ВНУТРЕННИЕ ИСТОКИ БЛИЖНЕВОСТОЧНОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ ИРАНА В. М. Ахмедов

Ахмедов В. М. Внутренние истоки ближневосточной политики Ирана

в последние десятилетия вопросы безопасности и стремление к капитализации власти играли в Иране заметную роль в формировании ключевых параметров его внешней политики в регионе. Автор делает выводы о том, что достижения Ирана в важнейших сферах национальной экономики, безопасности и политики; устойчивость его государственного устройства не вызывают вопросов. Между тем, натянутые отношения с США и их партнерами в Европе и на Ближнем Востоке усложняют иностранный статус Ирана и ставят его в центр внимания международного сообщества.

Ключевые слова: Middle East, Iran, Arabs in Iran, Arab World.

Для цитирования: Ахмедов В. М. Внутренние истоки ближневосточной политики Ирана.

Вестник Института востоковедения РАН. 2021. № 4. С. 41–45. DOI: 10.31696/2618-7302-2021-4-41-45

Islamic revolution in Iran 1979 brought clergy to the top of the state’s power. Religious leaders succeeded in seizing command positions, marginalizing secular political forces. Before the revolution, in alliance with the secular opposition, clergy managed to unite

the scattered social strata, striving for social justice, under Islamic slogans and raised masses to storm the regime. Islamic leaders of Iran were able to propose a new project of state structure — an Islamic republic, which embodied the idea of Islamic rule in the modern world, developed by Ayatollah Khomeini. Iran provides active foreign policy in the Middle East. Tehran plays a special role in the events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, where it involved politically and military. Thus, the political and military leadership demonstrates the successive developments in Islamic Republic in order to show the possibility of implementing the Iranian model as valuable alternative for the new political order in the region. The phenomenon of Islamic revolution build on coincidence religion and politics has still attracted attention of different political forces trying to understand the nature of the created political system [Dunaeva, 2016; Hunter, 1992].

In other words, a main purpose to write this article was a desire to share with readers the author’s perception about the discreet threat to any country whose state model is based on the very unstable power matrix, combining the unclear unity between clergy and military painted in religious colors that doesn’t correspond with the classic Shiism.

Modern Iran is an ideological state. And its ideology is based on Islam. Key Iran’s political and administrative institutions, including army and secrete service have deep ideological essence. It is quite natural that Iran’s politics is determined by Islamic ideology. Because of the clear militarization of Iran’s politics, the military today have an upper hand in adopting major decisions in all spheres of life. Moreover, many military and devoted people believe that Iran fights not for territory, money, treasure, but for Shia faith. Thus, in their mind Shia Islam is the major motivation on Iran’s politics. Given this situation, even Rahbar (Highest religious leader) must lean towards militaries preferences. The civil politicians have secondary role in political mechanism. These situation demands very accurate tuning of the power mechanism that could step away at any time and make very risky any changes in domestic and foreign politics. For example, in situation when Rahbar may decide to reduce Iranian troops and withdraw Shia militias from Syria to resume talks with USA, a group of high-ranking militaries may object this and accuse Rahbar that he steps down from core principals of Islam. And consider him as no Muslim who loses his power grip. In this eventual situation a military coup is quite possible. Obviously in case of this the potential developments in domestic politics may threat state’s security and put at risk Iran’s territorial integrity. In view Iran’s regional role and its place in the Middle East this hypothetical scenario could totally undermine the remains of regional stability and push new wave of instability.

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Ахмедов В. М. Внутренние истоки ближневосточной политики Ирана

CLERGY INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS

Politicization of the Shiite clergy in Iran began to reveal in 19th century. Religious authorities opposed attempts to enslave the country by the colonial powers. They tried to put a barrier to the process of Westernization. The clergy actively opposed the penetration of Western states and Russia into Iran and declared jihad to them. Iranian clergy played an important role in the 1905–1911 Constitutional Movement in Iran. Since that time, ideology of Islamic modernism attempted to adapt Islamic low and administrative practices to the requirements of modern social development. In early 1950 clergy actively participated in the nationalization movement. They acted as an organized political force based on the ideology of religious and political modernism. This period was marked with flourishing of Islamic political ideas in Iran. Religious and secular scholars who shared the ideas of religious modernism developed a religious ideology. Later this new ideological doctrine formed the political platform for Islamic revolution. The core idea of this new concept proclaimed the unity of Islam and politics1. Iranian reformists actively promoted ideas of Islamic modernism supported intellectual awakening of the society to mobilize people for implementing the task of establishing Islamic rule [Houwaidi, 1987, p. 365–376]. Besides, religious authorities organized its political structures in Iran. In 1961 in Iranian city al-Qoum (Iranian theological center) was illegally formed The Society of Qoum’s Scholars. Its major task emphasized a struggle for implementation of Islamic norms in politics, economy, and judicial system, social and cultural spheres. The Society manifested itself in 1963 by opposing the modernization program promoted by Iran’s Shah. Its members clashed with government troops in Qoum, Tehran and other cities [Haseeb, 1988, p. 11– 18]. In 1973 a new organization “The Association of Fighting Tehran Clergy” was established in Iran. The Association was formed as a closed political organization, that included 95 prominent Islamic scholars. They managed to take under their control most of the mosques and mobilize masses for the anti-Shah protests [Dunaeva, 2018, p. 187–189]. The basic principle of new Iranian state model was a teaching about “velayat-e fakih”, i.e., leadership of the society and state by the most knowledgeable and respected Islamic scholar. The ideas of political Islam combined with socialist theories were promoted in radical leftist Shia wing. In other words, Islamic republic, as product of Islamic revolution, was a new model of state, build on republican principles with Islamic essence [Banani, 1961, p. 5–27].

DEVELOPING THE NEW STATE MODEL

After the revolution formation of a new political system has become a prior task of Iranian rulers. The Association initiated creation of the Party of Islamic Republic (PIR). The party was thought as an instrument that may help to establish Islamic regime and ensuring the political leadership of the clergy in Iran. PIR developed the ideas of Islamic modernism and unite people from different social strata. Gradually PIR turned in a coalition of various Islamic forces. PIR’s activity facilitated adoption of the principle of “velayat-e fakih” as a special Clause in the Constitution [Moussawi, 2015, p. 15]. Thus, clergy’s power was officially legitimated. Besides, Islamic state bodies, new political system formed formal democratic governmental institutions like Parliament and President whose responsibilities was limited by clergies. New state system represented complex coincidence of theocratic and republican elements. The last one played primary

1 See: Hunter S. T. Iran, Islam and the Struggle for Identity and Power in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Georgetown University. ACMCU Occasional Paper (2014). URL: https://issuu.com/georgetownsfs/ docs/shireen_hunter_iran__islam__and__th (accessed 05.12.2020).

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role in politics. The real decision-making mechanism concentrated in the hands of clergy and military2. Further developments of political system in Iran revealed new facets in the model of Islamic rule, that attempted join some elements of theocracy and democracy in the system of public administration. These domestic developments put its stamp on Iranian policy in the Middle East. In 1970–1980 Islamic republic provided aggressive politics in the Arab World. Iran failed to expand Islamic Revolution in Arab states, succeeded in Levant, and challenged huge loses in war with Iraq [Ansari, 2016, p. 18–23].

EVOLUTION OF IRAN’S POLITICS

In 1990 new Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, tried to pursue a more flexible foreign policy in order to normalize relations with Arab countries. Iran initiated broad international dialogue to attract Western technology and investment. Domestically Iranian authorities attempted to link some principles of the neoliberal Western models with Islamic banking and Islamic economy [Ulchenko, Mamedova, 2016, p. 257]. Iranian authorities became more flexible in accepting ideas of a free market, privatization and civil liberties. Mohammad Khatami’s presidency gave a new breath for developing party system in Iran and strengthened reformist movement with new Islamic narratives. In the first two decades of the 21st century Iran’s politics witnessed controversial developments. Social protest movements 2009 in Iran and “Arab Spring” 2010–2011 forced Iranian rulers to pay serious attention to the improvement of the state system. Iran’s obvious success in the Middle East had asymmetric response inside the country. Deep Iranian involvement in military conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Libya raised many sharp questions at home. On the waves of social protests in 2018 many Iranians demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the economic situation in the country, decline in living standards, spending huge financial recourses abroad. Perhaps for the first time since Islamic revolution in Iran clergies’ and militaries’ dictate and the essence of Islamic rule was openly criticized3.

CONCLUSION

Indeed, Iran’s achievements in critical spheres of national economy, security and policy; stability of its state system cause no questions. Meanwhile, strained relations with US and its partners in Europe and Middle East complicate Iran’s foreign status and put it in the negative focus of international attention. In the face of international pressure and impasse in resuming negotiations with the United States, toughening domestic policy, ignoring vital demands of the new generation may potentially threaten stability of the state and ruling regime. A significant part of the religious and political elite realizes the need for cardinal reforms in political system. But many devoted Muslims are still not ready to allow the secularization of the regime. Besides, alliance between clergy and military is still very strong from top to bottom till Tehran keeps deeply involved in Arab’s affairs in Levant and Persian Gulf. Iranian revolution 1979 transformed the basic roots of Iran’s political system and administrative governing. Iran has become an ideological state and its Mideast policy has changed as well. Iran appeared as a major source of revolutionary and radical ideas in the region with

2 Hunter S. T. Iran, Islam and the Struggle for Identity and Power in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Georgetown University. ACMCU Occasional Paper (2014). URL: https://issuu.com/georgetownsfs/ docs/shireen_hunter_iran__islam__and__th (accessed 05.12.2020).

3 Mashaei B. Unveiling on Ahmadinejad’s mission to bring the system to revolutionary conditions in 1978. 20.01.2018. URL: https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/766109 (accessed 05.12.2021).

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strong Islamic leverage. Meanwhile Arabs has passed their revolutionary phase and Arab republics considered to be secular states. These ideological leanings largely determined the character Iran’s politics in Arab countries. Worsening of Arab-Iranian relations encourage new conflicts; undermine power balance and destabilize security environments in the Middle East. The search for domestic power and stability serves as the main drivers for Iranian policy in the Arab World. Meanwhile, ethnic and sectarian differences and the historical Arab-Persian rivalry have provided imputes to the major orientations of Iranian policy towards Arab countries of the Middle East. The current situation in the Greater Middle East places it in the focus of world politics. Thus makes Arabs and Iran as an object of the influences of international political system and its key players. This fact complicates normalizations of Arab-Iranian relations. Nevertheless, the long and rich history of Arab-Iranian interaction serves as the best guaranty from inevitability to their hostility. As a result of strong pressure from the United States, Russia, international community and influential regional countries, Iran is forced to start revising its policy. In view of the direct military threat from IsraeliSunni alliance, Tehran must show political flexibility, readiness to compromise in order to avoid unwanted complications in relations with its allies (primarily Russia and Turkey) and safeguard its security.

References / Литература

Ansari A. M. Iran, Islam and Democracy. The Politics of Managing Change. London, 2016. Banani A. The Modernization of Iran. Standford, 1961.

Dunaeva E. V. Islamic Republic of Iran, political structure, conservatives, reformists, moderates, H. Rouhani, liberalization. Vostok (Oriens). 2016. No. 1. Pp. 111–120 [Дунаева Е. В. Политическая система исламской республики Иран: вызовы либеральной модернизации. Восток (Oriens). 2016. № 1.

С. 111–120 (in Russian).

Dunaeva E. V. Shiite Clergy in Iran’s Political Life. Outlines of Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, Law. 2018. No. 11(4). Pp. 169–189 [Дунаева Е. В. Шиитское духовенство в политической жизни современного Ирана. Контуры глобальных трансформаций: политика, экономика, право. 2018.

№ 11(4). С. 169–189 (in Russian)].

Haseeb Kh. D. (Ed.) Arab-Iranian Relations. Center for Arab Unity Studies. Beirut, 1988. Houwaidi F. Iran from the Inside. Cairo, 1987.

Hunter S. T. Iran after Khomeini. Washington, 1992.

Moussawi I. Shi’ism and The Democratisation Process in Iran: With a Focus on Wilayat al-faqih. London, 2015. Ulchenko N. Yu., Mammedova N. M. Features of Economic Development of Time-Based Muslim States (Example of

Turkey and Iran) Moscow, 2016. [Ульченко Н. Ю., Мамедова Н. М. Особенности экономического развития современных мусульманских государств (на примере Турции и Ирана). М., 2016 (in Russian)].

Electronic Sources / Электронные источники

Hunter S. T. Iran, Islam and the Struggle for Identity and Power in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Georgetown University. ACMCU Occasional Paper (2014). URL: https://issuu.com/georgetownsfs/ docs/shireen_hunter_iran__islam__and__th (accessed 05.12.2020)

Mashaei B. Unveiling on Ahmadinejad’s mission to bring the system to revolutionary conditions in 1978. 20.01.2018 (in Persian). URL: https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/766109 (accessed 05.12.2021).

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