Imam Ali and the Islamic Republic: Two Visions of Power

Since at least the 1960s, the idea of a Shia cleric-led government had been occupying the mind of the Shia cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1980, his wish came true. For nearly 50 years, Iran has suffered under an authoritarian system led by Shia clerics. As a heap of despotism, the Regime violates every Shia principle of governance and is regularly indicted by human rights organizations for its violent crackdowns on dissent, forced disappearances, and mass executions. In the West, the Iranian Regime has become the scapegoat of “Sharia Law” and Islamic governance. However, while the regime has successfully created new Khomeinist media spaces and silenced critics, it has failed to convince the totality of the Shia world of its credibility. The reality is that the Iranian Regime is not representative of Shia Islam or Shia Islamic governance.  Read Full Article »