Democracy, Human Rights, and Islam in Modern Iran


Book Description

Henriette Sinding Aasen: Universal and Islamic conception of human rights and justice. Shahla Ezazi: Family in Iran. Shiva Daulatabadi: Education in Iran / Shiva Daulatabadi, Hassan Ashayeri & Morteza Majdfar. Shirin Ebadi: Democracy, human rights, and the Iranian government / Shirin Ebadi & Henriette Sinding Aasen. Fariborz Raisdana: Political economy of poverty in Iran. Krzysztof Gawlikowski: Dialogue among civilizations as a new challenge in the era of globalization.




The Road to Democracy in Iran


Book Description

A famous Iranian dissident calls for universal human rights and democracy based on our common humanity. Akbar Ganji, called by some “Iran's most famous dissident,” was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But, troubled by the regime's repressive nature, he became an investigative journalist in the 1990s, writing for Iran's pro-democracy newspapers. Most notably, he traced the murders of dissident intellectuals to Iran's secret service. In 2000, Ganji was arrested, sentenced to six years in prison, and banned from working as a journalist. His eighty-day hunger strike during his last year in prison mobilized the international human rights community.The Road to Democracy in Iran, Ganji's first book in English, demonstrates his lifelong commitment to human rights and democracy. A passionate call for universal human rights and the right to democracy from a Muslim perspective, it lays out the goals and means of Iran's democracy movement, why women's rights trump some interpretations of Islamic law, and how the West can help promote democracy in Iran (he strongly opposes U.S. intervention) and other Islamic countries. Throughout the book Ganji argues consistently for universal rights based on our common humanity (and he believes the world's religions support that idea). But his arguments never veer into abstraction; they are rooted deeply in the realities of life in Islamic countries, and offer a clear picture of the possibilities for and obstacles to improving human rights and promoting democracy in the Muslim world. Since his release from prison in March 2006, Akbar Ganji has been traveling outside Iran, meeting with intellectuals and activists in the international human rights community. He is currently living in the United States.




Democracy in Modern Iran


Book Description

New perspectives on Iran's relationship to democracy Can Islamic societies embrace democracy? In Democracy in Modern Iran, Ali Mirsepassi maintains that it is possible, demonstrating that Islam is not inherently hostile to the idea of democracy. Rather, he provides new perspective on how such a political and social transformation could take place, arguing that the key to understanding the integration of Islam and democracy lies in concrete social institutions rather than pre-conceived ideas, the every day experiences rather than abstract theories. Mirsepassi, an Iranian native, provides a rare inside look into the country, offering a deep understanding of how Islamic countries like Iran and Iraq can and will embrace democracy. Democracy in Modern Iran challenges readers to think about Islam and democracy critically and in a far more nuanced way than is done in black-and-white dichotomies of Islam vs. Democracy, or Iran vs. the West. This essential volume contributes important insights to current discussions, creating a more complex conception of modernity in the Eastern world and, with it, Mirsepassi offers to a broad Western audience a more accurate, less clichéd vision of Iran’s political reality.




Islam and Democracy in Iran


Book Description

1 Islam and the struggle for democracy in Iran 2 Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari : public and private 3 'Islamic democratic government' 4 'The seminaries and government' : the relation between religious authority and political power 5 From the Berlin Conference : religious intellectualism and its discontents App Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari, 2000-2004.




Islam and Human Rights


Book Description

Contesting stereotypes about a supposedly monolithic Islam inherently incompatible with human rights, Mayer dissects the political motives behind the selective use of elements of the Islamic tradition by conservative groups opposed to democracy and human rights.




Islam and Democracy


Book Description

Are Islam and democracy on a collision course? Do Islamic movements seek to "hijack democracy?" How have governments in the Muslim world responded to the many challenges of Islam and democracy today? A global religious resurgence and calls for greater political participation have been major forces in the post-Cold War period. Across the Muslim world, governments and Islamic movements grapple with issues of democratization and civil society. Islam and Democracy explores the Islamic sources (beliefs and institutions) relevant to the current debate over greater political participation and democratization. Esposito and Voll use six case studies--Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Sudan--to look at the diversity of Muslim experiences and experiments. At one end of the spectrum, Iran and Sudan represent two cases of militant, revolutionary Islam establishing political systems. In Pakistan and Malaysia, however, the new movements have been recognized and made part of the political process. Egypt and Algeria reveal the coexistence of both extremist and moderate Islamic activism and demonstrate the complex challenges confronting ruling elites. These case studies prove that despite commonalities, differing national contexts and identities give rise to a multiplicity of agendas and strategies. This broad spectrum of case studies, reflecting the multifaceted relationship of Islam and Democracy, provides important insight into the powerful forces of religious resurgence and democratization which will inevitably impact global politics in the twenty first century.




Democracy and Islam


Book Description

Islam is of major contemporary interest. It is a topic that is regularly featured in the news and is frequently a debated subject. This book is intended to provide easy reading of basic facts on Democracy and Islam as two systems of governance. These are the series: • Democracy and Islam: Two Systems of Governance • Evolution of the Umma and the Rise of Islam • Muhammad `s Arabia. The Abode of the Prophet of Islam • The Spread of the Islamic Empire from Arabia through the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Eastern and Western Europe. This series of books provides basic information in an easy readable approach. In this book, Democracy and Islam, ideologies, principles, and governance are discussed, highlighting the principal differences and their relevance to law and order, economy, culture, and individualism. Islamic and democratic rules are explored, providing an in-depth understanding of the impact of the two types of governance. Contemporary political scenarios are discussed, providing a background on conflicts in the Middle East and enabling the readers to gauge the progress toward democratization in the nations of Middle East. The next two books explore the circumstances under which Islam was born and how it evolved into the Umma. The fourth book analyzes the forces by which Islam spread through the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe. Primary and secondary sources, websites by acknowledged academic authors, and media reporting current affairs have been sourced. Pursuing these enable the reader to keep abreast with current affairs. A list for further reading encourages the reader to develop a wider knowledge base and pursue a deeper understanding.




Winds of Change


Book Description

The son of the deposed Shah of Iran reflects on Iran's political situation (without mentioning his father) and argues for a campaign of civil disobedience to the current Iranian regime that would hopefully lead to a constitutional monarchy restoring a Pahlavi to the throne of Iran. He discusses energy policy, foreign policy, and the Iranian Diaspora suggesting that the policies of the current clerical leaders of Iran have led to disastrous results for the Iranian people. He counters this with some rather bland bromides about international cooperation, secularization, self-determination, and cultural preservation. If brought back to the throne, he claims he will consult all of the Iranian people in governing the nation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.







Islam and Democracy in Iran


Book Description

"In today's world all eyes are on Iran, which has grappled with an experiment that has had a massive global impact. For some, the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 was the triumph of a modern, political Islam, heralding Muslim justice and economic prosperity. Others, including many of the original revolutionaries, saw religious fanatics attempting to roll back time by creating a despotic theocracy. Either way, the Iranian Revolution changed the Muslim world. It not only inspired the Muslim masses but also reinvigorated intellectual debates on the nature and possibilities of an Islamic state. The new 'Islamic Republic of Iran' combined not just religion and the state, but theocracy and democracy. Yet the revolution's heirs were soon engaged in a protracted struggle over its legacy. Dissident thinkers, from within an Islamic framework, sought a rights-based political order that could accept dissent, tolerance, pluralism, women's rights and civil liberties. Their ideas led directly to the presidency of Mohammad Khatami and, despite their political failure, they did leave a permanent legacy by demystifying Iranian religious politics, and condemning the use of the Shariah to justify autocratic rule. This book tells the story of the reformist movement through the world of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari. An active supporter of the revolution who became one of the most outspoken critics of theocracy, Eshkevari developed ideas of 'Islamic democratic government', which have attracted considerable attention in Iran and elsewhere. In presenting a selection of Eshkevari's writings, this book reveals the intellectual and political trajectory of a Muslim thinker and his attempts to reconcile Islam with reform and democracy. As such it makes a highly original contribution to our understanding of the difficult social and political issues confronting the Islamic world today."--Bloomsbury publishing.