The Supreme Leader’s View of Democracy and Religious Democracy

The Supreme Leader’s View of Democracy and Religious Democracy
20/03/2011

Part one: religious democracy

What is democracy?
Two sides of democracy
The meaning of religious democracy
The founder of logical democracy
Why people like their rulers in Islamic communities
A method to improve government officials
Legitimacy of political systems in Islam
The basis of democracy in Islam
Holiness of democracy
Reconciling worship of God and democratic attitude

Part two: western democracy

Explanation of western democracy
The framework of western democracy
The goal of western democracy
The legitimacy of political systems in the west

Part three: democracy in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Utilizing the experiences of humanity
The republican and Islamic aspects of the Islamic Republic
Democracy in Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) school of thought
The Islamic Republic of Iran
The relationship between the people and government officials

The Supreme Leader’s View of Democracy and Religious Democracy

Part one: religious democracy

What is democracy?

Democracy means that the opinion of the people should be the criterion for determining the political methods of managing and governing a country. Democracy means that the political system and its officials should originate from among the people. A genuine democratic system lies where the decisions, emotions, faith, and interests of the people overlap.

Two sides of democracy

Democracy has two sides. One side requires the establishment of a political system on the basis of the wishes and votes of the people. That is to say, the people should elect the government and its key officials directly or indirectly. The people should willingly identify the right choice and make a decision so that they can fulfill their religious duty. They will have no duty to carry out in the absence of knowledge and willingness.

After government officials are elected in a democracy, they take on serious responsibilities. This is the second side of democracy.

The meaning of religious democracy

Religious democracy ties the rule of God’s religion to the votes, beliefs, faith, wishes and emotions of the people. Just as we consider ourselves as servants of God alone, so we ask Allah the Exalted to help us tread the path of righteous people: “You (alone) we worship. You (alone) we ask for help. Show us the right path, the path of those on whom You bestowed grace.” [The Holy Quran, 1: 5-7] Following the path of righteous people and God’s prominent servants is the same as pledging allegiance to faith, religion and spirituality. It is not the same as surrendering to a particular person. It is not the same as surrendering to the whim of a particular individual. In Islam, it is religion that is in power, the kind of religion that pays attention to prosperity of all human beings. And this is something that human beings are responsible for.

The founder of logical democracy

In fact democracy belongs to Islam. It was Islam that founded the appropriate and logical form of democracy. All Muslims, men and women, went to the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and pledged allegiance to him. At that time women did not enjoy a good position in society. Women had been kept behind in Arabia. Even in the Iranian Empire and the Roman Empire women were not allowed to prove themselves. But the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) took orders from God alone. “O Prophet, when believing women come to you to pledge that they will not associate anything with Allah….” [The Holy Quran, 60: 12] Allah the Exalted tells the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) that when believing women go to him to pledge allegiance to him, they should follow certain principles, just like believing men. Both men and women went to the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) to pledge allegiance to him. Hearts and wills came together, and monotheism revealed itself among the believing members of the Holy Prophet’s (s.w.a.) society. It is a fact that they loved the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), but this is irrelevant because in Islam individuals do not matter.

Why people like their rulers in Islamic communities

In Islam individuals do not matter. Nobody should call on the people to follow the whim of a person. Without representing a spiritual value, nobody deserves the love, affections, self-sacrifice and favors of another person. Muslims have been used to this state of affairs since the beginning. Muslims show their affection, love, friendliness and sincere emotions to a person only when they believe that he is connected to the center of spiritual values – namely, Islam. The same was true of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), and this is why Muslims of his time liked him. This is democracy.

A method to improve government officials

Today religious democracy is the best thing that can be used as a criterion to reform the behavior of government officials. Addressing Malek al-Ashtar, the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says, “Do not boast of the favors and kind acts that you have done to your subjects and do not try to make them realize this, do not think too much of the good that you have done to them, and do not go back upon the promises made – all these three habits are very ugly features of one's character. The practice of boasting about the favors done undoes the good done, the habit of exaggerating and thinking very highly of our good actions will make us lose the guidance of Allah, and the habit of breaking one's promises is disliked both by Allah and by man.” [Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 53] The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says that if a person boasts about the favors he has done, he will not receive any rewards. He also says that exaggeration will kill the light of the truth. That is to say, an exaggeration causes people to ignore the element of truth that it contains.

Then the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) cites a verse from the Holy Quran: “It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do.” [The Holy Quran, 61: 3] “So far as your own affairs or those of your relatives and friends are concerned, take care that you do not violate the duties laid down upon you by Allah and do not usurp the rights of mankind, be impartial and do justice to them because if you give up equity and justice, then you will certainly be a tyrant and an oppressor.” Imam Ali (a.s.) asks Malek al-Ashtar to avoid doing injustice when it comes to his friends and relatives. He asks Malek al-Ashtar not to give any privileges to them. If a government official gives special facilities or financial resources to a specific group of people just because they are his friends or relatives, his action goes against democracic principles. “You must always appreciate and adopt a policy which is neither too severe nor too lenient, a policy which is based upon equity and is appreciated by the people.” He tells Malek al-Ashtar not to go to extremes and to try to please the majority of the people. “Remember that the displeasure of common men, the have-nots and the oppressed people overbalances more than the approval of important persons, while the displeasure of a few big people will be excused by the Lord if the general public and the masses of your subjects are happy with you.”

Legitimacy of political systems in Islam

The essence of religious democracy requires that the political system of a society should be managed through divine guidance and the will of the people. In Islam the people are only one pillar of legitimacy, not the only pillar. In Islam a political system should be based on the wishes and votes of the people, but it should also be based on another essential pillar: piety and justice. If an elected leader does not observe piety and justice, his rule is not legitimate from an Islamic point of view even if everybody – let alone the majority of his people – votes for him. Imam Hussein (a.s.) says that unless a ruler observes justice, he cannot be the ruler of an Islamic community. If a ruler does not observe justice, his rule is not legitimate, no matter who has installed or elected him.

The basis of democracy in Islam

The essential point which I have repeatedly emphasized is that as far as the Islamic Republic is concerned, being Islamic is not separate from being republican. The republican aspect of the Islamic Republic is rooted in Islam. In a system that is called “Islamic Republic”, it is not possible to ignore the people. Islam is the basis of the people’s right to elect. Therefore, religious democracy is based on a philosophy.

In religious democracy and in sharia it is believed that in order for a ruler to have the right to rule, the people should want him. Why are the votes of the people important? Because in Islamic thought man is a dignified creature and his vote is valuable to Allah the Exalted. In Islam no government has the right to rule human beings unless it is chosen by Allah the Exalted. In Islamic jurisprudence whenever we are doubtful about the existence of a religious justification for a certain kind of Vilayat, we reject it. Why? Because the assumption is that there is no justification for Vilayat unless proven otherwise. This is the Islamic logic. Vilayat is acceptable only when sharia has approved it, and the approval of sharia depends on the qualifications of the person who accepts the responsibility for Vilayat. That is to say, the person who accepts the responsibility for Vilayat should be just and pious, and the people should want his Vilayat. This is the logic behind religious democracy, which is extremely firm and deep-rooted. A believer can safely accept this logic and practice it: there is no room for doubt and suspicion.

Holiness of democracy

Genuine democracy – freedom of the people, relying on the votes of the people – is sacred to us. Why? Not because of the liberal philosophy behind it, but because Allah the Exalted is our creator and the owner of our lives. According to a narration, “All people are free.” The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says, “Take care not to make yourself a slave of anybody. Allah created you a freeman.” This is what Allah the Exalted says. When the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says something, it means that it comes from God. The same is true of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). They have the final say on everything. The second caliph told his agent, “You have enslaved people, while God created them free.” This is a foundation for genuine democracy. The most important instance of freedom is to be able to choose one’s own destiny. This is the basis of democracy.

Reconciling worship of God and democratic attitude

The paradigm of religious democracy has presented a new course of action to humanity – a course of action that is aimed at saving mankind from the maladies of the systems founded on individual or party dictatorship or systems created by the influence of wealthy people and plunderers, a course of action that is aimed at saving mankind from sinking into the quagmire of materialism, hedonism and lack of spirituality, a course of action that is aimed at putting an end to the conflict between worship of God and democratic attitude. In terms of its growth, permanence and success in attaining its objectives, this novel paradigm is conclusive proof against all those systems which have alienated people from the Almighty and spirituality in the name of humanism, systems which have dominated human beings in various forms in the name of democracy. In Islamic culture the best people are those who are most useful to other people. Unlike hypocritical and demagogic democracies, religious democracy is a system for rendering sincere services – services that are rendered out of sense of responsibility.

Part two: western democracy

Explanation of western democracy

Western democracy is rooted in liberalism. They say because man is free, dictatorship should be abolished and replaced with democracy. The kind of freedom that liberalism is based on is absolute freedom. That is to say, if they want, the people can accept something which is certain to harm them. For example, just as the English legalized homosexuality in their parliament, so they may legalize heroin or incest only if they decide to do so. In this case there is no logical reason why they should not listen to us. They have to accept what we say. What is the difference between homosexuality and incest? In this case they do not have a logical justification for what they do. Therefore, there are no logical limits to restrict this western freedom. If they say, “This is the point where freedom goes against ethics”, we can say, “What ethics? There are no ethical limits. Everybody is free.” This is because liberalism is based on freedom, and no limits can restrict this freedom unless one kind freedom goes against another kind of freedom or against the essence of communal freedom. This is the only red line that they have. In fact by relying on the philosophy of liberalism, western democracy proves its hollowness. Then all ethical values may be destroyed in society. Today those who believe in western democracy are not prepared to acknowledge this. But this is the inevitable consequence of accepting the philosophy behind liberal democracy.

The framework of western democracy

Everything that is called democracy in the world has a framework. In western democracies the framework is the interests and wishes of wealthy people and the capitalists who dominate the fate of western communities. The votes of the people will have an effect only within that framework. If the people want something that goes against the interests of capitalists and those who have financial – and consequently political – power, then there is no guarantee that their democratic systems and regimes will surrender to public demands. There is a rigid framework which dominates all public demands and democracies. The same framework was dominant in socialist countries of the past – which used to describe themselves as democratic. The votes of the people were insignificant outside the framework of the tendencies, policies and motives of the ruling party.

The goal of western democracy

Western democracy has failed and is outdated. Its flaws have become clear. This kind of democracy is based on a desire for power. What happens is that two groups or two parties deploy their forces against one another. If you ask them what they are after, they will tell you that they want power. Why do you want power? Do you want to promote morality in society? Do you want to help people achieve spiritual improvement? Do you want to improve living conditions of the people? Do you want to go beyond the slogans and the appearances? No, these things are not what they are looking for. After all, they are just a party trying to seize power for a few years. But this is not a valuable goal. It does not contribute to human dignity. Today even western democracy is not practiced anywhere in the world, not even in a country like America which shouts democratic slogans most loudly of all.

The legitimacy of political systems in the west

Western democracy – namely, democracy that is based on liberalism – is based on a particular philosophy. According to this philosophy, the votes of the majority of the people form the basis of the legitimacy of governments and political systems. This philosophy is based on liberalism, according to which individual freedom is not restricted by any ethical limits and the only limit is that your freedom should not restrict freedom of other people. Absolute individual freedom in all areas, which manifests itself in the political system of the country as well – this is the philosophy behind western liberalism. It is argued that because there is always a minority and a majority in a human community, there is no choice but to force the minority obey the majority. This is the basis of western democracy. If a government follows this principle, it is legitimate as far as liberal democracy is concerned, otherwise it is not legitimate.

Part three: democracy in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Utilizing the experiences of humanity

Today in the Islamic Republic we adapt the experiences of humanity according to Islamic principles. There is religious democracy in Islam. Through experience, human beings have managed to partially realize this concept in the form of parliamentary government. We adopted the idea of parliamentary government immediately. We did not reject parliamentary government. Islamic thought is flexible enough to adopt all the things that have accumulated through years and centuries of human experience. However, Islam molds these experiences according to firm Islamic principles. This is what is being practiced in Islamic Iran today.

The republican and Islamic aspects of the Islamic Republic

Islam is accompanied by a republican aspect in the Islamic Republic. The republican aspect originates from Islam. Islam does not allow lack of democracy in our country. We did not learn the republican aspect from anybody. It was Islam that taught it to us. Our nation relies on Islam and believes in the republican aspect. Our people and government believe that God and the people are both important. And Allah the Exalted has given the people the opportunity to tread this path. Our nation, our government, our framework and our Constitution have managed to guarantee both the Islamic aspect and the republican aspect.

Democracy in Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) school of thought

In Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) political school of thought human nature is both valuable and dignified, both powerful and effective. The consequence of being valuable and dignified is that the votes of the people should play a key role in managing the destiny of individuals and society. Therefore, in Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) political school of thought – which is rooted in Islam – democracy is genuine. The people freely choose their path and government officials relying on their faith. On the other hand, the Imam (r.a.) believed that it is possible to stand up against all aggressive powers of the world by relying on the steely determination of the people, and he proved this. In Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) political school of thought democracy is rooted in religion – it is rooted in “their rule is to take counsel among themselves” [the Holy Quran, 42: 38] and in “He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers” [the Holy Quran, 8: 62].

The Islamic Republic of Iran

I have repeatedly stressed that we should adopt the form, spirit and content of our system from Islam, not from foreign schools of thought or from cultures which have been trying to promote their ideas and their path in the world. That is to say, these cultures want other nations to accept what they dictate to them. We must not accept what others have decided for us. We must go after our interests and needs. We must go after what we believe is right: Islamic teachings, Islamic justice and the path of Islam. Religious democracy is what we have used to define the form of the Islamic Republic. Religious democracy means that the goal is to practice Islamic rules and teachings in society. If these rules are practiced, it will be possible to establish genuine Islamic justice in society. Democracy is a religious obligation in the Islamic Republic. Government officials of the Islamic Republic have a religious duty to preserve this quality, and they will answer to God.

The relationship between the people and government officials

Among the nations we know, we may not be able to find another nation which is similar to the Iranian nation. In Iran the relationship between the people and government officials is not limited to a formal relationship, the kind of relationship that reveals itself only during election times in a particular form and for a particular purpose. The relationship between the people and government officials is rooted in emotions, religious faith and beliefs, which means that the people trust their government officials. This is a very important point which provides strong evidence to prove the existence of democracy in the Islamic Republic. This kind of democracy – which includes a mutual relationship between the people and government officials accompanied by emotions, religious faith and heartfelt trust – is the best form of populist government.

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