people and groups with different attitudes agree with it and endorse it. He notes that considering the significant role of Ijtihad in the political system of Iran after the Islamic revolution in mobilizing people, violence and chaos will not threaten the society.

This article discuses the ideological basis on which the Pahlavi Regime established its Cultural Policies. The author firstly introduced some of significant modernist figures in Iran and their attitudes. Explaining idealogical basis of Pahlavi regim, the article elaborates their influence on cultural policies. Clarifying cultural policies of Pahlavi regim, the article tries to find their origins in intellectuals thoughts and aspirations of constitutionalism era and seeks to express that since their early understanding of modern world was superficial it made the Iranian society emulate the most superficial aspects of western culture and civilization.

Shiite jurists and scholars have taken various Stances toward the symbols and aspects of modern western civilization. The main features of the west, in their idea, are Atheism, Colonization, Technology, and Political system. They believed in confrontation with atheism and colonization and selective utilization of western technology and political system. For selective utilization of technology and political system they considered juristic rules related to Atheists and the permitted use of that kind. Jurisprudential principles applying to atheists are as follows: "the necessity to reject atheists' domination and reinforcement", prohibition of similarity to atheists"," prohibition of friendship and sharing secrets with atheists" and "impurity of atheists".Although they shared common bases theoretically, they differed in concepts and instances in some cases.

Characteristics of the Iranian Autocrat States have always been reflected in religious, social and cultural policies during different time periods. The autocrat ruler first chose the hypocritical and supportive approach toward religion which satisfied many Shiite scholars. Being affected by Liberalism and Nationalism, this was slowly replaced by religious and cultural Modernism, and thus, the attitude and stance of Shiite scholars was changed by this factor. Some dissimulated and were went into isolation which practically made them guilty of not publically objecting. Others faced the government, and there were some impious preachers and clergies who supported the government.