نشریه جستارهای سیاسی معاصر
سال دوم شماره 2 (پیاپی 4، پاییز و زمستان 1390)

In the theory of Imam Khomeini (reh) and Ayatollah Khamenei، religious democracy model is not based on the conceptual separation between democracy and religion. Rather، in this theory، religious democracy is a single and integrated concept which is located within religion and is not separate from it. Since this concept is located within religion and is a product of the Islamic culture، the nature of religious democracy in this theory is other than its nature in other western or non-western theories. The western thinkers tried to introduce liberal democracy as the superior ruling model in the contemporary world. If the religious democracy stood as a model of democracy against other models، it would not be able to challenge liberal democracy، since، in this case، it would be a model of democracy and، in the long run، it would not be able to be superior to other models. In the theory of Imam Khomeini (reh) and the Supreme Leader، however، religious democracy is not a model of democracy and for the same reason it has been able to challenge liberal democracy. Challenging a model which was، as claimed by the western thinkers، unrivalled is one of the important causes of the Islamic Awakening.

The theory of the Islamic Awakening presented by the Supreme Leader concerning revolutions in the Middle East involves a reasonable methodology and is based on the simultaneous presence of people and Divine values in the society. This has been Imam Khomeini''s view as well. Two elements may be regarded as dangers for the Islamic Awakening: 1- dogmatism، and 2- self alienation. Thus، the Islamic Awakening stands against these two extremes. The theory of Islamic Awakening does not seek to seize revolutions in this region. What that has been always emphasized by the Supreme Leader is presence of people and Divine values. This point is based on the assumption that if people are freely present in the scene، they will go naturally towards Divine and Islamic values. The theory of the Islamic Awakening concerns revolutions in the Middle East and stands against western views. The West seeks to bring such revolutions to a path in which demands and interests of the West may be fulfilled. To this end، it will not avoid military interventions (like what that happened in Libya). It is not acceptable for the West that governments like the Islamic Republic of Iran be established in the region. In more than three last decades، this has been always one of the priorities of the West in this region. To prevent establishment of other Islamic Republics in the region، the West has employed all its security، defensive، and invasive capacities. Nevertheless، what that has been developed is patterns of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. It is difficult to predict that of what characteristics the future governments in the Middle East will be. What that is clear is that in the future Middle East people will have more roles to play، and there will be no room for life-long and quasi-Republic governments.

Muslims'' retardation which is a product of two phenomena of colonialism and despotism was challenged by appealing to three discourses: westernism، nationalism، and Islamism. Historical experience however showed that، because of ideological depth of Muslims and cultural geography of the Islamic world، only appealing to the discourse of Islamism may bring Muslims to their final goals in their struggle. Of course، the discourse of Islamism is not a homogenous one and has undergone some changes because of requirements of the time. In the course of its development، this discourse may be explained in the form of various approaches. With different tactics but based upon a single strategy، this discourse managed to provide necessary software for the Islamic movements. These movements managed to produce considerable impacts in the domestic fields of countries and in the Islamic world and at an international level. In the present study we seek to provide a reply for the following question: «what changes has the prevalent discourse of Muslims to struggle against retardation resulted from colonialism and dictatorship undergone، and what changes should it undergo; and in the form of which approaches، may such a discourse be explained?»

Though scholars such as Shaykh Fadlullah Nuri are aware that the Holy Quran and the Clear religion of Islam are everlasting، immune from decay and alteration، and eternal lamps of guidance and a law for human life، they know that a law which is kept as some library material (and is not enforced in the society) is not able to guide and awaken people and make changes in their spirits and conducts. And، in the same way that in the advent of Islam، guardianship and governance were necessary، now because Islam is the last Divine religion، religious guardianship and leadership should continue and show reactions against hegemony of the colonialists or possible deviations. The role played by Shaykh Fadlullah Nuri against westernists and deviations in the justice-seeking movement of the Constitution، and to explain and provide a Shi''i pattern of system-making was unrivalled، since، in a time when the Colonialist and western world did not see any obstacle to their theoretical and practical attacks، he was of the opinion that the most perfect Divine laws might be found in the clear religion of Islam and Shi''i school. With his sayings and functions، he tried to design and establish such a practical pattern (a political system based on the rule of guardianship of the jurist); and، to this end، he gave even his life.

The Islamic Awakening is a roaring movement and an important struggle began since two centuries ago against western hegemony and invasion. Though in the beginning this reaction was mostly of a negative nature and followed by struggle against the western military attacks، western attacks were followed by political hegemony and more importantly because of their nature they were followed by cultural and intellectual domination. Thus، based on their capacities and intellectual and political abilities، various Islamic countries proceeded to show reaction to it. Today، the Islamic Revolution has established a powerful and great political system; and، because of attention paid to the stage of «software movement»، it is able to show some kind of «new Islamic civilizational» horizon. This process، transmitting from negation to the «positive point» which shows a new level of the capacity of the Islamic Awakening، will be followed by the evolutionary movement of the Islamic Awakening for the final struggle against the last layers of the materialistic civilization of the West. Perhaps، this is the same as the stage of «questioning of the West» and the declining essence of the western civilization which is showing itself in the «evolutionary realm of the Islamic Awakening». This evolution of the political awakening which is in fact a striking demonstration of decline of the modernity and one-dimensional and materialistic civilization of the West is an important process which is the story of our past، present، and future. Today، in the civilizational realm، inspired by the school of the Household of Infallibility، the Islamic Revolution is more able to show itself and present some new thought which is neither fundamentalism nor reformism and nor secularism; but rather، it is a new way which، in addition to be moderate، is based on Islam، the Holy Quran، and the school of the Household.

Sayyid Jamal al-Din Asadabadi and Muhammad Abduh are among the pioneers and thinkers of the Islamic Awakening in the Sunni world. Looking at the circumstances of the Islamic nations and retardation of their countries، and feeling a «common suffering»، both of them searched for a solution and found «Islam» as the final solution; and، in accord to their finding، they provided some way out. Although، Sayyid Jamal had in his mind great ideals such as «unity» and tried hard to realize his ideals، he did not pay so attention to appropriateness of his way and did not go to find some public support. The reason behind this was that he was mostly concerned with theoretical reflections upon consequences of his own ideas. In spite of his sincerity and the attention paid by him to cultural attempts، Abduh believed that as long as Egyptians are unaware، they are not able to push the English out of their country and for the same reason reform in Egyptians'' religious thought should precede political struggle against colonialism. He did not heed to the fact that for colonized nations، it is impossible to get free from retardation without getting free from colonialism. And، in most cases، colonialism and Muslims'' decline intensify each other. Now، in the third decade of the Islamic Revolution، the role played by Sayyid Jamal and Abduh has lost its importance، since with its ascending development، the Islamic Awakening has entered the stage of system-making and civilization-building. In spite of being of some influence in the Sunni world at the beginning، thoughts and functions of these two reformers lack the necessary properties such as deep knowledge of colonialism and belief in the role which may be played by people to go along with this ascending development. Thus، under the present circumstances، the important question to which attention should be paid is as follows: «which thought and function are efficient to establish and continue such a process?» The present study seeks to study and criticize the thoughts and functions of Sayyid Jamal and Abduh in a fair way، and find the extent of efficiency of these two thoughts in the ascending development of the Islamic Awakening.