The Constitution of Iran

Contents

Introduction / 1

Part I
Contradictions in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic

1 The Composition of the Constitution / 8
Islamic Legalist Elements / 8
Democratic Elements / 14
Secular Elements / 17

2 The Genesis of the Constitution / 22
The Preliminary Draft / 22
Uncertainties before the First Referendum / 24
A Constituent Assembly or an Assembly of Experts? / 27
The Public Propagation of velayat-e faqib 'kUf-i'u / 5°
Engineering Elections to the Assembly of Experts / 31
The Inclusion of velayat-e faqib in the Constitution / 3 3

3 The Clash over velayat-e faqih / 45
Criticism in the Assembly of Experts / 45
Opposition outside the Assembly of Experts / 47
The Exponents of Absolute velayat-e faqih / 52

Part 2
The Suppression of the Democratic Elements

4 The Power of the Leader / 61
Khomeini’s Power before the Advent of Parliament / 61
Khomeini’s Supremacy over the Constitution / 63
Khomeini’s Legislative Powers / 65
Khomeini’s Supremacy over the Executive / 68
The Representatives of the Imam / 73
The Veneration of velayat-e faqih / 74
Khamene’i’s Power as Leader / 76
The Limits of Obedience to Khomeini / 80

5 The Impotence of the People / 86
The Erosion of Parliament’s Representative Function / 86
Other Restrictions on the Sovereignty of the People / 104
The System of Councils and its Suspension / 111

6 The Suppression of Fundamental Rights / 124
The Ban on Political Parties / 124
Suppression of the Opposition Press / 135
The Violation of other Fundamental and Human Rights / 138
Ideological Justifications / 142

7 The Power of the Clergy / 150
The Clergy as Government Officials / 150
The Institutions of Clergy Power / 15 x

Part 3
The Fate of the Constitution’s Islamic Legalist Elements

8 The Unavoidable Acceptance of Laws Alien to the sharia / 161
The Attempt to Enforce the Islamic Ordinances / 161
The Preservation of Ancien Regime Laws / 162
The Promulgation of Laws Alien to the shari'a / 166
Legislation without an Islamic Content / 171

9 Circumventing the shari'a through the Rule of Emergency / 175
The Law on Urban Land / 176
Land Reform and the Rule of Emergency / 184
The Rule of Emergency and the Rent Law / 188
The Emergency in Domestic Trade / 192
The Emergency in Foreign Trade / 194
The Punishment of Speculators / 197
The Limitations of the Rule of Emergency / 198

10 Circumventing the shari'a through Secondary Contractual Conditions / 206
The Labour Law as a Secondary Contractual Condition / 206
The Marriage and Divorce Law / 215
The Problem of Secondary Contractual Conditions / 219

11 State Ordinances / 223
The Discretionary Punishments in Shi'i Law / 223
The Introduction of State Discretionary Punishments / 224
The Guardian Council and the State / 227
The Supremacy of State Ordinances over sharia Ordinances / 229

12 The Interests of the Ruling System as a Standard for Legislation / 233
‘Interest’ (maslahat) in Shi I Law / 233
The Council for Assessing the Interests of the Ruling System / 234
Precedents for the Rule of maslahat / 237

13 A Problematic Criterion of Legitimacy / 248

Part 4
The Crisis of the shari'a

14 An Awareness of Crisis / 257
The Shortcomings of Traditional Jurisprudence / 258
The Defects of the Religious Academies / 260
The Causes of the Crisis / 261
Who is to Blame? / 264

15 The Search for Solutions / 267
The Demand for Reform of the Academies / 267
Dynamic Versus Traditional Jurisprudence / 270
The Absence of Reform / 272

16 Criticism from Outside / 277
Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari / 278
‘Abdolkarim Sorush / 281
The Reaction to Shabestari and Sorush / 287

Conclusions / 291
The Constitution in Historical Perspective / 291
The Real Distribution of Power / 295
The Impotence of the People / 300
The Separation of the State and Religion / 301
The Hierocracy / 304

Bibliography / 309

Index / 316