이란의 민주주의 연구

A Study on the Iranian Democracy - The Combination of Islam and Western Democracy

Is Islam compatible with Democracy? If Islam comes into conflict with certain postulates of democracy, it is because of its general character as a religion. Democracy and theocracy share a common cental premise which is the idea of sovereignty. Democracy is based on the principal that sovereignty resides with the people. Altohugh Ayatollah Khomeini's theory of the Islamic State, the Governance of the Jurist, does not deny the omnipotence of God, it extends, and even delivers, the sovereignty to the jurist. Abdulkarim Sorush wishes to hand over God's sovereignty to the people while upholding the presence of God in human's spiritual life. The Green Movement (the name given to the mobilization of the people which occurred during and after the June 2009 election) consists of various interest groups with different ideas and demands for democracy. The main leadership within the movement is conservative, believing that democratization in Iran is only possible in the context of the Islamic constitution. The Green Movement in Iran does not have a clear and coherent ideology. Rather, it can be considered as a democratic movement. The Green Movement in Iran is defensive in character and can be defined as a revolt against electoral fraud.