Islam and Liberalism History of Political Thought Fall 2007.

Islam and Liberalism

History of Political Thought

Fall 2007

Overview

Liberalism (recap, again)

Khomeini and Islamic Republic

Jihad

Islamic political thought has for the past half-century or so been most closely associated with political violence

The Islamic Republic

Ruhollah Khomeini (1900 [?] - 1989)

Led the Islamic Revolution in Iran and revived the idea of political Islam


Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi (1919-1980)

Came to power in 1941 1953 Anglo-US coup to

remove nationalist Iranian prime minister fails, Shah goes into exile

2 years later, he is reinstated


Shah begins to Westernize Iran, alienates both the socialist lift and the conservative clerics

Khomeini emerges as leading critic and is forced into exile, first toBaghdad, then, when Hussein comes to power, to Paris


By mid 1970s, massive rallies from against the Shah and his American supporters

Shah goes into exile (1979), Khomeini returns


After much street fighting, the military opts not to intervene

Shah’s government collapses and Khomeini becomes leader of newly declared Islamic Republic of Iran


Khomeini was Time magazine Man of the Year (1979)

Ruled Iran until his death in 1989


“A body of laws alone is not sufficient for a society to be reformed. In order for law to ensure the reform and happiness of man, there must be an executive power and an executor.”

-- Khomeini


The Qur’an (Koran) provides a body of law to guide all action:

“The Glorious Qu’ran and the Sunna contain all the laws and ordinances man neds in order to attain happiness and the perfection of the his state”


In other words, because we have shari’a, we can infer that we are meant to have a government.

For to have laws means we also need the means of their enforcement

That means we need a government


“The nature and character of Islamic law and the divine ordinances of the shari’a furnish additional proof of the necessity for establishing government, for they indicate that the laws were laid down for the purpose of creating a state and administering the political, economic, and cultural affairs of society.”


“[T]he laws of shari’a embrace a diverse body of laws and regulations, which amounts to a complete social system. In this system of laws, all the needs of man have been met: his dealings with his neighbors, fellow citizens, and clan, as well as children and relatives; the concerns of private and marital life; regulations concerning war and peace and intercourse with other nations; penal and commercial law; and regulations pertaining to trade and agriculture.”


Contrast that with liberalism and the role of religion and politicsNo separation of church and stateRole of the state is to support and advance

religious institutions of Islam


“Islam provides laws and instructions for all of these matters, aiming, as it does, to produce integrated and virtuous human beings who are walking embodiments of the law, or to put it differently, the law’s voluntary and instinctive executors.”


“It is obvious, then, how much care Islam devotes to government and the political and economic relations of society, with the goal of creating conditions conducive to the production of morally upright and virtuous human beings.”


Because the laws are given (and received) already, the legislature is relatively less important than the other branches

Need executive to enforce and judiciary to interpret


“[If] we examine closely the nature and character of the provisions of the law, we realize that their execution and implementation depend upon the formation of a government, and that it is impossible to fulfill the duty of executing God’s command without there being established properly comprehensive administrative and executive organs.”


Regimes which fail in this duty are not worthy of our respect and should be replaced

“Both law and reason require that we not permit governments to retain this non-Islamic character…It is also our duty to create a favorable social environment for the education of believing and virtuous individuals…”


“In order to assure the unity of the Islamic umma, in order to liberate the Islamic homeland from occupation and penetration by the imperialists and their puppet governments, it is imperative that we establish a government. In order to attain the unity and freedom of the Muslim people, we must overthrow the oppressive governments installed by the imperialists and bring into existence an Islamic government of justice that will be in the service of the people.”


Note, the government is not a hereditary monarchy

Rather it is democracy, but not a mass democracy since ultimate power must rest with the “trustee” of the people, one ruler


“The wisdom of the Creator has decreed that men should live in accordance with justice and act within the limits set by divine law. This wisdom is eternal and immutable, and constitutes one of the norms of God Almighty. Today and always, therefore, the existence of a holder of authority, a ruler who acts as trustee and maintains the institutions and laws of Islam, is a necessity…”


“[A] ruler who prevents cruelty, oppression, and violation of the rights of others; who is a trustworthy and vigilant guardian of God’s creatures; who guides men to the teachings, doctrines, laws, and institutions of Islam; and who prevents the undesirable changes that atheists and enemies of religion wish to introduce in the laws and institutions of Islam…”


“It is a righteous government, of course, that is needed, one presided over by a ruler who will be a trustworthy and righteous trustee. Those who presently govern us are of no use at all for they are tyrannical, corrupt, and highly incompetent.”


“It was our lack of a leader, a guardian, and our lack of institutions of leadership that made all this [the degradation of Islam and the Islamic nation] possible. We need righteous and proper organs of government; that much is self-evident.”

Jihad

In order to protect and restore the Islamic nation two issues need to be addressed:1.replace non-Islamic

regimes at home

2.remove non-Islamic regimes from the region

Jihad

Wednesday we’ll figure out how to accomplish that

Islam and Liberalism History of Political Thought Fall 2007.

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Transcript of Islam and Liberalism History of Political Thought Fall 2007.