The Basis of Legality in Western and Islamic Political thought

An example of the problems that politicians are concern about is the issue of the legitimacy of governments. They are always trying to answer the questions: Why is it obligatory to obey governments? Where did governments obtain this right from? In order to answer these questions the author first explains the opinions of western scholars and then Islamic scholars, including Sunni and Shia scholars, in regards to the bases of legitimacy. Then he concludes that: 1. all of the answers given by western scholars about the issue of legitimacy are, in reality, answers to the issue of explaining the current system of authority. Therefore, they were unable to answer the question: Why must citizens (those in support and those in opposition) observe the laws of a government? 2. legitimacy does not mean acceptance, social contract, development, legality, public satisfaction, or public will; rather it means rightfulness. 3. A legal government is one who pursues its goals and ethical values and its leadership is in line with divine leadership. 4. The nature of a legal government in religious and irreligious ideologies is different in such a way that irreligious ideologies pay more attention to public acceptance. In the end, the author, after examining the bases of legitimation in western and Islamic political thought, concluded that the religious-democratic government suggested by Imam Khomeini (r) was a combination between acceptance and legitimacy.