Democracy In Iran
In February of 1979, perhaps the most relevant and overwhelming revolution of the twentieth century was executed in Iran. The Islamic Revolution, as it was known, would forever change the face of politics in not only Iran, but also the entire Middle East and produce political and social aftershocks that would be felt around the world. Almost two months after the revolution, the Pahlavis monarchy that had been in power for over half a century was replaced with an Islamic Republic, with the approval of over ninety-five percent of Iranians. (Joseph 2000, 307) The republic was more able to serve the predominantly Muslim makeup of Iran than the monarchy, which many claimed excluded the majority from political participation. In the twenty-three years since that transition, the issue of whether or not democracy exists in Iran has been discussed and debated extensively. When one looks at the current state of government in Iran, it is evident that the Islamic Revolution has produced a true democracy in Iran.The idea of democracy is defined as "a government that is periodically elected from time to time and thus controlled by the people who live under it. Under a democracy, the people rule either by direct vote at public meetings or in
There are three main parallels between the Western model of democracy and the Iranian democracy. In Iran, similar freedoms are given to voters. The second is that, unlike the Canadian Lieutenant-Governor, but like the British monarchy, Khamenei's position is one that is held for life. The first is that Khameni has legitimate influence that is utilized rather than the symbolic powers given to his Canadian and British counterparts. The executive cabinet of Iran is very similar to those in Western democracies. If I wanted to be a Catholic but was born a Jew, there's no condemnation . Like the Western democracies, the Iranian government is made up of three branches - executive, legislative and judicial, all of which mirror the American, Canadian and British systems. The idea of democracy is defined as "a government that is periodically elected from time to time and thus controlled by the people who live under it. The American Revolution focused on ideals such as freedom, nationalism liberty, democracy and representation. The third and final parallel can be found in the political process of these countries, including the political participation of the citizens. " (Avis 1983, 314) Iran seems to fit that definition. Such was not the case with the monarchy, and this change shows that the Islamic Revolution has resulted in Iran adopting yet another ideal of democracy, that of freedom of speech and expression.
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Acceptance Essays
