Shiite Islam Essay
Immediately after the Khamenei’s speech the Iranian Parliament drafted an emergency with signatures from 50 MP s to ban all methods of birth-control in the country. According to the bill, all measures that leadleading to abortion or impotency, such as vasectomy and any campaigns in favour of birth-controlbirth control were banned and the violators were to be prosecuted. Later on, the Supreme Leader promulgated his ‘Statement of Principle on Family’, in which he emphasised the significance of fertility and in-house roles of women. The earlier anxiety over the decline of the Shiite population decline, as well as the consequent policy shift, testify to the concern among the Iranian leadership about the changing trend in the ethno-religious
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map of the country.
Constitutional Rights of Ethno-religious Groups in Iran:
The Shiite nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is central to understand the constitutional rights of ethno-religious groups in Iran where the official ideology plays a key role in policy making processes. Such an ideological rigidity leaves little room for diversity and pluralism. Salzman makes the following observations on this point:
Diversity, plurality, and difference do not fit the vision, the duty, and the mandate of the Islamic Republic. Rather, the Islamic Republic has for its raison d’etre the advancement, exclusively, of Shi’a Islam. This is believed to be God’s mandate to the Islamic Republic. Consequently, “inclusion” is not a value in its own right, but is only possible within the parameters of Shi’a domination.
Paradoxically, although Jews, Zoroastrians and Armenians are specified as the only recognized religious minorities in the Article-13 of Iran’s Constitution, in practice, Sunnites constitute the largest religious minority since for Iran’s Shiite leadership, Islam is identical with Shi’ism.
Put otherwise, the Constitution repeats the general words “Islam” and “Muslim” more than 200 times. However, there are articles which restrict their meanings to the Shiite Islam. For instance, Article 12 reads that, “the official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Ja'fari School, and this principle will remain eternally immutable.” This way not only the Sunnite Iranians, but also other sub-groups within Shiites are excluded. Further, Article 58 asserts that the resolutions of the Iranian Parliament resolutions must be compatible with the official religion. Similarly, Article, Article 115 asserts that the President must be elected from amongst those with convinced belief in the official sect. More importantly, in tandem with Article 121, before assuming the office, the President must take oath that he would guard the official religion and dedicate himself to its propagation. As a result, the Iranian Sunnis de facto are considered a minority. The practices of the regime since its establishment in 1979 also attest to disadvantaged position of the Sunnite Iranians compared to the officially recognized religious minorities . The constitutional status of the non-Muslim Iranians gives
them certain constitutionally protected rights which are denied for the Sunnites are denied, for they are neither considered a minority nor treated as part of the mainstream majority.
map of the country.
Constitutional Rights of Ethno-religious Groups in Iran:
The Shiite nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is central to understand the constitutional rights of ethno-religious groups in Iran where the official ideology plays a key role in policy making processes. Such an ideological rigidity leaves little room for diversity and pluralism. Salzman makes the following observations on this point:
Diversity, plurality, and difference do not fit the vision, the duty, and the mandate of the Islamic Republic. Rather, the Islamic Republic has for its raison d’etre the advancement, exclusively, of Shi’a Islam. This is believed to be God’s mandate to the Islamic Republic. Consequently, “inclusion” is not a value in its own right, but is only possible within the parameters of Shi’a domination.
Paradoxically, although Jews, Zoroastrians and Armenians are specified as the only recognized religious minorities in the Article-13 of Iran’s Constitution, in practice, Sunnites constitute the largest religious minority since for Iran’s Shiite leadership, Islam is identical with Shi’ism.
Put otherwise, the Constitution repeats the general words “Islam” and “Muslim” more than 200 times. However, there are articles which restrict their meanings to the Shiite Islam. For instance, Article 12 reads that, “the official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Ja'fari School, and this principle will remain eternally immutable.” This way not only the Sunnite Iranians, but also other sub-groups within Shiites are excluded. Further, Article 58 asserts that the resolutions of the Iranian Parliament resolutions must be compatible with the official religion. Similarly, Article, Article 115 asserts that the President must be elected from amongst those with convinced belief in the official sect. More importantly, in tandem with Article 121, before assuming the office, the President must take oath that he would guard the official religion and dedicate himself to its propagation. As a result, the Iranian Sunnis de facto are considered a minority. The practices of the regime since its establishment in 1979 also attest to disadvantaged position of the Sunnite Iranians compared to the officially recognized religious minorities . The constitutional status of the non-Muslim Iranians gives
them certain constitutionally protected rights which are denied for the Sunnites are denied, for they are neither considered a minority nor treated as part of the mainstream majority.