Iran is a third world country and the most ancient one among the world’s nations. Iran economy relies on oil exports. Iran in the twentieth century has experienced twice time of poplar revolutions. People of Iran whether live inside or outside the country demand secularity and free democracy, freedom and human rights. More than 2 decades, a tyrannical dictatorship in Iran is ruling by non elected criminals “mullahs”. Who are known as so called hardliners, reformers and conservatives are restraining every efforts from the Iranian population for freedom and democracy.
Present Problems of Democracy Generally there are two kind of political groups working in Iran (1) “the groups who insist on overthrowing the Islamic Republic. This category includes Mojahedeen as well as the monarchists who support Reza Pahlavi. (2) The groups who argue that the Islamic Republic could evolve into a democratic system, and therefore the focus should be on attempting to reform the existing system” (Milani, 2002).
“Iran came to twentieth century confused about its past and unsure of its future –caught as it was between the traditional and the modern, the Asiatic and the European–and a helpless pawn in the diplomatic economic and military rivalry between the Russian and British empires” (Katouzian, 1995). The most significant and instant Program of its modernizing intellectual was to eliminate the customary system arbitrary and absolute rule and change it by the rule of law and hence, their campaign for constrained and constitutional government.
In Iran both the diplomatic community and religious primarily support their positions because of the fact that there was nothing in terms of Islamic doctrine which was approved of arbitrary rule. However, according to “shia” theory of government, the majority of the “ulamas” including ordinary public, landlord and merchant which was dedicated to the constitutionalists movements would not alienate themselves from the urbane civilization.
During the last 25 years or so, the Iranian regime is turnout to be a most brutal dictatorship which repressed all democratic rights and the majority of the Iranian public continuously violated their rules and regulations because of lack of democracy. People from different groups in Iran whether belongs from writers, women and men feminist groups, workers, national and religious minorities, political oppositions etc have all been attacked throughout the reign of “mullahs”.
Lawyer and human-rights activist. Shirin Ebadi in an interview said that “What we have in Iran is not a religious regime, but a regime in which those in power use religion as a means of staying in power. If the present regime does not reform and evolve into one that reflects the will of the people, it is going to fail, even if it adopts a secularist posture. I support the separation of state and religion because the political space is open to countless views and interests”.
On the other hand, Iran nuclear progrmme has also led Iran in the most sophisticated diplomatic scenario. From the very begging of the nuclear plan, Iran and its diplomatic regime have faced not only domestic diplomatic problems but also have a great American challenge. According to some diplomats, Iran’s nuclear program not only devastating its left democracy but also seems that it will lead to an unaccountable loss of something, might be the loss of the country.
In an event, held at the Bechtel International Center, was co-hosted by the Coalition for Justice in the Middle East (CJME) and the Roosevelt Institution Kelley Fong said that “the only way to solve Iran’s nuclear problem is to bring democracy to Iran,” declared Abbas Milani of the Hoover Institution last night in a dialogue entitled “Iran’s Nuclear Program: Past, Present, Future. ” (Democracy races nukes in Iran)
Western officials conceded that the people of Iran are dying for freedom, that the ruling theocracy lacks popular legitimacy, support and that there shall be no progress, stability and peace and in the Middle East without democracy in Iran. Past Experience of Iran’s Democracy A pro-democracy nationalist Mohammed Mossadegh rose to prominence in Iran In 1951 and was democratically elected as Iran’s first Prime Minister. Khatami the previous Iran leader paved for precursory signs to the long march in quest for democracy.
For his elections, he campaigned on democracy. Moreover, one rule of law and inclusion of all Iran people in the political decision-making process. When he first elected as a president, he shows the popularity within the Iran for potential reforms. 1950s, Iran have shifted backward from an authoritarian regime which was backed by the Britain and the United States that overthrew the democratic one , “to a religious fundamentalist regime toppling the authoritarian one and taking an anti-US stance.
The US ended its support for Iran and instead supported Iraq in a brutal war through the 1980s against Iran where over 1 million people died. More recently, Iran was described as being part of an “axis of evil” by US President George Bush, as part of his “war on terror. ” The US has also accused Iran of pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, while Iran says it is only pursuing peaceful development. ” (Shah, n. p. ) Iran has experienced more than two decades of appeasement, particularly in the period of khatamis’s presidency.
“Democracy in Iran unravels the jumble of paradoxes that have marked Iranian politics over the last century. The country has experienced considerable success in state-building and development but has periodically undermined both by failing to consolidate democracy”. (Gheissari and Vali Nasr, n. p. ) Democracy in Iran is a brave and sweeping review of the past century of the Iranian political history. A fascinating drama of competing, social classes ideologies, political factions, international pressures, revolutionary actions and charismatic leaders.
Gheissari and Nasr concretely exposed Iran's continuing struggle between freedom and democratic principles and answerability. In the development process, they proved once again the madness of all forms of utopianism and the need of representative and constitutional government. Prospects of Iran Democracy Democracy of Iran may face many obstacles in the future as, an unaccountable institution; despotic leaders and a non-liberal constitution will continue to dominate all aspects of the Iran political phase.
The roots of authoritarianism in Iran are quite old, long before the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. A history of political uprisings, chronic socioeconomic and slow under developing, interpretation, non-democratic, a patriarchal culture and of “Shi'ite Islam” are some of the main problems that the country must address if it wants to be on a path of freedom of democracy and liberalization. Emadeddin Baghi said that “Many people in the West believe that the deadlock in Iran's domestic politics blocks any hope for societal reform.
But from my viewpoint here in Iran, there is hope”. (Baghi, pp a19) Previous years were seeing signs of Iran shifting towards slightly more liberal and tolerant values. Any changes in the Iran’s democracy were likely to be gradual to allow acceptable transition. Nonetheless, the United Nation’s hostile posture to Iran has supported the very hard line elements that the United States says it is against to react. Domestically, Iran appears to be shifting further and further towards a hard-line position.
The United States interests and policy have an enormous effect on any nation, and with Iran it has appeared to attain the opposite of their declared goals. “Rather than a weakened Iranian regime that can make way for democracy, chances for potential democratic reform seem wasted or lost; the extremists are in a stronger position, and have a lot of support”. ( Shah, 2007) Conclusion God has given every human being a right to live freely on the earth.
The people of Iran also want freedom to live freely, to enjoy beauty, to interact, to see color, to hear music, to breath in freedom environment, to experience life and to laugh. They want freedom to live in every aspects of their life. However, the life of freedom begins when both women and men enjoys rights because of the individuality concept of human life. For the sake of the Iran’s democracy, Iran wants that it leaders should ponder on ongoing problems like nuclear weapons progrmme and so forth.
