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The Islamic Republic of. IRAN. Overview of Iran. Major Ethnic Groups of Iran. Talysh. Azeri. Kurd. Turkmen. Guilak. Mazandarani. Kurd. Persian. Uninhabited Area. Estimate: Persians (65%), Azeris (16 %), Kurds (7%), Lurs (6%), Arabs (2%), Baluchi (2%),
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Major Ethnic Groups of Iran Talysh Azeri Kurd Turkmen Guilak Mazandarani Kurd Persian Uninhabited Area Estimate: Persians (65%), Azeris (16 %), Kurds (7%), Lurs (6%), Arabs (2%), Baluchi (2%), Turkmens (1%), Turkic tribal groups such as the Qashqai (1%), Non-Iranian, non-Turkic groups such as Armenians, Assyrians, and Georgians Laks, Qashqai, Armenians, Persian Jews, Georgians, Assyrians, Circassians, Tats, Mandaeans, Gypsies, Brahuis, Hazara, Kazakhs and others (less than 1%). Persian (Farsi) is spoken as a mother tongue by at least 65% of the population and as a second language by a large proportion of the remaining 35%. Iranian Arab Lur Qashqai Balooch Iranian Arab
Geographic Setting • Territory of Iran is inhospitable to agriculture • Great Salt Desert and two mountain ranges • Rain-fed agriculture confined mostly to northwest • Pastoral nomads • Major obstacle to economic development • Overcome recently by oil revenues • Population centers located mostly on oasis, rivers, and constructed irrigation networks • Iran on strategic crossroads areas, making it vulnerable to invasion • Central Asia and Turkey • Indian subcontinent and Middle East • Arabian Peninsula and Caucasus Mountains • Considered boundary between Europe and Asia • Population reflects invasions • Majority speaks Farsi
Critical Junctures • Modern Iran traces roots to sixth century B.C.E. • Islamic religion traced to Arab invasions of seventh century • Four critical junctures shaped Iran’s current national identity, geographic boundaries, interpretation of Islam (Shi’ism), and political system • Safavid Dynasty 1501-1722 • Qajar Dynasty 1794-1925 • Pahlavi Dynasty 1925-1979 • Revolution of 1979 • Led to establishment of current Islamic Republic
What is an Ayatollah • Means sign of God, • Given to Shi‘is clerics who have amassed many followers and become experts in religious, ethical, philosophical, and jurisprudence matters. • It is the highest rank of Shi‘is theologians. • Ayatollahs do not exist in the Sunni Islamic sect; • Sunni Islam does not have such a formal religious hierarchy as the Shi'a • In the absence of the Madhi (12th Imam), Shi’is believe the authority to interpret Shari’a should be in the hands of the senior clerical scholars- Ayatollahs
Iranian Constitution • Islamic constitution drawn up by Assembly of Religious Experts after 1979 revolution • Amended 1989 by Council for the Revision of the Constitution • Mixture of theocracy and democracy • Preamble affirms: belief in God, Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad, Twelve Imams, return of Hidden Imam, faith in Khomeini’s doctrine • Declares that laws, institutions, state organizations must conform to “divine principles”
Highest Position in Iran The Supreme Leader
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran • The Islamic Republic has had two Supreme Leaders in its history: • Ruhollah Khomeini • who held the position from 1979 until his death in 1989 • Ali Khamenei, who has held the position since succeeding Khomeini in 1989.
The Supreme Leader • The Supreme Leader of Iranرهبر انقلاب, • Is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. • The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists* • The title "Supreme" Leader • is often used as a sign of respect; however, this terminology is not found in the constitution of Iran, • which simply referred to the "Leader" *Guardianship of the Jurist is a post-Age-of-Occultation theory in Shi'a Islam which holds that Islam gives a faqih (Islamic jurist) or fuqaha (jurists) custodianship or guardianship over those in need of it.
Powers of the Supreme Leader • Responsible for delineation and supervision of the general policies of the Republic • Sets policy guidelines • Link between branches of government • Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces • Controls the military intelligence and security operations • Has sole power to declare war and peace • Appoints the: • Heads of the Judiciary • Heads of State Radio and Television Network • Military Foces • Six of the Twelve members of the Council of Guardians • Preachers • Can eliminate and dismiss presidential candidates and President himselg • Grant Amnesty
Challenges To The Supreme Leader • Many clerics have criticized both Khomeini and his succesorKhamenei for two reasons. • Criticized for its active participation in daily political affairs. • The powers held by the Supreme Leader and participation in all aspects of life by a scholar should have been a position solely for the Twelfth Imam. • MahmoudAhmadinejadhad to make clear after his election that the country needs to work to hasten the return of the real leader of Iran – the Twelfth Imam
Challenges to The Supreme Leader • Islamic Republic is often described as a regime of the ayatollahs • More run by Mid-Ranking Clerics today • High-Ranking do not want to be associated with Khamenei • Did not want to be with Khomeini either • Disagreed with notion of Jurist’s Guardianship
Expediency Council • The Expediency Discernment Council of the System • is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader • Set up to resolve differences or conflicts between the Majlis and the Council of Guardians, but, • “Its true power lies more in its advisory role to the Supreme Leader." • The Leader "delegated some of his own authority to the council — granting it supervisory powers over all branches of the government" — following President MahmoudAhmadinejad's election in 2005.
2nd Highest Position in Iran The President
The President • Elected by universal suffrage for 4 year terms • Can only be re-elected for one term • Must be approved by the Council of Guardians
Powers of The President • Responsible for implementation of Const. • Appoints & supervises the Council of Ministers • Coordinates government decisions • Selects government policies to be placed before legislature • Has 8 Vice Presidents, Cabinet of 22 ministers • Appoints: • ministers of intelligence and defense, but does not control armed forces • Provincial Governors • Town Mayors • Ambassadors • Directors of organizations: Oil, Electricity, Bank
President MahmoudAhmadinejad • The main political leader of the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran • A coalition of conservative political groups in the country. • An engineer and teacher from a poor background, • Appointed a provincial governor, after Revolutuion. • He was removed after the election of President Mohammad Khatami and returned to teaching. • Tehran's council appointed him mayor in 2003. • He took a religious hard-line, reversing reforms of previous moderate mayors. • His 2005 presidential campaign, supported by the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, garnered 62% of the runoff election votes, and he became President on August 3 2005.
Ahmadinejad’s Policies • Controversial figure both within Iran and internationally. • Domestic Policies: • Has been criticized domestically for his economic lapses and disregard for human rights • He launched a gas rationing plan in 2007 to reduce the country's fuel consumption, • Cut the interest rates private and public banking facilities could charge. • He supports Iran's nuclear energy program. • His election to a second term in 2009 was widely disputed and caused widespread protests domestically and drew significant international criticism regarding its legitimacy • Foreign Policies: • Ahmadinejad is an outspoken critic of the United States, Israel, and United Kingdom. • Refuses to recognize Israel as a legitimate nation • He advocates "free elections" for the region, and believes Palestinians need a stronger voice in the region's future.[23]
The Bureaucracy • President heads huge bureaucracy • Expanded to provide jobs for many college and high school graduates • 1979: 300,000 civil servants, 1 million employees • 1990’s: 600,000 civil servants, 1.5 million employees • Important ministries: • Culture and Islamic Guidance- controls media, proper conduct in life • Intelligence • Clergy dominate bureaucracy
Semi-Public Institutions • Supposedly autonomous • Directed by clerics appointed personally by the leader • Annual income may be half of that of the government • Exempt from taxes • Paid in foreign currency
The Assembly of Experts • A deliberative body of 86 Mujtahids (Islamic scholars) that is charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities. • Elects and dismisses the Supreme Leader on the basis of qualification and popular esteem • Members of the assembly are elected from a government-screened list of candidates by direct public vote to eight-year terms. • Current laws require the assembly to meet for at least two days, twice annually. • Responsible for supervising the Supreme Leader in the performance of legal duties
The Assembly of Experts • The Experts are to review and consult among themselves concerning Islamic jurists possessing the qualifications of leadership. • Constitutionally these criteria include "Islamic scholarship, justice, piety, right political and social perspicacity, prudence, courage, administrative facilities and adequate capability for leadership.“ • In the event they find one of the jurists better versed in Islamic regulations, the subjects shall elect him as Supreme Leader. • Otherwise, in the absence of such a candidate, the Experts shall elect and declare one of themselves as Supreme Leader.[6]
Criticism of the Assembly of Experts • The assembly for instance has never invited the leader to its meetings. • Iran's leader has never been asked to offer a report of his performance over the last few decades. • Instead the members of the assembly met with the leader on several occasions to have his advice. • The assembly has very few meetings annually and the members mainly discuss subjects not related to their duties, as commenting on the president and government's policies and Iran's foreign policy. • As all of their meetings and notes are strictly confidential, the Assembly has never been known to challenge any of the Supreme Leader's decisions.
The Council of Guardians • An appointed and constitutionally-mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence • Membership is for phased six-year terms: half the membership changes every three years. • Iranian constitution calls for the council to be • Six Islamic jurists, • "conscious of the present needs and the issues of the day" • selected by the Supreme Leader of Iran, • Six Muslim jurists, • specializing in different areas of law • to be elected by the Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) • from jurists nominated by the Head of the Judicial Power,“ • (who, in turn, is also appointed by the supreme leader).
Legislative Powers of Council of Guardians • Ensure the compatibility of the legislation passed by the Majlis with the criteria of Islam and the Constitution • (as the watchdog of the constitution it can veto any law passed by the Majlis) • The Guardian Council does not introduce bills, but… • Any bill passed by the Majlis must be reviewed and approved by the Guardian Council • According to Article 96 of the constitution, the Guardian Council holds veto power over all legislation approved by the Majlis. • It can nullify a law based on two accounts: • being against Islamic laws, • being against the constitution. • If any law is rejected, it will be passed back to the Majlis for correction. • If the Majlis and the Council of Guardians cannot decide on a case, it is passed up to the Expediency Council for a decision.
Judicial and Electoral Functions of the Guardian Council • Judicial Authority: • The Council of Guardians also functions similar to a constitutional court • The authority to interpret the constitution is vested in the Council • interpretative decisions require a three-quarters majority of the Council. • However, it does not conduct a court hearing where opposing sides are argued. • Electoral Authority: • All candidates of parliamentary or presidential elections, as well as candidates for the Assembly of Experts, have to be qualified by the Guardian Council • Council is accorded "supervision of elections"
Criticism of Council Of Guardians • The Council has played a central role in interpretation of Islamic values • consistently disqualifies reform-minded candidates • has also increased the influence the Islamic Revolutionary Guard • (an ideological fighting force separate from the Iranian army)
The Military • Clergy control Iran’s armed forces • Includes regular army, para-military Revolutionary Guard, volunteers of Basej-e Mostazafin • Leader is commander-in-chief and makes all key military appointments • Also picks Minister of Intelligence, who reports directly to him • Top ranks of military purged immediately after revolution • Built Revolutionary Guards as parallel force to regular armed forces • Given budget, munitions factories, navy, air force • Per constitution, protects against internal enemies while army protects against external enemies • Loyalty ensured by placing Muslim chaplains in regular division • Keep theological and political eye on officers
The History of the Judiciary • Islamic Republic “Islamized” judiciary • Enacted penal code, Retribution Law, based on narrow reading of shari’a • Modern educated lawyers resigned • contradiction of United Nations Charter on Human Rights • Division and unequal treatment of male/female and Muslim/non-Muslim • Also passed law to implement shari’a ban on interest • Practical experience broadened interpretation of shari’a • Modern, centralized judiciary not dismantled • Khomeini argued that central authorities would not intervene with local shari’ajudge • Discovered need for central state to retain ultimate control over justice system • State retained appeals system, hierarchy of state courts, power to appoint and dismiss judges • By 1990’s Shari’a had little influence, and rarely followed
The Judiciary • Supreme Leader appoints the head of Iran’s Judiciary • Chief Justice appoints the head of the Supreme Court and Chief Public Prosecutor • Several Courts: • Public Courts- deal with civil and criminal cases • “Revolutionary Court”- deal with categories of offenses • Crimes against national security • Decisions final and cannot be appealed • Special Clerical Court- handles crimes committed by clerics • Function independently of regular judicial framework
Sub-national Government • Iran divided into provinces, districts, subdistricts, townships, villages: • Provinces headed by: Governors-General • Districts headed by: Governors • Sub-districts headed by:Lieutenant- Governors • Towns headed by: Mayors • Villages headed by: Headman
Sub-national Government • Per constitution, management of affairs at each level under supervision of directly elected councils (popularly elected) ,which must be consulted by executive • Incorporated because of 1980 demonstrations • Conservative opposition prevented elections until 1999 • Although liberals did well in first election, conservatives dominated 2003 • Reformers boycotted elections to protest Guardian Council’s disqualification of liberal candidates
The Powers of the Legislature Per constitution, Majles “represents the nation” • Drafts legislation • Ratifies international treaties • Approves the national budget. • Authority to enact or change laws (with approval of Guardian Council) • Investigating and supervising all affairs of state • Approve or oust cabinet via vote of no confidence • (Exception is the President) • Chooses six of twelve Guardian Council members • Plays important role in Iranian national politics • Has opposed action of executive, judiciary, Leader
The Legislature • Majles laws known as qanun (statutes) • avoids question of whether laws come from God or people • Guardian Council must agree qanun compatible withshari’a (diving law) and constitution • Majles members elected by citizens for 4 year terms
Consultative Assembly of Iran • The Parliament currently has 290 representatives, • changed from the previous 270 seats since the February 2000 election.
Political Parties and the Party System • Citizens guaranteed right to organize by constitution • Interior Ministry allowed to issue licenses to political parties per 1980 law • Political parties not encouraged until 1997 • Most licenses to non-political professional organizations trusted by ruling elite • Three important parties emerged • Islamic Iran Participation Front – Khatami supporters • Servants of Reconstruction • Osulgarayan – headed by Ahmadinejad • Association of Militant Clergy and Society of Militant Clergy continue to function
Elections • Free elections promised by constitution • In practice elections range from relatively free to controlled • Currently free of voter intimidation but choice highly constrained • Main source of information from government controlled media • Interior Ministry can ban organizations and newspapers on grounds that they don’t subscribe to velayat-e faqeh • Guardian Council approves candidates • Some reformer victories in 2008 • Most supported by Islamic Iran Participation Front and Servants of Reconstruction • Conservatives openly critical of Ahmadinejad thus may not maintain unity • Not voting used to protest barring of reformers by Guardian Council