Political Quarterly
Year:2012 | Volume:42 | Issue:1|Papers Count:26

One of the subjects that has been repeatedly addressed in current world political literature, is the story of Holocaust. Based on this story, the Jews claim that during World War 2, by the order of Hitler and with the intention of racism and Anti-Semitism, 6 million Jews were annihilated" extermination camps". Today, after nearly 7 decades from that devastating war, thanks to the endeavor and courage of a small number of conspicuous scholars in the west, the falsehood of the story has scientifically and documentally been demonstrated. The question is that why the Jews fabricated such a big lie? The answer is that the fabrication of Holocaust story was merely a show of the Jews’ being oppressed before the world public opinion, so that, the, so-called, “wandering “ and “oppressed”, Jews could justify their occupance and usurpation of Palestine and, of course, by demanding indemnity from Germany, provide required budget to establish the state of Israel there.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are two of the most visible international economic institutions today. But, they are aften associated with two diametrically opposed players in the global economy. The WTO with the savage rules of the market and OPEC with the demonized intergovernmental manipulation of prices. OPEC has pivotal role as the forum for the negotiations, regulation of petroleum supplies and ultimately of prices and the role of the WTO as a foremost forum of negotiations and regulations of trade in virtually all tradable items at large. This article inquires some lights on the issue of whether the multilateral trading system has any room to accommodate OPEC as an organization and to analyze the interface between these two organizations in the existing international economic order and their respective roles over the petroleum industry.

Ayatollah Beheshti (1928-1981) is one of influential leaders during the Islamic Revolution (1979) and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran. This article focused on his view about "leadership and governance". We try to assess his theory of "nation and leadership". Also, his views on some major principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constitution, adopted in 1358 are reviewed. Dr. Beheshti has special Interpretation on the certain concepts such as Shiite Imamate, ijtihad and government. In this paper, the relationship with this interpretation with of his views about the supreme leadership, sovereignty, constitution, freedom, parties, etc. have been investigated.

In traditional approaches to political culture studying, generally the main focus is on objective and quantitative criteria's such as political involvement rates, sociability, transferring social values or variables relating to political psychology including people's approach to state and the amount of trust to political system. In these attitudes, the meanings that people give to political transformations mainly affected by objective variables and hence they are clear and unambiguous. In new approaches that generally affected by cultural studies, the way of formation of meaning and interpreting its following political transformations is an independent process and can be a criteria for transformation in culture generally and political culture privately. Cultural and political structures or in the other word, the dominant discourses in society show themselves in sense giving process to political phenomenon's and therefore, the studying of this process can help us to achieve an overall understanding of transformations in structures and discourses. The present article attempts to study the relationship between sense giving to high viewer films and transformation in political culture.

The American support for Isreal has been one of the main reasons for the creation and survival of the state of Israel. This paper looks at the “special relation” that exists between the United States and Israel. After a review of the continued support of successive American administrations of the state of Israel, the paper examines the various financial, military and free aid granted to Tel Aviv since the birth od the Zoinist state in 1948. The paper also shows that popular support for and public opinion in favor of Israel had remained strong since then.

Democracy is a form of government in which all the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives. Democracy is not a new concept in the world, but in developed countries, in different discourse, it has new meaning. Democracy encountered crisis in the end of 20th century. Some thinkers believe to diffuse crisis of democracy, a way is to establish governance. This means that democracy must be transfer to democratic governance. How can it be down? In this article I am trying to answer this question. I discuss how democracy can be changed to democratic governance.

Democracy is a form of government in which all the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives. Democracy is not a new concept in the world, but in developed countries, in different discourse, it has new meaning. Democracy encountered crisis in the end of 20th century. Some thinkers believe to diffuse crisis of democracy, a way is to establish governance. This means that democracy must be transfer to democratic governance. How can it be down? In this article I am trying to answer this question. I discuss how democracy can be changed to democratic governance.

Over the past decade or so, fundamentalism and religious factionalism in southern Asia including Pakistan have been on the rise significantly in a way that that country has been named the heartland of fundamentalism and extremist movements in Asia. The creation of the so-called Taliban of Pakistan is one of the features of extremism. Pakistani Taliban has a complex structure, ideologically, and has intertwined with Al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, structurally. Accordingly, this article argues that the factors creating Pakistani Taliban would challenge this country's internal order and security and that of the whole region.

It seems the most important of feature studies about the government in Iran is related to the existence of an independent and articulated political thought in the country. This thought from which is mentioned under different names of "kingship" or "Iranian" thoughts and so on, indicates the organization of government in Iran has based on a powerful theoretical back and worked on it. This article attempts on the light of two theories of oriental despotism and patrimonialism to study its theoretical cohesion. In the same order, it efforts to show the foundation of government in Iran mostly is concentrated not to an articulated and special thought but to practical imperatives and necessities.

One of the most controversial logics related to the spread of nuclear weapons is the theory of "more may be better" which was put forward in the early 1980s by the theorist of neorealism (structural realism) theory، Kenneth Waltz. This theory that is followed by different responses، is a theory according to which، gradual spread (horizontal) of nuclear weapons to other countries should not lead to anxiety and fear, rather it should be welcomed. The main aim of this article is theoretical critique of this viewpoint and explanation of the sort of relation between nuclear spread and regional and global security or insecurity. The issue that this article is about to answer and explain is that whether this issue, the spread of nuclear weapons in the regional and global level, results in stability and security or, on the contrary, in insecurity and instability?. This article reasons that any increase in the number of nuclear club members, not only is not followed by international and regional stability and security consistently and permanently, but it will increase and intensify the risk of confrontation and nuclear war. In this article, first, to get on the point, the history of nuclear spread is pointed out, and after explaining the nuclear deterrence concept, motivations and intentions of nuclearization, as well as the theoretical critique of the neorealism theory. We will address the analysis and critique of the viewpoints of proponents and opponents of nuclear spread. Finally, some guidelines are provided to maintain international and regional peace and security.

Mashrooteh is the most important ground for different Iranian Islamic and west mental- political traditions and their outcome compilation traditions. Members of Islamic Fiqh tradition had different ideas about consistency or inconsistency Isalmic tradition with liberal tradition. In this search a group that believe in consistency Islamic tradition with liberal tradition known as liberal Islam. This tradition with Quran signs and Islamic narratives using tried to prove that liberal tradition is not opposite to Islam tradition but mashrooteh is Islamic concept basically that liberal tradition had borrowed it from Moslems. In spite of some Iranian intellectuals accused liberal Islam tradition to unknown and misapprehend to Mashrooteh and its bases. On this assumption they examine Mashrooteh failure. This article use historical texts to search that their judgment is true or not? Methodologically was the choice of liberal Islam correct? and was it on Islamic Iranian culture and tradition or not?

This essay is a studying the structure of the social mentality of the Iranian society in establishment situation of political Islam discourse. After the event of the Islamic revolution in Iran, Political Islam as the central ideology of the new political system gained a dominant and almost incontestable position. Political disputes constituted in the following years led to the genesis of particularly diversified religious interpretations of Political Islam. Therefore, during the years we have confronted different understandings of religion. These narrations, regarding the important role of religion in the social mentality, lead the public opinion into a kind of agency with the final purposes of the reproduction of current order legitimacy. This essay selecting the analytical field of the presidency elections in three periods (first, fifth and seventh) analyses the said mechanism. The method proposed here is that of discourse analysis.

Throughout the history of the world, the types of governments and administrative systems of societies have had direct impacts on the rights of human beings in general and on those of women in particular. A study of the status of women in different periods of history, and from different aspects, demonstrates that women have been struggling for their rights from the beginning. Over the passage of history, e.g., in pre-historic times, there was a time when there existed no huge gap between men and women and even woman domination can be seen. Gradually, by the growth of economy and advancement in ownership and accumulation of goods, concentration of wealth in the hands of mainly men, led to the monopolization by men of decision-making. Little by little, this led to the creation of inequality of various kinds between men and women in that some are of the view that the only solution to this inequality is to make a positive discrimination in favour of women. As the achievements of this article illustrate, over the past century, the participation of women in the public life of the international society shows an evolutionary progress of their affairs. The advancements in the last decades of the 20th century have developed the said participation. The increasing attention of the world community to human rights and the achievements in the field, together with decolonization movements has made this progress stronger. These developments have had impacts on the world including the Islamic countries.

Following to humanities, science of policy is not static and unchanging; unlike experimental (science) is which are constantly changing and modifying. This modification happens to suit the requirements of various communities. Because, these fundamental concepts like power will have their proper function. When they are compatible with culture of different political systems.so, customization of these concepts according to local norms and values of political systems are essential in order to achieve correct functions of this science. Obviously, form this point, events of Iran can not only be analyzed with the theory of other societies, but it is essential accompanied with some changes, these models should be customized in accordance with the norms of our community and them we analyze events of our society with them. This essay tries to scrutinize, the possibility of customization of political science in Islamic republic of Iran, in terms of constructivism using the hermeneutics studies.

Despite being the member of the international disarmament and non-proliferation conventions i.e. Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) which include their own specific export control regimes, some developed countries established parallel export control regimes that are against their commitments under aforementioned international instruments. These ad-hoc regimes are not open to all members of international community. These regimes would have always been used as a political leverage against targeted states by imposing restrictions and sanctions against them. They restrict the transfer of dual use equipment and materials and high-technology and know-how to targeted states that negatively affect their development process.This article examines how international relations theories can justify the establishment of international as well as ad-hoc non-proliferation regimes. We concluded that the conclusion of International non-proliferation instruments are based on liberal, neo-liberal and interdependence theories while establishing export control regimes are justified by constructivists, economic nationalists and postmodern theories.

Ideology of political dualism reads that there is dichotomy between us and them, between the self and others. Following a brief review of the history of political dualism this paper focuses on the ‘West-and-Islam dualism.’ Considering ideas of two influential and inspiring dualists one from the Western camp and the other from the East, this paper aims to critically evaluate the philosophical assumptions of this ideology. The main argument of the paper is that political dualism, regardless of being used by whom against whom, is a flawed and dangerous political ideology.

Post-Modernism is a predominant approach in theory making while globalizing process. Accordingly, social and political concepts are figured so different from the past epochs. Political development is affected by this approach and is entitled a new attitude which originates from progressing of sciences, production technologies, telecommunications and information exchanging in all sides and levels. As a result, the change in criteria of development, has led in changing of definition, description and explanation, regarding postmodern theories. Power relation, including state, civil society and citizenship, encounters this paradigmatic shift. Sometimes we observe dogmatic and abstract beliefs, sometimes identical and empirical views, and also accompaniment, interaction and contraction among them. Probably, modern attitude can’t analyze the recent problems of political development. Reductionism, dogmatism, absolutism, severe rationalism and scientism are avoided. Relativism and referring to the values and identity of traditional era by considering the norms of Enlightenment Age is obviously important, while recognizing relations between state, civil society and citizenship in attaining an applied pattern for political development in 21st century.

Today, Social Responsibility goes far beyond of its old concepts -philanthropy and donations and is instead all responsibility that a government should do for their engagement in their local national and international duties. Since the social responsibility of government is unlimited, Economy Policy should cover the notions such as social law, public health, private sectors competitive and ethical factors. Each of aforementioned domains is a part of social responsibility and economic policy; therefore, it is obvious that a government will undertake more social responsibility if firstly provides structural capacities and secondly use of its capacity toward the society and authority power of the country. There are different theories regarding social responsibility of government from Viewpoints of political, economical and social groups. Public policy analysts believe that social responsibility of government reveals the supportive intends of government in front of organizations, institutions, corporations and social groups. Social responsibility of government has been taken into consideration since 1960 decades when the multi-national and private companies played crucial role in national, regional and international governance. Attempt has been made by the author to study the factors, components, principals and structural capacities in enforcing the social responsibility of government through economic policy. Transition of some public duties to economic and social groups is one of the realizations of the government's social responsibilities. This paper has been organized on accordance with structural- functional approach in economic policy.

Revolution theoreticians have declared contending and approximately incompatible theories, caused in bewilderment among concerned field enthusiasts. As a result, some have intended to categorize these theories till reduce bewilderment, and make them easier to study. One of these theoreticians is Jack Goldstone who at first categorized theories of revolution into three generations. But after the beginning of 1990s, he suggests, we are transferring into fourth generation of revolution theories that considering the defects of first three revolution theories in explaining revolutions and has more generality in comparison with previous generations, so can be used as complementary beside three previous generations.

Isaiah Berlin on Berlin, trying to show how the conflict between monism and pluralism in two very different concepts of freedom, the freedom to "positive" and "negative" effects, is critical matter. Pluralistic view of Berlin is characterized by the assumption that many possibilities exist for the selection and field of freedom. Main hypothesis of this paper is that "using Isaiah Berlin and pluralistic approach to the selection and choice (both individual and collective level), a theory about the centrality of freedom with negative offers maximum freedom." The main purpose of this paper presents an analytical and critical approach about the concept of freedom and recognition both positive and negative concept of freedom in the political thought of Isaiah Berlin.

Considering Iran's geo-political and geo-energy situation, American statesmen changed their usual strategy towards Iran into the new strategy of containment. Upon this, they conceived vital situation of Iran as an important part of their national security. In Iran's part, taking into account the international and regional situation, statesmen were developing the third force by getting involved the United States in the country's affairs. Iranian statesmen were concerning of their relations with the United States as main part of their thinking to overcome a chain of foreign and domestic crises which stemmed from geo-political and geo-energy situation of Iran. This was imagined as main way of keeping the country's independence.