Shi'ism and the Democratisation Process In Iran: With a Focus on Wilayat al-Faqih

Since its emergence in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has remained
a conundrum for observers, particularly in the West. In this rigorously
researched study, Ibrahim Moussawi examines the fundaments of
Iran’s Islamic governance and asks the pivotal question: can democracy
and Islam cohere?

Addressing Wilayat al-Faqih , or rule by the jurisprudent – the theory
upon which the Islamic Republic was constructed – he asserts that the
system upholds both individual and communal rights, and provides
scope for citizens to express their interests. Moussawi draws on the
history and theological underpinnings of Shi’i Islam to argue that in
today’s Iran, politics and religion are neither rigid nor in diametric
opposition.

Shi‘ism and the Democratisation Process in Iran marks an invaluable
addition to the growing oeuvre of books on Iran.