Religious democracy and the question of legitimacy

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Abstract

After a brief remark on the necessity of discussing the subject and necessity of the Islamic government, the writer touches upon the source of legitimacy in the liberal democratic government and the position of voting in that political system and the source of legitimacy of the government in the Islamic government as viewed by the Shi’ite and Sunni jurisprudents. The writer divides legitimacy into two kinds, primary legitimacy and secondary legitimacy, and then drawing on valid documents, explains the apparent contradiction between the fact that the Islamic democracy is, on the one hand, a divine system and, on the other hand, is voted by the people. Finally, the writer presents two sets of quotes from Imam Ali (PBUH), which show the falsity of the claim the religious democracy is contradictory in terms.

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