ISLAMIC POLITICS RESEARCH
Year:2013 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:6

The present article tries to answer this question: How Sayyid Qutb, as a distinguished Sunni thinker and one of the pioneers of awakening in the Islam world, who had a great and lasting effect on the Islamic movements and thinkers, analyzed and criticized Secularism on the basis of Path (Sirat) metaphor in two circumstances of producing content and rhetorical interpretation? (Question)From Sayyid Qutb's point of view, western world, which has an undeniable effect on other parts of the world, and also Islam world face a crisis resulting from Secularism (Hypothesis). In the present article, we have tried to prove this hypothesis through content analysis and interpretation method (Method), and to show the saving power of Islam for getting rid of Secularism crisis. Proving the unique role of Islam and Islamic Rise in sketching the future of the world is one of the results which we achieved in this article (Findings).

The Holy Quran, the most certain divine message for human felicity, in spite of being always at all people of the world's disposal after revelation, has not been given serious attention in solving cumbersome problems which prevents man from achieving felicity. To fill this gap the following question must be answered: How can we solve political problems by utilizing the Holy Quran? (Objective) Discovering this" How" is possible through thematic interpretation of politics in the Quran and its authorization along with islamization of political knowledge (Hypothesis). Investigating this hypothesis depends on the identification and explanation of approaches of political studies in the Holy Quran (Method) with the intention of showing the scientific authority of the Quran (Objective). Accordingly, it should be mentioned that second rate studies (the influence of the Quran on political studies) are preferable to first rate studies (investigating the political viewpoints of the Quran) (Findings).

Although a lot of research has been done on the relationship between ethics and religion and also their interaction with various sciences, a clear picture of the relationship of ethics and politics in the light of Sharia, for solving the existing doubts, is not presented. In this regard, Mulla Sadra Shirazi established a new philosophical system (transcendent wisdom) to show the relation of ethics and politics, which was comprehensive of intellect and revelation. However, the question to be answered is how he could achieve this (Question). In transcendent wisdom, since ethics makes use of two sources of intellect and revelation, it possesses the required capability to have relationship with politics (Hypothesis).Investigating the relationship between wisdom and Sharia in transcendent wisdom and then analyzing the relationship between ethics and politics is a way of assessing the hypothesis of the present article (Method). In this comparison we have sought to show that the ethics which is originated from wisdom and Sharia, with a comprehensive look at the dimensions of man and community, can promise the Utopia (Objective). The need for simultaneous attention to wisdom, Sharia, ethics, man and community, as the tools of achieving the Utopia, is from among the results of the present article (Findings).

The emergence of the moderate Islam thought in Turkey and its dominance in the sociopolitical arena in this country is one of the phenomena in the Islam world which needs serious consideration. After the Islamic Awakening movement, it has been tried to introduce this discourse- which has been able to pass Ataturk's rigid laicism and push political Islamists (Erbakani) to the margin based on a pluralistic understanding of Islam – as a pattern for a desired Islamic government in modern political systems and a model of the Islamic revolution of Iran for Arab countries.The question which caused the authors of the present article to investigate the political approaches of moderate Islam is: what are the features of this discourse that western countries seek to use it as a pattern for Islamic countries? (Question) To answer this question, the authors believe that the existence of a kind of Sufi inclination in Turkish moderate Islam and its integration with western thoughts has caused this interpretation of Islam to be more applicable in this country and the same issue is reflected in the political approaches of this discourse (Hypothesis). Hence, to prove this claim, the present work, while presenting a brief report of the process of the emergence of this discourse in Turkey and introducing its founders and leaders, the approach of this discourse towards the position of politics in Islam and other related issues- like the role of government in Islamic community, Islam and western liberalism, Islam and revolution and also Islamic civilization- are investigated (Method).The authors of the present article, who tried to show the challenges of Turkish liberal Islam in confronting political Islam (Objective), reached some conclusions such as the implementation of new Ottoman thought in Turkish moderate Islam and also the activities of Erdogan's government to propagate a new kind of religious Secularism.

Applying western discourse of development in Muslim countries has had some unpleasant results, one of which has been Muslims' doubt on various and modern dilemmas of development. But what is the way that Islam opens in confronting contemporary western theories of development? (Question) Islamic discourse of development, being affected by changes of Islam history and religious reform movements, has opened a new way for Muslims based on religious teachings and Imam Khomeini's political thoughts (Hypothesis). Investigating this discourse is possible in the light of considering religious unity, Islamic integrity, national interests and its effect on the birth and continuity of development (Method).In the present article, we have tried to prove that Islamic discourse of development in its theoretical and practical principles enjoys appropriate firmness and consolidation (Objective). Also, we concluded that the need for public determination for implementation of the Islamic discourse, the need for establishing suitable and active civil institutions, and people's diligence and care for religious values are the prerequisites for achieving development (Findings).

America's hostile relations with Iran, after the Islamic revolution, inclined many Americans to write books and articles about Iran. Robert Baer, the author of the book The Devil We Know (Dealing with the New Iranian Super Power), is one of these people. Nevertheless, we should ask whether they have been able to show a different picture of the contemporary (new) Iran or not? (Question)The author of this book, although tried to sketch a new picture of Iran as a regional super power in order to encourage American politicians to negotiate with Iran, has not been able to convince Americans to do so, since he regarded Iran's policies as being aggressive and expansionist. (Hypothesis)The authors of the present article have tried to analyze Robert Baer's work as well as introducing it to show that writings like this try to draw a devilish picture of Iran in a delicate and implicit manner (Objective). The results of the present article include the integration of American's picture of Iran with Zionist views, American writers and officials lack of understanding about the nature of the Islamic revolution, America's planning for suppression of Shiite Crescent and its heartland, i.e. Iran (Findings).