Supreme Leader (Iran)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ali Chamene'i at the Nouschahr Military College (2018)

According to Article 5 of the Iranian Constitution of 1979, supreme leader or religious leader is the highest office of state in the Islamic Republic of Iran . He is elected for life by the Expert Council. In the constitutional text, the (from Persian رهبر, DMG rahbar , ' Führer ' derived) termsمقام رهبری, DMG maqām-e rahbarī , 'Leading Institution', andرهبر انقلاب (اسلامی), DMG rahbar-e enqelāb-e eslāmī , ' leader of the Islamic revolution '. In addition, the designationsمقام معظم رهبری, DMG maqām-e moʿaẓẓam-e rahbarī , 'Great Leader'; andولی امر مسلمین, DMG walī amr-e moslemīn , 'ruling authority of the Muslims'.

Meaning and history

Around 1970 Ayatollah Khomeini presented his concept of the Welāyat-e Faqīh 'governorship of the legal scholar' , in which the Shiite clergy should play an active role in political action, in a series of lectures to students of the Hawza . The Twelver had before Khomeini a quietist stance on political issues: the end of the 9th century was the 12th Imam , Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi , went into the "concealment" a legitimate head was missing, leading up to the death of the last Ambassador 941 was still compensated. In addition, there was the disappointment when the Shiite Buyids did not introduce the Shia as the state religion after their seizure of power in 930, but left the Sunni Abbasids in office. Qur'an 4:59 was subsequently interpreted in such a way that those who obey the authority of command (اولو الأمر / ūlū l-amr ) have the following minkum  /منكمwas interpreted as "among you". It was to follow those who had de facto power. Khomeini changed this to "from you". The concept of the Mardschaʿ-e Taghlid provides that the Shi'ite must follow a Marschaʿ in all things, but he can choose whom (and change at any time). The power of the Marjah is measured by its following, there can be an outstanding person or a group. Khomeini held the view, which was also entered into the constitution, that legal scholars are the better representatives of the hidden Imam than Pharaoh and Tāghūt .

After Khomeini's death, only Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri came into question as a successor on his line . This in turn was deposed as successor in a letter from Khomeini dated March 26, 1989, shortly before his death. In order to be able to make Seyyed Ali Chamenei the constitutional religious leader, a commission drew up an amendment to Article 107 of the constitution, which was adopted in a referendum on July 28, 1989 with 97.3% of the votes. When Chāmene'ī attempted to succeed the Grand Ayatollah ʿAlī Arākī in December 1994, it failed due to resistance from Lebanese, Iraqi and Iranian Ayatollahs who were of the opinion that he lacked the necessary theological competence.

Tasks and function

According to Art. 110 of the Iranian Constitution waẓayef-o eḫtiyārāt-e rahbar /وظایف و اختیارات رهبر / 'Obligations and powers of the Führer' are incumbent on the revolutionary leader with the following tasks and functions:

  1. Establishing the general policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after consulting the Arbitration Council.
  2. Monitoring the correct implementation of the system's guidelines.
  3. Issuing regulations for national referendums.
  4. Assumption of supreme command of the armed forces.
  5. Declaration of War and Peace and the mobilization of the armed forces.
  6. Appointment, dismissal and resignation of:
    1. the theologians of the Guardian Council,
    2. the head of the judicial system,
    3. the head of the radio and television network of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
    4. of the Chief of Staff,
    5. of the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guards and
    6. the commanders in chief of the armed forces and the police.
  7. Settlement of differences between the three armed forces.
  8. Solving problems that cannot be solved with conventional methods, with the involvement of the Arbitration Council.
  9. Signing of the presidential decree after the election by the people. The suitability of candidates for the presidency, in relation to the qualifications set out in the Constitution, must be confirmed by the Council of Guardians prior to the holding of elections and, in the case of the first term of a President, by the Leader.
  10. Dismissal of the President, taking into account the interests of the country, after the Supreme Court finds the violation of its constitutional duties or the Majles ruled his incompetence on the basis of Article 89.
  11. Amnesty or reduction in sentence for convicted persons, within the framework of the Islamic criteria, on the recommendation of the head of the judicial system.

The religious leader sets the guidelines for current politics and has an influence on day-to-day politics that should not be underestimated thanks to the authority to remove the president at any time. The Führer can also directly influence government policy via the Guardian Council . The Guardian Council has the right to veto all legislative resolutions and government decisions. Since the Führer largely determines the composition of the Guardian Council himself, the decisions of the Guardian Council coincide with his own.

Term of office

According to Article 111 of the Iranian constitution, the religious leader has no specific term of office. He is re-elected if the predecessor dies or can no longer perform his office. This deficiency can be physical or in the person of the religious leader himself, provided that he no longer fulfills the necessary requirements (Art. 109) for the office.

Leader since 1979
Surname Life dates Beginning of the term of office Term expires
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 1902-1989 3rd December 1979 June 3, 1989
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 1939– June 4th 1989 officiating

See also

literature

  • Wilfried Buchta: Who Rules Iran? The Structure of Power in the Islamic Republic . Brookings Institution, December 2001.

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ قانون اساسی, 'Constitution of Iran'. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015 ; Retrieved July 13, 2015 (Persian, in particular articles 5, 107 and 110).
  2. ↑ Iran - Constitution. University of Bern, accessed on July 13, 2015 (English, the comments in square brackets after the articles are not part of the constitutional text).
  3. ↑ z. B. Articles 89.2 and 91.1.
  4. ↑ Article 108
  5. ↑ Article 108
  6. ↑ Udo Steinbach: The position of Islam and Islamic law in selected states: Iran . In: Werner Ende, Udo Steinbach (ed.): Islam in the present . 5th, updated and expanded edition. CH Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-53447-3 , p. 246-263 , here p. 251 .
  7. ↑ Literal translation: "from you".
  8. ↑ J. Calmard: Mar dj ā ʿ- i Taḳlīd . In: The Encyclopaedia of Islam. New Edition . tape 6 . Brill, Leiden 1991, p. 548b-554b .
  9. ↑ Udo Steinbach: The position of Islam and Islamic law in selected states: Iran . In: Werner Ende, Udo Steinbach (ed.): Islam in the present . 5th, updated and expanded edition. CH Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-53447-3 , p. 246–263 , here p. 256 .