Shiite Scholars Stances toward the Symbols of Modern Western: From Anti-Tobacco Movement to Constitutionalism Movement in Late Qajar Era

Shiite jurists and scholars have taken various Stances toward the symbols and aspects of modern western civilization. The main features of the west, in their idea, are Atheism, Colonization, Technology, and Political system. They believed in confrontation with atheism and colonization and selective utilization of western technology and political system. For selective utilization of technology and political system they considered juristic rules related to Atheists and the permitted use of that kind. Jurisprudential principles applying to atheists are as follows:"the necessity to reject atheist's domination and reinforcement", prohibition of similarity to atheists"," prohibition of friendship and sharing secrets with atheists" and "impurity of atheists".Although they shared common bases theoretically, they differed in concepts and instances in some cases.