A) Check out the “Who Holds Power: Iran” resources from BBC News service:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/iran_power/html/default.stm
In a detailed paragraph, explain how Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic.
B) Reflect on the photo essay “Faces of Iran”; do the images shared here reflect more of a religious or secular (non-religious) society? Describe two images to support your point of view.
http://www.pbase.com/karibbb/faces_of_iran
(please note: comments are from civilians, not journalists; don’t mistake tier views as the blogger’s opinion)
C) Read the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” from the Wall Street Journal. What surprised you about this article? How does this account differ from the impressions you may have received about Iranian culture in the news and other sources. Overall, to what extent can democracy and theocracy coexist in Iran? In your opinion, which system has a greater impact on Iranian society?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304363104577392050519982974.html
Many of you reported problems accessing the article, so I attached the full text of the resource below:
By YUVAL PORAT
In the high-stakes international discussions surrounding Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, Iran's 80 million people are often forgotten. So I, along with a small team of Israelis, decided to explore the driving forces of Iranian society. There have been signs, on the streets and over the Internet, of a battle raging between the country's Islamic fundamentalists and the proponents of freedom. The question we set out to explore is where the majority of the people stand.
Soon we were joined by leading experts in the fields of social psychology, cross-cultural research, the Shiite Muslim religion, statistics, and dozens of Farsi-speaking volunteers.
Circumventing Iran's "electronic curtain"—as President Obama described the Iranian government's efforts to control contact with the outside world—our research team conducted telephone interviews in late 2011 and earlier this year with nearly a thousand Iranians. The latter constituted an accurate representative sample of Iranian society, including all of Iran's 31 provinces as well as a representative distribution of all ethnic groups, ages and levels of education. The interviews were conducted anonymously and the country the calls came from was concealed in order to ensure the safety of the respondents.
To overcome the challenge of measuring the potential for freedom and democracy in an autocratic country like Iran, we had to innovate. Typically, researchers use questionnaires that include questions such as "are you for or against democracy?" Or "have you ever signed a petition?" However, citizens in authoritarian countries are often afraid to respond to such explicit questions, and if they do respond their answers are likely to be distorted by fear.
Therefore we used a psychological questionnaire that measures the basic values of society without posing a single question in political terms. The questions described the views of a figurative third person and then asked the Iranian interviewee to what extent that person was similar to them. The third person was described in sentences such as "It is important to him to make his own decisions about his life," "thinking creatively is important to him," and "it is important to him to be the one who tells others what to do."
The questionnaire used in Iran was developed by cross-cultural psychology expert Shalom Schwartz as part of his "Theory of Basic Human Values," which is widely used by psychology researchers. In cooperation with Prof. Schwartz, our team created an index which measures the potential of a society to foster democratization, based on its values.
We validated the index by representative samples from 64 countries, and 162,994 respondents, from the United States and Sweden to Indonesia and Ghana. This revealed a strong correlation between a society's score on the index and its degree of democratization (based on the Freedom House measure of what constitutes a liberal democracy).
Conducting the interviews in Iran, we were amazed by how forthcoming the Iranian people were.
An analysis of the Iranian sample showed that alongside conservative values, such as conformity and tradition, Iranian society is characterized by strong support for pro-liberal values such as a belief in the importance of self-direction and benevolence. For example, 94% of the respondents identified with the sentence "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," and 71% of the respondents identified with the sentence "being tolerant toward all kinds of people and groups is important to him."
Once we had samples from Iran, we could analyze them with global samples using the new index. Iran was placed on a continuum measuring the tendency of societies world-wide to foster liberal democracy. Remarkably, in comparison to 47 countries surveyed in the World Values Survey, Iranian society's potential for liberal democracy was found to be higher than that of 23 others—including Arab countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Jordan, and Asian countries such as South Korea, India and Thailand. In comparison to 29 countries surveyed In the European Social Survey, Iran was found to have higher tendencies toward liberal democracy than Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia and Romania.
We also discovered an abnormally large gap between the societal potential for liberal democracy in Iran and the actual level of democracy in the country. In most countries there is a high correlation between the two. When such a gap exists, there is a strong tendency for the country's level of democracy to adjust in accordance with the society's potential.
Our findings demonstrate that Iranian society as a whole is characterized by a pro-liberal value structure that is deeply at odds with the fundamentalist regime. This presents considerable potential for regime change in Iran and for the development of liberal democracy.
Post must be at least 250 words.
Due Thurs April 4 by the beginning of class.
Robert Urbanski
ReplyDeleteGovernment
A) Well the Iranian government could be considered to be both democratic and theocratic by their ways of electing and non-electing people into important roles in their county. A democratic side of their government is the elections for the President, Parliament, and Assembly of experts. The other fields in the government are voted by the people to get them in power. It goes off the many other different government elected officials that decide who will fill in the positions. For this part of voting which is done by political figures, now this would be considered the theocratic part of the government. This is how the Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic.
B) It is a little difficult to say if the pictures explain Iran being a religious or nonreligious society, this is due to the pictures showing mostly people in a modern society. They also show people wearing their religious outfit, which can come in to play explaining how they may choose to vote! Overall though the pictures explain how that Iran is becoming more modernize and this may lead too different religions which may make it more of a nonreligious society based off of just having one religion in their lives today.
C) I couldn’t get the article to work, it wasn’t allowing me to create a login for some reason and they asked me to pay, but what I could see from the title was that they used research to reveal that Iranian societies that have a pro-liberal value have been able to start democratic view and that they are working with the fundamentalist regime.
I agree with what Robert evaluated in part B on the pictures. I also think that it can be a little difficult in determining whether the Iranian society is religion or secular. A good majority of the pictures show religious attire or attending a mosque while others are of modern society with motorbikes, shops and dresses. I agree with what he said on how religion can affect their vote.
DeleteNancy Che--Block E
ReplyDeleteA) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic because they have a president who is elected yet moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics. The current president is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was elected in 2005 and presidents can run for two terms, four years each. A parliament and cabinet is also present which also qualifies the government to be democratic. Citizens over the age of 15 can vote which is approximately 46 million voters out of the 65 million people make up the Electorate. According to the resources, “The Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV.” This shows the religious influence upon politics that make Iran both a theocratic and presidential government. The Head of Judiciary is said to have been controlled by the clergy up until a decade ago; this means, if and when there are legal law and policy evaluations, the judgments will be religiously influenced. The Iranian government also has a checks and balance system where the Expediency Council moderates and supervises all branches of government.
B) Based on the photographs, Iran appears to be a religious society. A good portion of the photos revolve around civilians attending a mosque or awaiting prayer. In the photo titled “Sharing a good story,” five men dressed formally seem to be possibly in a mosque or other religious structure according to two of the men’s headwear and the beads they have in their hands. Almost all of the women in the photographs are wearing hijabs or garbed with head coverings which in the Muslim religion, it is a mandated custom for women beyond the age of puberty to have a hair covering.
C) I had encountered the same issue that Robert had experienced with the news article. I couldn’t get the page to work… It asked me to ‘log in’ in order to view the entire article but I didn’t have an existing account so I hit subscribe and it asked me to pay. I found a few sentences of it after Googling the title here: http://wsje.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx but this too won’t allow me to view the article in its entirety.
Based on the short excerpt, I find it surprising that the people’s concerns aren’t tended to and they are “often forgotten.” I think theocracy and democracy can coexist together if religion can still be practiced without heavily interfering with democratic beliefs. In my opinion, it seems that theocracy has the greater impact on the people of Iran as it is visible in their attire and society displayed in the photos. However, little can be assumed on their mentality or inner beliefs regarding democracy.
I agree with Nancy when she states that we do not know their inner beliefs regarding democracy.
DeleteRachael Chan
ReplyDeleteE Block
A.) Iran’s political system combines features of Islamic theocracy with democracy. With a highly powerful Supreme leader, there is also a president and parliament elected by the people. The unelected Supreme Leader confirms the president’s election and is chosen by the clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts. The president is elected for four years and can serve no more than two consecutive terms. He is responsible for ensuring the constitution is employed. However, in 2005, Mr. Ahmadinejad became the first Iranian president since 1981 who is not a cleric. Members of the cabinet are also known as the Council of Ministers. They are chosen by the president, but must be approved by parliament. Parliament also has the power to impeach ministers.
B.) I think the images shown reflect a more religious society. Many of the photos show women wearing head coverings which are a reflection of the Muslim religion. As seen in “the candy shop” photo, the woman is wearing a head covering which is a mandated custom. Many of the photos also show civilians awaiting prayer or attending a mosque. In the photo “waiting for the Friday prayer”, a man is dressed formally as he awaits the Friday prayer. These are just some of the images that reflect a more religious Iranian society.
C.) There were many facts that surprised me in this article. An analysis revealed that Iranian society is characterized by strong support for pro liberal values, such as a belief in the importance of self direction and benevolence. The author then states a statistic that 94% of the respondents identified with the sentence “freedom to choose what he does is important to him” and 71% identified with the sentence “being tolerant towards all kinds of people and groups is important to him”. It was also shocking when the author revealed that Iranian society’s potential for liberal democracy was found to be higher than 23 other countries, including Egypt and South Korea. In the news and through other sources, we get the impression that the government completely rules the citizen’s lives and people’s needs are not being met. This article reveals that the Iranian society showed strong support for government involvement to achieve equality for all. I don’t believe that theocracy and democracy can coexist in Iran because some religious aspects may interfere with governing the country democratically. I think theocracy has a greater impact on Iranian society through their customs and attire. Through the photos, one can see the religious impact on a person’s life.
I agree with Rachel's opinion that theocracy has a greater impact in the Iranian government than democracy does because based on the articles and photos, it seems that the theocratic leaders are more powerful than the democratic branches of the Iranian government.
DeleteA. Although Iran has a Theocratic government, it does contain Democratic aspects. Iran has a President who is elected and has a term limit. Also the members of parliament are elected by popular vote every four years. These are some Democratic features, but Iran still has many theocratic features that define as a Theocracy ultimately. For instance, the expediency council is comprised mostly of prominent, religious magnates. The law is greatly influenced by Islamic values. The Assembly of Experts is only comprised of clerics, making religions influence in government that much greater.
ReplyDeleteB. The photos seem to reflect a secular views of Iran. There are several picture of women, many of them are wearing head coverings and long sleeved garments. Although the picture titled “Go Moussavi!” reflects more secular, revolutionary women who are not wearing their head covering completely over their head and are wearing three-quarter length sleeves on their garments. This reflects less strict, religious rulings and a more secular social perspective. The pictures at the end of the gallery show a more secular perspective of Iran. Women seem to be involved and have some sort of say in a political aspect of society. Like the picture of the women holding the flag and an image of a politician. Women are considered inferior in a religious aspect so this shows that Iranian society is becoming less intertwined with religion.
C. I was unable to access the article, but I found a small excerpt online. The information from the paragraph I read made me realize that there is turmoil in Iran between Islamic fundamentalists and proponents of freedom. I was surprised to find out that Iran is struggling between religious values and personal freedoms, I thought the religious factor in people’s lives was a concrete influence. My impression is that Iran is still in an unsteady place and the prospect of another revolution does not seem unreasonable. It doesn’t seem like theocracy and democracy and coexist very well. The struggle between the two seems overwhelming, and only one can prevail at the end. Currently, democracy and theocracy seems to barely work; the two seem too contradictory. It seems Theocracy currently has a stronger hold on Iran, but Democracy will soon have a greater influence. People are starting to shrug off the religious influence in government, like some women are wearing head coverings but are still showing their hair and skin.
Sarah Tallaksen
ReplyDeleteD Block
A) Iran’s government is both democratic and theocratic because it combines both policies. It is democratic when electing a president and prime minister by the people. However there is also a supreme leader controlled by highly powerful conservatives that covers theocratic policies. The two groups come from different institutions. The democratic institution is called the “Elected Institutions” and the theocratic group is called the “Unelected Institutions”. The Elected Institution has a President, Parliament, and Cabinet and shares a Guardian Council with the Unelected Institutions which include a Supreme Leader, Armed Forces, Head of Judiciary and Expediency Council.
B) The images in the photo essay reflect a more secular background for males however a more religious background for females. For example in the image, http://www.pbase.com/karibbb/image/113886822, there are two men. One is leaning on a motorcycle while the other is standing behind it. The clothes both men are wearing suggest no religious affiliation, neither does their actions. They look like common day people who are going to vote. However the women reveal more in religion. As shown in, http://www.pbase.com/karibbb/image/113882480, there are a group of multiple women all sitting together in a secluded area. The women are wearing all black covering and not even a glance of skin can be seen other than their faces. These women seem to be in some sort of temple with little care to be anywhere else.
C) I was unable to access the article for the first and second parts of this question. However based off the partial information I have obtained democracy and theocracy already exists to some extent in Iran. Yet the power is not equal. While the men in society are allowed to do as pleased many of the women are still expected to follow tradition. Theocracy has more impact on Iran society. Some rules are bent as seen in the photo essay but others are strictly followed, as in the women’s coverings. It is also clear that the theocratic part of the government seem to have more power than the democratic considering the it contains the Armed Forces.
I agree with Sarah's statement that "the images in the photo essay reflect a more secular background for males however a more religious background for females," Most of the photos that were of males could've been from anywhere, really, becuase they seemed rather casual. However, the photos of women revealed that Iran is strict when it comes to women. They were covering their hair/heads in most of the photos and their bodies in some, as well.
DeleteAly Stoffo
ReplyDelete0-Block Government
A) In 1979, Iran became an Islamic Republic under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini's leadership followed after the Iranian revolution, which put an end to the ruling of the Shah. Since 1979, Iran has been led by a highly conservative clerical group, but they are not the only powerful individuals in Iran's government. Iran runs under both a Theocratic and Democratic government. One may believe that the Democratic President, Cabinet and Parliament may conflict with the ideas of the Theocratic and highly Conservative Supreme Leader who has control over the Armed Forces, Head of Judiciary and Expediency Council, but their ideals work with each other. Iranian government plans to remain as a distinct symbol in the Islamic world, but they have also modernized since the Iranian Revolution through the practice of democracy. Both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini have highly conservative values. This may cause conflict with reformers and young voters in the near future.(The voting age is 15 in Iran and typically young voters have liberal values) Iran's Islamic centered culture and democratic values label the country as both a Theocracy and a Democracy.
B) The "Faces of Iran Photo Gallery" displays Iranians practicing their daily routines, some are displayed in a religious atmosphere and some are not. For example, there is a picture of two women holding up a peace-sign, which is a symbol for the previous presidential candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi. He is a reformist and was running against a highly-conservative candidate in a highly-conservative country. The picture displays Iranian women promoting their opinion. This picture shows the secular values of the women. On the contrary, there is one picture labeled, "Sacred Playground", and it shows a child running around in an area which appears to be religious. Although this picture clearly demonstrates how the art and building of the country are religious revolved, the picture makes me believe that because of the theocratic values in the country, the people have strong morals. This gallery demonstrates how theocracy and democracy coexist
C) Being that we live in America where we have the right to choose what religion we practice, we can easily mistake Iran's Islam-centered government for a partial-dictatorship. We believe that there should be no enforcement on which religion you chose to practice, so when we hear of a theocratic government, it is hard to believe that this is not a political way of controlling the public through religion. It is hard for Americans to not show harsh judgment towards those with highly-traditional values (Iranians), because of the rate of change and choice we have in America. Through media displayed in American, Iran has not earned themselves a tidy reputation. George Bush said once that Iran was the, “axis of evil”, due to a dispute about nuclear weapons. Iranians seem to have strong values (opposed to constant confliction) due to their coexisting government.
Aly Stoffo
ReplyDelete0-Block Government
A) In 1979, Iran became an Islamic Republic under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini's leadership followed after the Iranian revolution, which put an end to the ruling of the Shah. Since 1979, Iran has been led by a highly conservative clerical group, but they are not the only powerful individuals in Iran's government. Iran runs under both a Theocratic and Democratic government. One may believe that the Democratic President, Cabinet and Parliament may conflict with the ideas of the Theocratic and highly Conservative Supreme Leader who has control over the Armed Forces, Head of Judiciary and Expediency Council, but their ideals work with each other. Iranian government plans to remain as a distinct symbol in the Islamic world, but they have also modernized since the Iranian Revolution through the practice of democracy. Both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini have highly conservative values. This may cause conflict with reformers and young voters in the near future.(The voting age is 15 in Iran and typically young voters have liberal values) Iran's Islamic centered culture and democratic values label the country as both a Theocracy and a Democracy.
B) The "Faces of Iran Photo Gallery" displays Iranians practicing their daily routines, some are displayed in a religious atmosphere and some are not. For example, there is a picture of two women holding up a peace-sign, which is a symbol for the previous presidential candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi. He is a reformist and was running against a highly-conservative candidate in a highly-conservative country. The picture displays Iranian women promoting their opinion. This picture shows the secular values of the women. On the contrary, there is one picture labeled, "Sacred Playground", and it shows a child running around in an area which appears to be religious. Although this picture clearly demonstrates how the art and building of the country are religious revolved, the picture makes me believe that because of the theocratic values in the country, the people have strong morals. This gallery demonstrates how theocracy and democracy coexist
C) Being that we live in America where we have the right to choose what religion we practice, we can easily mistake Iran's Islam-centered government for a partial-dictatorship. We believe that there should be no enforcement on which religion you chose to practice, so when we hear of a theocratic government, it is hard to believe that this is not a political way of controlling the public through religion. It is hard for Americans to not show harsh judgment towards those with highly-traditional values (Iranians), because of the rate of change and choice we have in America. Through media displayed in American, Iran has not earned themselves a tidy reputation. George Bush said once that Iran was the, “axis of evil”, due to a dispute about nuclear weapons. Iranians seem to have strong values (opposed to constant confliction) due to their coexisting government.
Jessica Dunn
ReplyDeleteD Block
A) Iran’s political system contains both theocratic and democratic aspects. The democratic features of Iran are that it has an elected president, elected parliament, and elected assembly of experts. The president has a term limit of four years, and can only serve for two terms. The assembly of experts then appoints the supreme leader. This is a theocratic aspect of Iran’s government because the supreme leader reflects the religious views of the country. The supreme leader then appoints the armed forces, head of judiciary, and expediency council. This is also a theocratic aspect because the head of judiciary enforces Islamic law, and the expediency council has supervisory powers over all branches of government. Since the supreme leader appoints these two branches of government, they reflect the religious beliefs of Iran.
B) Based on these photos, I feel that Iran is more of a religious society than a secular one. In every picture, the women are always wearing head coverings. Head coverings are an Islamic tradition and show the religious side of Iran. In the photo “North Terhani girls,” two girls from North Terhani are going to do their civil duties at the polls. They are fashion conscious, but still dress moderately and wear head coverings. In the photo “Hanging Out,” two young people were talking outside of a mosque. Mosques are religious places, so people hanging out outside of them show Iran as a religious nation.
C) Based on the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” by Yuval Porat, I was surprised to read that researchers had to use a psychological questionnaire on Iranians because they were unsure if the citizens would be afraid of answering direct political questions under the rule of the authoritarian government, but 94% of Iranians believe in pro-liberal values. This article differed from the other resources that I looked at because this article made it seem as if Iranians weren’t very content with their current government, where as the other resources made Iranians seem content with their government. I don’t believe that democracy and theocracy can coexist because democracy is based on allowing citizens to govern themselves, and theocracy is based on the idea that one religious group controls the entire country. Democracy gives people freedom, and theocracy restricts citizens’ freedom. I believe that theocracy has a greater overall impact in the Iranian government because the photos of people reflected many religious views, and Iranian citizens were afraid to answer direct political questions about the government.
Kaitlyn Conroy
ReplyDeleteA-Block
A) After reading about the Iranian government, I concluded that Iran does have both democratic and theocratic elements within its government. Out of a population of 65 million there are 46 million electorates, electorates being people eligible to vote. Electorates determine and elect the President and other parts of government. The President’s job is to ensure that the constitution is implemented and he serves for four years. To my surprise, the President is the second-highest ranking official in the country for the Supreme Leader is the first. The Supreme Leader is not elected, but instead chosen by clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts, who are elected by Electorates. The Supreme Leader is the religious leader of the country, and has the most authority, he also controls armed forces and makes decisions on security, defense and major foreign policy issues. Ironically in the US, the Supreme Leader’s duties are those of our President which I thought was interesting. Therefore, one can conclude that the presence of both a President and a Supreme Leader in Iran show that the country is both democratic and theocratic.
B) While viewing the photo essay “Faces of Iran” the images that stuck out to me the most were the ones of women. Almost every woman in each picture was shown wearing a head covering. Based on prior knowledge I know that in many muslim societies women are forbidden to expose their heads, hair, and neck from the public because of their religious beliefs. Another image that stuck out to me was the one of the man waiting for Friday Prayer. Friday Prayer is mandatory for all Muslim men to participate in and it is one of the duties of the Supreme Leader to enforce it. I feel like these images reinforce the idea that Iran is mostly a religious society, since these pictures show how Iranian’s dress and culture are heavily influenced by religion.
C) I also had a problem finding and reading the full article given, but I did however find a small expert of it. I found it surprising how out of a given poll 94% of respondents in Iran identified with the sentence “freedom to choose what he does is important to him.” I feel like this sentence reflects democratic values, which many Iranians seem to want in government. Since the Supreme Leader has more power within government I do feel like Iran is more of a theocracy compared to a democracy. Iranian government is composed of many appointed religious officials who enforce religious customs within society. However, electorates have the right to vote in Iran which is a major trademark of democracy. Over time I think Iran will have to become a complete democracy or a complete theocracy. It seems that both political systems mixed together have caused a lot of turmoil within the country. Basically, in my opinion religious rule can’t ever be possibly deemed democratic, and each co-existing with one another will cause nothing but tension. Overall, I feel that as of now Iran is composed of religious rule but does have many democratic aspirations and needs as a country.
Kaitlyn Conroy
ReplyDeleteA-Block
A) After reading about the Iranian government, I concluded that Iran does have both democratic and theocratic elements within its government. Out of a population of 65 million there are 46 million electorates, electorates being people eligible to vote. Electorates determine and elect the President and other parts of government. The President’s job is to ensure that the constitution is implemented and he serves for four years. To my surprise, the President is the second-highest ranking official in the country for the Supreme Leader is the first. The Supreme Leader is not elected, but instead chosen by clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts, who are elected by Electorates. The Supreme Leader is the religious leader of the country, and has the most authority, he also controls armed forces and makes decisions on security, defense and major foreign policy issues. Ironically in the US, the Supreme Leader’s duties are those of our President which I thought was interesting. Therefore, one can conclude that the presence of both a President and a Supreme Leader in Iran show that the country is both democratic and theocratic.
B) While viewing the photo essay “Faces of Iran” the images that stuck out to me the most were the ones of women. Almost every woman in each picture was shown wearing a head covering. Based on prior knowledge I know that in many muslim societies women are forbidden to expose their heads, hair, and neck from the public because of their religious beliefs. Another image that stuck out to me was the one of the man waiting for Friday Prayer. Friday Prayer is mandatory for all Muslim men to participate in and it is one of the duties of the Supreme Leader to enforce it. I feel like these images reinforce the idea that Iran is mostly a religious society, since these pictures show how Iranian’s dress and culture are heavily influenced by religion.
C) I also had a problem finding and reading the full article given, but I did however find a small expert of it. I found it surprising how out of a given poll 94% of respondents in Iran identified with the sentence “freedom to choose what he does is important to him.” I feel like this sentence reflects democratic values, which many Iranians seem to want in government. Since the Supreme Leader has more power within government I do feel like Iran is more of a theocracy compared to a democracy. Iranian government is composed of many appointed religious officials who enforce religious customs within society. However, electorates have the right to vote in Iran which is a major trademark of democracy. Over time I think Iran will have to become a complete democracy or a complete theocracy. It seems that both political systems mixed together have caused a lot of turmoil within the country. Basically, in my opinion religious rule can’t ever be possibly deemed democratic, and each co-existing with one another will cause nothing but tension. Overall, I feel that as of now Iran is composed of religious rule but does have many democratic aspirations and needs as a country.
Alyssa Morganti
ReplyDeleteA Block
A.) Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic because there are elected institutions. These include but are not limited to the President and his cabinet. However, there are those unelected, such as the Supreme Leader. A country who has a Supreme Leader is always religious, or theocratic, for the supreme leader has religious influence when it comes to decisions made in government.
B.) The people pictured are all up to date and modernized. The society looks efficient. The people in the pictures, however, are mostly dressed in religious clothing. The women especially are always dressed according to their religion. Although there are pictures of business owners as well as people going to vote, the religious aspect is largely evident. The images shared reflect more of a religious society, but there are also signs of democracy.
C.) In reading the excerpt from the article, I was able to put together the fact that it isn't easy for a democracy and theocracy to coexist in one society. Religious views can interfere with democratic decisions, altering the decisions to be made. Iran is facing struggle of some sorts when it comes to personal freedoms versus religious value. In reference to the past article and photos (parts A & B) the religious aspect of Iran's society has a strong hold over it's people. It is safe to say, in my opinion that theocracy has a greater impact on society in Iran.
I agree with alyssa in the fact that the society looks more religous due to the religous clothing and slight signs of democracy. -Vin...C
DeleteMelany Yuin
ReplyDeleteA-Block
A) Based on the informational graph provided by BBC News, the categories shown help dissect the political system of Iran. The graph illustrates the democratic and theocratic aspects of Iran. The elected institutions are directly elected by the people. The unelected institutions are appointed. One of categories shown was the president, and much like the United States president, each term is four years and they can only serve for two consecutive terms. The president of Iran also has a cabinet, like the UK and US. Most of the elected institutions in Iran are democratic. The unelected institutions are mostly theocratic. The unelected institutions have a strong Islamic influence on its politics. Much of the laws are from Islamic texts and the Quran. This is how Iran can be considered both a democratic and theocratic country.
B) I feel that many of these pictures shown depict a very religious society. Despite the protesting, many women are seen wearing religious garbs. In the picture “naptime at the mosque”, men are seen with their shoes off and resting in the Muslim temple. This shows their respect for a holy temple, and the linen on the floor also keeps the mosque clean. In another picture, “Mullah praying at the Lotfallah Mosque”, a man can be seen fervently praying and he is also wearing religious garb. Many of these pictures show the importance of Islam in society and how it plays a strong role in many peoples’ lives.
C) I was not able to access the link provided, but according to the small sentence below the headline, I can infer that Iran’s society is beginning to change from a strong theocratic government, to a more liberal government. Maybe the protests and riots have influenced the slight change in Iran’s society. However, I think that Iran will remain strongly influenced by Islam, despite the protests and wants for change.
Samantha Escobedo
DeleteBlock E
I agree with Melany that many of the pictures show a religious society. This seen through images that show a mosque in the background or religious garments on females and males.
A) In the information given by “IRAN Who Holds the Power”, I read about the two powers of Democracy and Theocracy of Iran. Democracy is shown by having an elected president who serves a four year term. The Parliament is also elected by popular vote every four years and there is an example of checks & balances where the Parliament can impeach Members of Cabinet. Also, the Guardian Council is elected for six years and half the membership changes every three years. Theocracy is shown by the fact that every president since 1981 was a cleric before President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Another theocratic characteristic would be the Cabinet and the Guardian Council has no women, which can reflect the thought that women are inferior that is usually expressed in Islamic religion. Also new laws based on “Sharia - law derived from Islamic texts and teachings” have been implemented and defines legal policy.
ReplyDeleteB) From the photographs shown on the website, Iran seems to be a bit of a mix of secular and religious traditions. By some photos like “Schoolmates” and “North Tehrani Girls”, women who are traditionally expected to wear head coverings that hide their hair, these women aren’t wearing them like that. Also, it is seen that they are wearing accessories such as sunglasses and make-up. This trend seems to be with the younger generation due to how in other pictures older women are wearing the coverings traditionally. This can show how Iran is becoming more and more secular or “modern”. It can be argued that Iran is still religious due to the many pictures of women wearing head coverings. However, it might be due to the fact that a lot of those photos are in religious places and it is custom and respectful to wear it in those places, just how in a Catholic church you’re not supposed to wear shorts or tight shirts. Another example of Iran becoming secular would be that in the picture “Off to Vote”, there is a woman. This can show how before, women were considered to be inferior and that they were unimportant but now they are respected enough to even take part of the government.
C)I was not able to access the article.
Samantha Escobedo
DeleteBlock E
I agree with Jasmine that Iran has both theocratic and democratic political views. Although they have a president (which is a form of democracy), however I disagree that a sign of theocracy is not having any females in cabinet. Theocracy has more to do with religious beliefs than with the issue of being sexist or gender inequality.
A) In the information given by “IRAN Who Holds the Power”, I read about the two powers of Democracy and Theocracy of Iran. Democracy is shown by having an elected president who serves a four year term. The Parliament is also elected by popular vote every four years and there is an example of checks & balances where the Parliament can impeach Members of Cabinet. Also, the Guardian Council is elected for six years and half the membership changes every three years. Theocracy is shown by the fact that every president since 1981 was a cleric before President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Another theocratic characteristic would be the Cabinet and the Guardian Council has no women, which can reflect the thought that women are inferior that is usually expressed in Islamic religion. Also new laws based on “Sharia - law derived from Islamic texts and teachings” have been implemented and defines legal policy.
ReplyDeleteB) From the photographs shown on the website, Iran seems to be a bit of a mix of secular and religious traditions. By some photos like “Schoolmates” and “North Tehrani Girls”, women who are traditionally expected to wear head coverings that hide their hair, these women aren’t wearing them like that. Also, it is seen that they are wearing accessories such as sunglasses and make-up. This trend seems to be with the younger generation due to how in other pictures older women are wearing the coverings traditionally. This can show how Iran is becoming more and more secular or “modern”. It can be argued that Iran is still religious due to the many pictures of women wearing head coverings. However, it might be due to the fact that a lot of those photos are in religious places and it is custom and respectful to wear it in those places, just how in a Catholic church you’re not supposed to wear shorts or tight shirts. Another example of Iran becoming secular would be that in the picture “Off to Vote”, there is a woman. This can show how before, women were considered to be inferior and that they were unimportant but now they are respected enough to even take part of the government.
C) I was unable to access the article.
Iran's government can be considered democratic and theoretic by their way of electing and non electing people roles in their country. They elect a president and parliament so in a way this can be considered democratic. Any other aspect of the government is determined by the people. In the article it says how the members of the powerful guardian council pray as well as control the TV and radio. This is showed to be theocratic. In the pictures the leaders had on religious attire.
ReplyDeleteMost of the pictures are religious. Two in particular is the image of the couple off too vote and the school mates because the females in those images are wearing religious hair pieces.You also get to see Iran progressing in a modern way, not everyone in the images had on religious pieces. The modernization conveys to me that the country is proceeding in a more democratic place.
I was not able to view the article but I could still respond to the excerpt and title.I think its rather significant that peoples opinions are heard and considered by religious officials. I don't believe that a democratic and theocratic government could exist just because its been happening thus far. In Iran religion is imperative to the citizens and government as long as a mutual respect is created between the people and the government officials the two parties should coexists successfully. With the two parties being used together instead of looking at whats going in the world , people may get side tracked by their own religious feelings towards certain issues. If the right officials control the country and issue like this would not be relevant for long.
Iran's government can be considered democratic and theoretic by their way of electing and non electing people roles in their country. They elect a president and parliament so in a way this can be considered democratic. Any other aspect of the government is determined by the people. In the article it says how the members of the powerful guardian council pray as well as control the TV and radio. This is showed to be theocratic. In the pictures the leaders had on religious attire.
ReplyDeleteMost of the pictures are religious. Two in particular is the image of the couple off too vote and the school mates because the females in those images are wearing religious hair pieces.You also get to see Iran progressing in a modern way, not everyone in the images had on religious pieces. The modernization conveys to me that the country is proceeding in a more democratic place.
I was not able to view the article but I could still respond to the excerpt and title.I think its rather significant that peoples opinions are heard and considered by religious officials. I don't believe that a democratic and theocratic government could exist just because its been happening thus far. In Iran religion is imperative to the citizens and government as long as a mutual respect is created between the people and the government officials the two parties should coexists successfully. With the two parties being used together instead of looking at whats going in the world , people may get side tracked by their own religious feelings towards certain issues. If the right officials control the country and issue like this would not be relevant for long.
Alyssa Morganti
ReplyDeleteA Block
A.) Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic because there are elected institutions. These include but are not limited to the President and his cabinet. However, there are those unelected, such as the Supreme Leader. A country who has a Supreme Leader is always religious, or theocratic, for the supreme leader has religious influence when it comes to decisions made in government.
B.) The people pictured are all up to date and modernized. The society looks efficient. The people in the pictures, however, are mostly dressed in religious clothing. The women especially are always dressed according to their religion. Although there are pictures of business owners as well as people going to vote, the religious aspect is largely evident. The images shared reflect more of a religious society, but there are also signs of democracy.
C.) In reading the excerpt from the article, I was able to put together the fact that it isn't easy for a democracy and theocracy to coexist in one society. Religious views can interfere with democratic decisions, altering the decisions to be made. Iran is facing struggle of some sorts when it comes to personal freedoms versus religious value. In reference to the past article and photos (parts A & B) the religious aspect of Iran's society has a strong hold over it's people. It is safe to say, in my opinion that theocracy has a greater impact on society in Iran.
I agree with Alyssa in the fact that Religious views will interfere with democratic decisions. The two systems contradict each other, it would be difficult to find an equal middle ground.
DeleteFiona Jung
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I disagree with Alyssa, I think democracy and theocracy are able to coexist in one society, the Iranian government is a perfect example. They are a theocracy government and are adapting to democratic ideas. I believe they will be successful to be both a democracy and a theocracy.
1. Iran can be considered as both theocratic and democratic. It is its own unique government that can not be defined because of tits unique features. The Iranian government has features of religion included (Islam) as well as democratic features. In the article Iran: Who holds the power? it states that the president is elected and serves a four year term, identical to our system. Also, by popular vote, "Majlis"or Parliament is elected and serves the same amount of years as the president. Parliament holds similar power to the United States system, that include introducing and passing laws and impeaching ministers or the president. But, this government also holds religious views. Islam is apart of all aspects of this government.
ReplyDelete2. By the picture you can tell that the people of Iran follow the Islamic religion and its beliefs. the women are wearing shall's that cover them, for religious purposes. The men are also wearing religious headwear and the captions of the people state, "mosque people". The mosque is a place of prayer and worship. The people also look hard working and restless. Iran isn't the greatest place on earth but it is definitely full of working class people who struggle day in and day out. Most women wear sun glasses and dress to impress the best way they can, and the men of the younger generation seem to do the same. You can notice the difference between the older and younger generations.
3. After reading this article, what surprised me most was that the Islam aspect of the government has a major influence on the people. The democratic aspects and theocratic aspects of the government can not work together because they contradict. Government law and policy will differ from religious law and what is "morally right". What struck me most out of the article reading was this statistic, "94% of the respondents identified with the sentence "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," and 71% of the respondents identified with the sentence "being tolerant toward all kinds of people and groups is important to him." I find that to be the most interesting people it states that the majority of the younger generation seems to feel that their want and desires, as well as freedom is important to them.
A)The Iranian government can be considered both democratic and theocratic because they hold general elections for president and parliament, however the religious leaders aren't elected they are appointed by the Guardian Council. The religious leader of Iran is known as the Ayatollah, and he has complete control over government affairs. The ayatollah controls the armed forces and makes decisions on security, defense and major foreign policy issues. However, the president has executive power and his duty is to uphold and protect the constitution.
ReplyDeleteB)I think that the pictures support a secular view of Iran, because they seemed to be really modernized. However, women must wear head covering to conceal their identity, and this shows the countries religious aspect, but the people in these pictures seems to be doing fine. They've learned to adapted and except their role in society, but I would encourage them to pursue women's rights and expand their modernist views.
C)After reading the article I was surprised that the people of Iran supported the idea of freedom and liberty. According to the research that was collected about 94% of the respondents believed that "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," and this was interesting because I thought Iran was a country that wanted to be isolated from the world. However, that doesn't seem to be the case, many citizens want to be able to pursue their own career, and live normal lives like the rest of us. I thought that Iran was a country that suppressed other religions, but according to the article about 71% of the respondents identified with the sentence "being tolerant toward all kinds of people and groups is important to him.", which means that they want to make peace with other nations. This article has really changed my perspective and I'm curious to know more about this topic.
Emily Camacho
ReplyDeleteD block
The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic because there is a system of both unelected and elected government officials. In a true democracy, citizens are able to vote to elect their ruler, but in Iranian government there are members who are directly elected, appointed and other candidates. The Iranian government does have a President and an elected cabinet to assist the president in decisions but there is also a Supreme Leader.
Based on these photos I would say the society is more religious then secular. Most of the photos show people dressed in tradition attire awaiting prayer services or at Mosque for example all of the women in the photos are wearing head coverings which is a part of the Muslim religion. In the photo “old friends” the background stood out to me because it is all trash, old materials on an old street showing that not all of Iran is modernized and has been improved.
Based on the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values?” I was surprised by the abnormally large gap between the society’s potential for democracy and the actual level of democracy. Meaning if the Iranian government wanted to take the correct steps into transforming to democracy, they can without many problems. This article showed that Iranian citizens were more open and forth coming to discuss their hopes for freedom and democracy, which I thought was not widely present in this country. Overall, Democracy and Theocracy might be able to coexist but precautions and rules have to be in place. Based on the article and photos, I think theocracy has a greater impact on Iranian citizens and their government because it is something that affects their everyday lives and decisions.
Sharon Martinez
ReplyDelete4/3/13
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A) The Iranian government can be considered both democratic and theocratic. This can be determined by the election and non- election that occurs in the country. The Iranian president is elected yet moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics. The current president in Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was elected in 2005. Presidents can run for two terms, four years each. Citizens over the age of 15 are allowed to vote, this is about 46 million voters out of the 65 million people that make up the Electorate. The Expediency Council is comprised mostly of religious magnates; the law is greatly influenced by Islamic values.
B) The photographs demonstrate Iran to be a religious society. The photo titled “Sharing a good story,” five men dressed formally seem to be in a mosque because of the two of the men’s headwear and the beads. The picture “07-JUN-2009” shows a women praying at a mosque. The person shows her with a bag and her mat in which she prays on. These photographs show how the citizens are okay with having a religious society.
C) I believe that theocracy and democracy can coexist together. If citizens are allowed to practice the religion they wish without this interfering with democratic beliefs. I found surprising that 47 countries surveyed in the World Values Survey, Iranian society's potential for liberal democracy was found to be higher than that of 23 others. I was shocked to see this because I never actually thought about this. I feel that democracy is more dominant because not everyone will follow it especially in the comfort of their home.
Sharon Martinez
ReplyDelete4/3/13
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A) The Iranian government can be considered both democratic and theocratic. This can be determined by the election and non- election that occurs in the country. The Iranian president is elected yet moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics. The current president in Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was elected in 2005. Presidents can run for two terms, four years each. Citizens over the age of 15 are allowed to vote, this is about 46 million voters out of the 65 million people that make up the Electorate. The Expediency Council is comprised mostly of religious magnates; the law is greatly influenced by Islamic values.
B) The photographs demonstrate Iran to be a religious society. The photo titled “Sharing a good story,” five men dressed formally seem to be in a mosque because of the two of the men’s headwear and the beads. The picture “07-JUN-2009” shows a women praying at a mosque. The person shows her with a bag and her mat in which she prays on. These photographs show how the citizens are okay with having a religious society.
C) I believe that theocracy and democracy can coexist together. If citizens are allowed to practice the religion they wish without this interfering with democratic beliefs. I found surprising that 47 countries surveyed in the World Values Survey, Iranian society's potential for liberal democracy was found to be higher than that of 23 others. I was shocked to see this because I never actually thought about this. I feel that democracy is more dominant because not everyone will follow it especially in the comfort of their home.
Salvatore Sicilia
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A) The Iranian government is very much both democratic and theocratic. Their president alone is only the second highest ranking official in the country which doesn’t give him total power or put him above everyone else. The Presidents power is even limited by the clerics, conservatives, and by the rule of the Supreme Leader. The people of Iran vote which is an obvious sign of democracy. During the 1997 election 80% of people voted which is astonishing and shows how the people want change and their voice to be heard. In parliament all major bills no matter what have to be approved by the conservative guardian council. This limits power and gives a second review on bills that can severely impact the nation.
B) Most of the images here promote a religious society rather than a secular society. Specifically the images of the men and women praying and the garments the women are wearing. Some are many people praying together some are by themselves praying. Few photos show people doing every day things like playing with a ball or just smiling which promotes a secular society but most of the society of Iran from these pictures seems to be religious. Some have pictures of Iranian citizens holding pictures of their president, other people they can pray to which furthermore solidifies the idea that they have a strong religious society.
C) What surprised me most about the article was how the reporters couldn’t even ask the questions they wanted directly. They feared the people wouldn’t answer truthfully because of the power they knew there government had. They had to ask the question in another form and the results were strong. 94% or Iranians voted for some pro liberal values of government which was confusing. In the pictures and the first resource there wasn’t that strong intention that the people were truly unhappy with their government. This shows that the people want change in their government but they fear the government so in turn it would be hard for any change to occur. Democracy and theocracy definitely cannot co exist in Iran. Theocracy plays a greater role and oppresses the people into asking for change. This result in the people being scared of their government and no change or reform occurring.
Briana Cotugno
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A.) Iran’s government can be defined as both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic in the sense that they have a president who can serve for a maximum of two terms. The government also has a parliament, which elected every four years and a cabinet. Aside from these few democratic features there are of course the features of a theocracy. Although the country has a president it is moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics, their ways of electing important roles to people also show signs of a theocracy. The election for president, parliament, and the assembly of experts is more democratic while the elections that are done by the political figures is theocratic.
B.) The photos shown in “Faces of Iran” are a mixture of both religion and the society. You see a lot of friendliness. All of the people look very happy and close to one another. There were a handful of pictures that involved their religion and prayers at the Mosque. For example there was one picture in the beginning showing two little boys playing together. There were also others which represented the interaction of people. This shows the society and how the people of Iran get along with one another. There are also numerous photos of people in the Mosque waiting for prayer. These images represent examples of the mixture in the pictures of Iran. It is no too much religion but a significant amount.
C.) I was surprised when the author stated that the Iranian society potential for liberal democracy was higher then 23 other countries. Based on this information I feel that democracy is more dominant in the society however I believe democratic and theocratic forms of government are able to exist together.
Briana Cotugno
ReplyDeleteD Block
A.) Iran’s government can be defined as both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic in the sense that they have a president who can serve for a maximum of two terms. The government also has a parliament, which elected every four years and a cabinet. Aside from these few democratic features there are of course the features of a theocracy. Although the country has a president it is moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics, their ways of electing important roles to people also show signs of a theocracy. The election for president, parliament, and the assembly of experts is more democratic while the elections that are done by the political figures is theocratic.
B.) The photos shown in “Faces of Iran” are a mixture of both religion and the society. You see a lot of friendliness. All of the people look very happy and close to one another. There were a handful of pictures that involved their religion and prayers at the Mosque. For example there was one picture in the beginning showing two little boys playing together. There were also others which represented the interaction of people. This shows the society and how the people of Iran get along with one another. There are also numerous photos of people in the Mosque waiting for prayer. These images represent examples of the mixture in the pictures of Iran. It is no too much religion but a significant amount.
C.) I was surprised when the author stated that the Iranian society potential for liberal democracy was higher then 23 other countries. Based on this information I feel that democracy is more dominant in the society however I believe democratic and theocratic forms of government are able to exist together.
Briana Cotugno
ReplyDeleteD Block
A.) Iran’s government can be defined as both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic in the sense that they have a president who can serve for a maximum of two terms. The government also has a parliament, which elected every four years and a cabinet. Aside from these few democratic features there are of course the features of a theocracy. Although the country has a president it is moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics, their ways of electing important roles to people also show signs of a theocracy. The election for president, parliament, and the assembly of experts is more democratic while the elections that are done by the political figures is theocratic.
B.) The photos shown in “Faces of Iran” are a mixture of both religion and the society. You see a lot of friendliness. All of the people look very happy and close to one another. There were a handful of pictures that involved their religion and prayers at the Mosque. For example there was one picture in the beginning showing two little boys playing together. There were also others which represented the interaction of people. This shows the society and how the people of Iran get along with one another. There are also numerous photos of people in the Mosque waiting for prayer. These images represent examples of the mixture in the pictures of Iran. It is no too much religion but a significant amount.
C.) I was surprised when the author stated that the Iranian society potential for liberal democracy was higher then 23 other countries. Based on this information I feel that democracy is more dominant in the society however I believe democratic and theocratic forms of government are able to exist together.
Briana Cotugno
ReplyDeleteD Block
A.) Iran’s government can be defined as both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic in the sense that they have a president who can serve for a maximum of two terms. The government also has a parliament, which elected every four years and a cabinet. Aside from these few democratic features there are of course the features of a theocracy. Although the country has a president it is moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics, their ways of electing important roles to people also show signs of a theocracy. The election for president, parliament, and the assembly of experts is more democratic while the elections that are done by the political figures is theocratic.
B.) The photos shown in “Faces of Iran” are a mixture of both religion and the society. You see a lot of friendliness. All of the people look very happy and close to one another. There were a handful of pictures that involved their religion and prayers at the Mosque. For example there was one picture in the beginning showing two little boys playing together. There were also others which represented the interaction of people. This shows the society and how the people of Iran get along with one another. There are also numerous photos of people in the Mosque waiting for prayer. These images represent examples of the mixture in the pictures of Iran. It is no too much religion but a significant amount.
C.) I was surprised when the author stated that the Iranian society potential for liberal democracy was higher then 23 other countries. Based on this information I feel that democracy is more dominant in the society however I believe democratic and theocratic forms of government are able to exist together.
Briana Cotugno
ReplyDeleteD Block
A.) Iran’s government can be defined as both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic in the sense that they have a president who can serve for a maximum of two terms. The government also has a parliament, which elected every four years and a cabinet. Aside from these few democratic features there are of course the features of a theocracy. Although the country has a president it is moderated by the Supreme Leader and his clerics, their ways of electing important roles to people also show signs of a theocracy. The election for president, parliament, and the assembly of experts is more democratic while the elections that are done by the political figures is theocratic.
B.) The photos shown in “Faces of Iran” are a mixture of both religion and the society. You see a lot of friendliness. All of the people look very happy and close to one another. There were a handful of pictures that involved their religion and prayers at the Mosque. For example there was one picture in the beginning showing two little boys playing together. There were also others which represented the interaction of people. This shows the society and how the people of Iran get along with one another. There are also numerous photos of people in the Mosque waiting for prayer. These images represent examples of the mixture in the pictures of Iran. It is no too much religion but a significant amount.
C.) I was surprised when the author stated that the Iranian society potential for liberal democracy was higher then 23 other countries. Based on this information I feel that democracy is more dominant in the society however I believe democratic and theocratic forms of government are able to exist together.
Jackie Armao
ReplyDeleteBlock D
(a) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic because they incorporate ideas from both systems. The Iranian government has a supreme leader and a president and parliament elected by the people. A unique factor in the Iranian government is that anyone who is over the age of 15 has a right to vote. This displays a type of checks and balance system which can be found in a democratic government. The theocratic part of their government comes from have a supreme leader. The supreme leader, .”...Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV.” By having the supreme leader pick pray leaders, it is an example of a theocratic government. This is how the Iranian government displays both democratic and theocratic systems.
(b) Looking at the “Faces of Iran” it is clear to see that most of the photos involve citizens of Iran. It shows a very religious looking group of citizens from young children to school mates and from what they wear. The first picture I have chosen to look at is the Nap Time at the Mosque. I chose this one because it supports my opinion that they are more of a religious group of people. I felt that the picture shows how much they value their religion and how it is a regular and normal action to do in the Mosque. The next photo I chose was Hanging Out because it shows how the people in the nation hangout in clothing that covers them up and shows no skin. To me this is a very religious aspect in a nation.
(c) From reading the article I was able to see that the Iranians do have some democracy values but it is a challenge to balance both government systems. I’m not very surprised by this because I could imagine it being hard to juggle two very different types of government. I found it interesting that out of a poll 94% of the voters said they want the freedom to chose what they want. Religion is also a big part of the government which is a theocratic theme seen in the Iranian government. I don’t see any real difference between the sources I’ve looked at. Iran seems to have their government somewhat under control but not quite all together yet. I feel that within the Iranian government, theocracy has a bigger impact on the nation. I feel this way because many citizens chose to wear religious clothing daily and attend daily prayer functions.
Part A
ReplyDeleteThe Iranian government represents a Democratic government and a Theocratic government. It exemplifies an democracy because the people elect a President, can only hold office for 4 years but 2 terms. The President is in charge of implementing the constitution. The cabinet in the government is chosen by the President but needs to be approved by the supreme court. The Parliament is also elected every four years and they have the ability to make laws. The Guardian Council is also elected and they change half its members every three years, and they have the power to approve laws or veto them. Lastly, in the democratic part of the government comes the Assembly expert, who is elected every eight years but there role is to keep and eye on the Supreme. The Supreme is the religious leader in Iran and he is chosen by the assembly of experts. The Supreme controls the army, the foreign policy aspects and making security decisions. The head of the Judiciary are not elected but they are supposed to ensure Islamic law and define legal policy. Lastly, the expediency council is also no elected but they supervise all the branches of government.
Part B
Based on the photos, the society seems to be secular because the individuals in the pictures are not following traditional religious customs.
Two pictures that stuck out to me were the guys in t-shirts and standing near there motorcycle, they looked as if they were just hanging out and enjoying their day. Another picture that stood out to me were the wedding dresses, because they were very westernized and not traditional Iranian clothing, where they head and body would be covered.
Part C
After reading the article, it was surprising how open the Iranian people were with performing these surveys. The reading helped me decipher that the Iranian people are not very happy with the way the government is now because of the lack of freedom. It seemed in the pictures analyzed that the people were happy because they were happy. Also after reading the article, it was apparent that is it very difficult for both systems of government to work together because the people seem to get over looked in the process. In my opinion the theocratic government has more of an impact because they enforce many aspects in society because they hold the power to do so.
1) Clearly the Iranian government is considered complex by the vast amount of branches that are elected or appointed. The democratic parts of the government are all the branches that are the president, cabinet, parliament and assembly of experts. The catch that makes Iran both a democracy and theocratic is within the assembly of experts who are elected, but the experts are clergymen (Clerics) which clearly are religious. Now these people appoint the supreme leader. Probably the assembly of experts pick someone who they think is decently religious , then the supreme leader goes on to appoint the head of judiciary. Now if the supreme leader is appointed by religious clergy who makes the supreme leader religious, who appoints the judiciary that makes sure people follow Islamic law, then this will only equal to a traditional way of life! On the opposite side of the fence there is the democratic side which has a president! The resources state, “ A
ReplyDeletereflection of the deeper tensions between religious rule and the democratic aspirations of many Iranians.” After mentioning the rule of the supreme leader this quote shows that although Iran might have a democracy and theocracy doesn’t mean they always mix.
2) The pictures I looked at at the bottom of the screen had no captions but I noticed the later there are a lot of people and women praying. A lot of men and women are in mosques and talking and hanging out. A picture captioned “Sacred playground”, where it seems like a boy is walking through a mosque. The caption makes me believe this boy or maybe boys in general hang around or run around mosques long hallways. This makes me think it is a religious society due to the consistency of mosques in pictures. Most women are wearing burkas and covering there hair which shows a strong connection and effort to a religious society.
3) I was surprised at the fact that almost all people were scared to answer the blunt question about if they wanted a democracy or not. Now in general aspect of being a human as I know, if you’re afraid to say something then you might mean it. If you are naturally against it you would not be afraid to say no democracy is a bad thing. The other thing I was surprised about was the questions that were made by the team and Mr.Schwartz was that 94% of people picked the sentence saying freedom is important to them. These answers differ from the impressions I received from other sources because the government is half religious and half democratic. The question posed as which side is the people leaning toward is interesting because most people like democratic values. The government branches seem to clash on who has the true power in making key decisions and considering the supreme leader is appointed, the theocratic side of the government might not dissolve anytime soon. I believe as democratic rule slightly slides into place in Iran the traditional values that are mostly kept by the assembly of experts and supreme leader will have the most influence on Iranian people, until they are able to elect the experts or supreme leader. To be fair and to make the hypothetical situation of Iranian people able to have more chances to vote and have a larger say on there beliefs of a free and strong government. The power of the vote and number of voters will probably have the most impact on the country. So I say as of now with the vast amount of appointments which is the theocratic side. If that side had more direct votes then the people could make the decision of making their society less traditional and not be afraid to put a check mark on a piece of survey paper saying democracy doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
Mark Magrone
ReplyDeleteE Block
A.) Iranian government is both a democracy and a theocracy. It has elected offials like a democracy, which include the President and his cabinet. However, it’s focus is on Islamic values, which make it a theocracy. Countries which have Supreme Leader, like Iran does, are either theocratic or under dictatorship.
B.) In my viewing of the photo essay “Faces of Iran” the images that stuck out to me the most were the ones of the women. Almost all of them were wearing head coverings, which is a practice o Muslim societies because of their religon. Another image that stuck out to me was the one of the man waiting for Friday Prayer. Friday Prayer is mandatory for all Muslim men to participate in and it is one of the duties of the Supreme Leader to enforce it. These images reinforce the idea that Iran is a primarily religious society.
C.) After readiing the article, I concluded that it is extremely difficult for a democracy and theocracy to coexist in one society. Religious views can interfere with democratic decisions, creating conflict. Iran is in a constant battle when it comes to personal freedoms vs. religious value. The religious aspect of Iran's society has a strong hold over it's people. Furthermore, theocracy is stronger than democracy in Iran.
Victoria Molinari
ReplyDeleteIn a detailed paragraph, explain how Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic.
- The Iranian government is democratic because it have some form of checks and balances. There is a president that can serve up to,and no more than four years in office. cabinet members are chosen by the president , but they are approved by parliament.The 290 members of the Majlis, or parliament, are elected by popular vote every four years.There is also the Guardian Council which is the most influential body in Iran. It includes six theologians appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.A theologian is someone who is versed in the teachings of religion. This group of people show that the Iranian Government is also a theocracy. The Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV. He also confirms the president's election. The Leader is chosen by the clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts.The responsibilities of the Assembly of Experts are to appoint the Supreme Leader, monitor his performance and remove him if he is unable to do his duties.
B) Reflect on the photo essay “Faces of Iran”; do the images shared here reflect more of a religious or secular (non-religious) society? Describe two images to support your point of view.
- The picture “Candy Shop” shows a non-religious society because it looks like the women in the picture is the owner of the shop. If this represented a religious point of view then she would be in full garb and not able to run the shop.
-The picture of the wedding gowns is also non-religious. they are not traditional at all . These dresses look more westernized then traditional.
C) Read the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” from the Wall Street Journal. What surprised you about this article? How does this account differ from the impressions you may have received about Iranian culture in the news and other sources. Overall, to what extent can democracy and theocracy coexist in Iran? In your opinion, which system has a greater impact on Iranian society?
- What surprised me about this article was that people were “are often afraid to respond to such explicit questions,”. In my opinion the democratic and theocratic part od Iran don't mix. There is a straight line down the middle.The population is leaning more towards the theocratic government because it brings back tradition.
Christopher Morabito
ReplyDeleteE Block
A) The Government of Iran has both democratic and theocratic aspects. Many of the government positions are determined by election. This includes the President, Parliament, as well as the Assembly of Experts. People vote directly for all of these positions. However, Iran has a national religion of Islam. Many Islamic customs are incorporated into the laws of the nation. The Assembly of experts is even based in the holy city of Qom. While people have the freedom to vote, and not every citizen of Iran practices Islam, all of the citizens are subjected to Islamic customs and laws.
B) These images reflect Islamic customs. In all of the pictures, the women are wearing traditional Islamic dress. There is even a picture of a man “waiting for the Friday prayer.” Overall, these images show the Islamic nature of the people of Iran.
C) In the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values,” I was surprised to learn many of the answers that Iranian citizens had for the questions. I was especially surprised that the survey ranked Iran’s “potential for liberal democracy” to be higher than twenty-three of the forty-seven surveyed nations. This was surprising to me as Iran is often pictured as a nation of oppressed people, however many of the citizens do not feel that way. Despite the values of the citizens, however, the true democratic standing of Iran was ranked to be much lower. It would appear that Iran is still some way away from being a fully developed democracy. Part of the reason for this lies in the Islamic nature of the nation. Much of society is restricted by the Islamic religion, and democratic laws do little to combat this, and instead support it. It is for this reason that Iran is more theocratic than democratic
Brianna Harrell
ReplyDeleteA Block
A.)Directly from the information provided by BBC News, Iran is demonstrated to be both democratic and theocratic, as seen through many different aspects/roles in their government. The informative graph at the top signifies the break in Iran’s government – a split between democratic measures, such as electing a President and theocratic measures such as having a Supreme Leader who elects the head of head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council and the commanders of all the armed forces. For any of the elected sanctions, such as the Electorate and Parliament, the people of Iran directly vote for whom they please. With a population of 65 million, 46 million – those over 15, are eligible to vote in which is a very democratic measure, especially if women and children (younger than I!) can vote too. Also the President serves a term much like the US President – four years and no more than two consecutive times. The appointed sanctions are theocratic in the way that the head – Supreme Leader is in charge of appointing Friday prayer leaders as well influencing others through the media.
B.)The photo essay “faces of Iran” depicts a sort of split between the secular and religious views, but in other words slightly leaning towards a more religious society. Several images struck out to me the most, those being the ones of any women. The women in the photos such as “North Tehrani Girls” are seen representing secular, Western ideals, with their sunglasses and colorful clothing. However on the flip side, they are still portraying the religious tradition in which women are forbidden to expose any hair and head. Almost in every picture, the women and young girls are enclosing their hair, representing their religious culture. Another prime example as to why Iran is a mostly theocratic nation is that Friday prayer and mosques are seen throughout several pictures, depicting that religion, rather the same religion, is highly important and relevant.
C.)The article, “Iranians Have Democratic Rules” explores and declines the close-minded idea that a nation cannot be theocratic and democratic, such as Iran. I was surprised to hear that 94% of Iranian respondents identified with the sentence "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," in this questionnaire, characterizing them as having pro-liberal views – political elements of a democracy. The association between theocratic rule and autocracy comes from previous examples throughout history such as the Saudi Arabian Supreme Leader. As Americans we are, in a way, made to believe religion and state can not intertwine, simply because the many complications that come between what is politically right and what is morally right. Also being that we live in a country where an individual can choose their religion, or none at all, doesn’t help the case either. In the media we are presented with the fact that the Iranian people are completely controlled by the government institutions but who’s to say that is entirely true? However in the case of Iran, it is a possibility theocracy and democracy can co-exist as one in the same nation. I suppose the real answer to this question lies in the levels of efficiency, legitimacy and how happy the people are with their government.
(A)Iran's government is both democratic and theocratic. It can be considered democratic because they have a president that is directly elected by the people and can serve for a certain amount of years. It can also be considered a theocratic government because the people that are not directly elected have very high ranking powers such as the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ayatollah confirms the presidents election but he was never actually elected himself.
ReplyDelete(B)The images that I saw reflect a more religious society. All of the pictures of the women were of them either wearing a head covering or praying. There is also a few pictures of both men and women waiting to pray witch shows that it is defiantly more of a religious society.
(C) After reading the article I feel that religion plays a big role whether a country has a democratic or theocratic government. In Irans case religion seems to be the most important thing so I don't think that they will ever be able to have a fully democratic government unless they put their religion second.
Tiffany Eng
ReplyDeleteA Block
4/4/13
A)The form of government Iran has is democratic and theocratic. According to “Who Holds Power: Iran”, there are elected institutions and unelected institutions. The democratic features are the elected institutions where there is a president, cabinet and parliament. A president is elected for four years and cannot have two consecutive terms. The current president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was elected in 2005. He chooses the members of cabinet who are approved by parliament. Parliament is allowed to introduce and pass laws. The theocratic features are having Friday prayer leaders and clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts.
B)The images from the photo essay “Faces of Iran” show more of a religious society. There are several pictures of people attending the mosque to pray. Many women in most of the pictures are wearing head coverings. A religious society is proven from the picture “Mullah praying at the Lotfollah mosque”. A man is also waiting to pray in the photo “Waiting for the Friday prayer”. Many of these people in the photos seem to be happy which might conclude that they are happy with Iran’s forms of government.
C)In the article “Iranians have Democratic Values”, the line “However, citizens in authoritarian countries are often afraid to respond to such explicit questions, and if they do respond their answers are likely to be distorted by fear” surprised me. This sounds as if the citizens are not saying their true opinions because they fear they might face consequences. These authoritarian countries will never know how their citizens truly feel. I don’t think it’s possible for Iran to have two forms of government. I think democracy plays a big role in the Iran government. The surveyed liberal democracy in Iran was higher than 23 out of 47 countries that were surveyed in the World Value Survey.
A) The Iranian government can be seen as both democratic and theocratic. The elected institutions are elected by the people and are democratic. The unelected institutions are appointed and are theocratic. Similar to the US, Iran has a Cabinet. The Supreme Leader is unelected and usually pass their religious beliefs to their people. They make decisions based on religious ideas.
ReplyDeleteB) Most of the pictures shown express religion. Many women are dressed in their religious attire. Women were forbidden to show off parts of their body based on their religious beliefs. Also, there are many pictures of people praying at the mosque. For example, the pictures of the two men spending time in the mosque as well as the picture of the man waiting for the Friday prayer. It is clear they spend a significant amount of their time making praying a priority.
C) What surprised me about the article, “Iranians Have Democratic Values” was that most of the Iranians surveyed were pro-liberal even with their current government. Iranians feel they should have more freedom but their conservative government stops them. Other sources about Iranian Governments express ideas of conservation and control, while this article proves that not all Iranians feel a Theocracy is a sufficient form of government for them. Democracy and Theocracy coexist in Iran, causing much controversy and different political views between people in the country. I feel Theocracy is more seen in the country because of the appointed religious leaders who enforce religion upon their people.
Juliana Zaloom
ReplyDeleteD Block
A) The Iranian government is known for its combination of democratic and theocratic ideas. Democratic values are supported in their voting age, high voter turnout, presidential term limits, reserved and shared powers between the President and the Supreme Leader, and direct elections for the President, Parliament members, and the Assembly of Experts. All of these aspects of the Iranian government show that power is left to the people, to an extent, and many people have a say in who is in charge. It shows equality through their term limits, direct elections, and young voting age. An example of theocratic rule in Iran is shown in the judiciary system, where laws are derived from Islamic texts and teachings. These laws insinuate that church and state are combined and discourage freedom of religion amongst the people.
B) Although many of the images in this collection of photos don’t depict a religious influence among the male population in Iran, I noticed that many women are wearing clothing typically worn in Islamic culture. Two photos that capture the idea that Iran is a theocratic government are “Sacred Playground” and “Mullah praying at the Lotfallah Mosque”. “Sacred Playground” shows that mosques are a common sight in Iran, as they are compared to playgrounds. In the US, playgrounds are found everywhere so the fact that a child is playing in a mosque allows me to infer that they’re more common than playgrounds in Iran. In the second photo, it shows a man dressed in what looks like traditional Islamic clothing praying in a mosque. This is a perfect example of how the Islamic religion is part of many Iranians’ everyday lives.
C) One thing that surprised me in this article was the fact that the Iranian government is trying to control contact with other countries. This can make one assume that the government is hiding something that they don’t want the outside world to find out about – possibly nuclear weapons. Based on my past observations of the diagram and the photo collection, this makes me rethink how many Iranian people are in favor of the government’s partial theocratic ideas. Because a lot more than half of the interviewees believed that equality should be found between all kinds of people and groups, I can assume that the people are secularized. I don’t think that both democracy and theocracy will coexist in Iran for much longer, knowing that equality is important to the Iranian people. I can see in the future Iran having a democratic government rather than a theocratic one, if the government listens to the opinion of the people, because of its greater popularity among Iranian citizens.
Alyssa Isaac
ReplyDeleteBlock – D
A) After reading about the Iranian government, I concluded that Iran does have both democratic and theocratic elements within its government. The democratic features of Iran are that it has an elected president, elected parliament, and elected assembly of experts. The president has a term limit of four years, and can only serve for two terms. The assembly of experts then appoints the supreme leader. This is a theocratic aspect of Iran’s government because the supreme leader reflects the religious views of the country. In my opinion, I feel that a country that has a Supreme Leader is always religious, or theocratic, for the supreme leader has religious influence when it comes to decisions made in government.
B) By looking at the following pictures it is evident that the Iranians are modernized but are religious. You see some pictures of citizens being able to vote which shows some sense of modernization and involvement in the government with the citizens. A majority of the pictures that were shown show women with headpieces on them covering their hair as well as black clothing that cover their entire body and all that is visible is their face. There is a picture with an older man kneeling down on his carpet facing north, which looks like he is praying.
C) After reading the article “Iranians have Democratic Values”, by Yuval Porat there were many facts that had surprised me in the article. It was shocking how the author stated that the Iranian society’s potential for liberal democracy was found to be higher than 23 other countries. This included Egypt and South Korea. In the news and through other sources, we get the impression that the government completely rules the citizens lives and what they do. It is quite evident that the people’s rights are not being met and they seem to be very outraged by all of this. I believe that theocracy has a greater impact on the Iranian society. It does so by their culture/customs and how they live their daily every day to day lives. This can all be seen in the pictures that we had to look at.
Diana Estrada D block
ReplyDeletea) Iran uses an unusual political system it uses modern Islam theocracy and democracy. They use a modern practice of an elected president. What also makes them democratic is that the public (of age) can vote. What is not democratic is an unelected Supreme Leader approves of the president’s election. Iran’s laws are influenced by Islamic values, which is a theoretic concept. They have a group referred to as “unelected institutions” this is the theocracy part of Islam.
b) I find the images to be secular. The women shown have a great deal of their forehead and hair showing. In Islamic culture the head covering is not to reveal any hair for the hair is for the eyes of the women’s husband to see and it is disrespectful for any other man in public to see her hair. The males in a lot of photos are showing playful hand gestures or surfer hand gestures.
Paul Montanaro
ReplyDeleteA Block
Iran is both a democracy and a theocracy because they are controlled by the Ayatollah who is a religious leader but they simultaneously have a democracy because elected officials control half the government. The elected portion of the government consists of the president, cabinet, and parliament. All of these offices are seen in most modern day democracies. The fully unelected portion of the government includes the Ayatollah, armed forces, head of judiciary, and expediency council. Together they comprise guardian council, which is most powerful body in the government and third most powerful part of the system directly behind the president, and then the Supreme Leader.
In my opinion the pictures of Iran in the essay show a very religious society. Although they may not all be practicing at the time of the picture there are many photos with not only pictures of traditional women’s dress, beautiful mosques but also people just hanging around the religious areas. This is no surprise but the level of modernization is. In a theocracy you would expect to see religion playing a part in the daily life of people. The surprising aspect was the way the country and people appear happy and very similar to most western nations.
I was surprised about a few things in the article. Most notably was the fact that the interviews were partially conducted by Israelis, I had figured that with the bad relations there would be no real contact between the two countries. Secondly I was surprised that people were afraid to give real answers on the phone. Usually people are less open in person but since you are in a more comfortable environment the answers are more direct. In my opinion a theocracy and a democracy can never coexist. In any oligarchy, specifically a theocracy needs almost total control to create an entirely religious society, whereas MODERN democracy was founded during the Enlightenment, which advocated the separation of church and state. Which at the time was a noble concept with the power of the Catholic Church. In my opinion the religion is still a big part of the Iranian government because if it wasn’t as accepted there would have been another revolt and overthrow of government.
Sarah Sietz
ReplyDeleteA Block
4/4/13
A) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic in many ways. The government has elected institutions and also unelected institutions. The government is theocratic for having religious affiliated leaders and a Supreme Leader that is very powerful, but democratic for having a president that is elected by the people and a parliament, as well. The present Iranian president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was first elected in 2005 and then reelected in 2009. Iran's 86-member elected Assembly of Experts elect the Supreme Leader. Iran’s Supreme Leader is Ali Khamenei, who was actually the president from 1981 to 1989. Since the Iranian government has both religious affiliated leaders, unelected officials, and a president who is elected by the people, it is both theocratic and democratic.
B) The photo essay “Faces of Iran” shows images that reflect a more religious society of Iran rather than a secular one. The first few images were of children and it seemed like any other society, but the other images revealed a more religious side of the nation. Several pictures were of women, and also men, that were wearing head-coverings. This shows how the people respect their culture and have religious traditions. Some of the pictures looked like they were taken at religious areas. One image was of a man at a mosque. This is a Muslim place of worship, so obviously the people pray and practice their religion. Other pictures were of people of all ages with peace signs, which show that Iranians are for peace and are family oriented. The “Faces of Iran” photo essay reveals that the Iranian society is more religious than secular for having pictures where the people are wearing head coverings and others that were taken at religious places of worship.
Sarah Sietz
ReplyDeleteCNT'D
C) In the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” by Yuval Porat from the Wall Street Journal, I was surprised by the first sentence actually. It stated that “Iran's 80 million people are often forgotten,” which made me wonder what was meant by this sentence. This, right away, makes Iran seem like it’s not a democracy since the people were “forgotten.” In a democracy, the people are the most important people they are the ones with the power, but from this first sentence alone, Iran doesn’t seem very democratic. This article and its account differ from the impressions I’ve previously received about the Iranian culture in the news and other sources because I always thought that Iran was a very strict theocracy or very, very religious. In the article, there was one paragraph that made me think otherwise; “An analysis of the Iranian sample showed that alongside conservative values, such as conformity and tradition, Iranian society is characterized by strong support for pro-liberal values such as a belief in the importance of self-direction and benevolence. For example, 94% of the respondents identified with the sentence "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," and 71% of the respondents identified with the sentence "being tolerant toward all kinds of people and groups is important to him.” This made me realize that a majority of Iranians believe each of them has a right to decide what is right for them and that a higher power can’t tell them what is to do, how to be, or what to wear. Also, reading that a majority of Iranians respect other cultures was surprising since I thought they only had their primary traditions and one religion that they respected. Democracy and theocracy can, and do, coexist in Iran because the nation’s people have control and they have say, but there is also a specific religion component to the nation being that they go to a mosque and wear head coverings, etc. In my opinion, I think that the political system of theocracy has a greater impact on Iranian society than a democracy. Even though this article states how people believe they deserve the control and they accept other cultures, it doesn’t mean that Iran as a whole feels that way, as well. The nation is strict on its people because they do have specific traditions of worship and practice their religion to a great extent. Overall, the Iranian society is impacted by theocracy and democracy, but theocracy does have a greater impact on the nation as a whole.
Kaila Camara
ReplyDeleteA Block
A - Iranian government can be considered as a theocratic democracy. Elections are taken place in voting for the people's leaders (President and Parliament). Once the votes are through the Supreme leader follows through with the Presidential election, therefore the president is the second highest ranking authority of the country. The head of the nation is the Supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, this unelected official has ultimate power and authority that can overrule the President his perspectives are through a traditional religious lens, which explicates the theocratic side of the Iranian government.
B- Although there are several photos of just average civilians in their daily lives, these pictures seem to have a traditional, cultural, religious background to them. For example, the picture of all the women in traditional clothing as well as worshiping or praying in some sort of mosque. Also the mosques represent religious morals of the people and significance of prayer.
C- This article contained a lot of surprising new information to me. It was very smart and clever to team up with social psychologists that could help the team form questions that Israelis would not be afraid to answer. According to the article man of the people of Iran strongly support pro-liberal values, which I found shocking. Therefore, these views could support a regime change in their nation. I believe that theocracy has a greater impact on Iran, because it is these morals that drove the people of Iran to have pro-liberal values.
Shantel Rowe
ReplyDeleteD Block
A) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic because while certain aspects of power are elected such as the president,cabinet, and parliament, many institutions go unelected. For example the supreme leader is ultimately a theocratic based role given to the individual referred to as the Ayatollah.While the democratic aspect of the government allows for a president to be in office,their is also this contrast between reformist and conservatives. The graph on BBC news also points out certain positions are directly elected however in terms of judicial ruling(theocractic/unelected position) most of the laws stem from the Quran.
B)The images displayed in the "Faces of Iran" essay appear to be very secular. Two photos in particular,"The Candy Shop" and "Schoolmates", appear to represent a very secular point of view. In the candy shop photo a female is shown in a candy store which I'm assuming may be her own business. This shows that there is room for females to own their own businesses or even have the opportunity to work and make an income of their own.The same sentiment is held in schoolmates as two relatively young women are being shown meaning the choice to experience an education was given to them and there is room for opportunity.
C)In the article“Iranians Have Democratic Values”, I was most surprised by how much potential Iran has to become a liberal democracy in comparison to nations such as India. I was intrigued by this presence of such a liberal attitude because whenever the Iranian point of view is portrayed through media it is always made to seem a bit conservative,, mostly supporting theocratic views, and not open to western influence or ideology. This provides some contrast in what appears to be a strict theocratic discipline to the actual want for some sort of liberal regime. Personally I don't think theocracy and democracy can coexist because there will always be either a more liberal or conservative point of view.In my opinion theocracy will always hold a greater influence in Iran because the focus on religion may be important to individuals in order to keep the tradition of the country or maintain the pride.
A) Iran’s government has a long history of political change. One characteristic of Iran government is its ironic democratic and theocratic aspects. Iran is democratic in terms of its elected institutions. The President, Cabinet, Parliament and Assembly of Experts are directly elected by the people of Iran. The fact that the public has a chance to vote for their leaders shows that Iran has a bit of a democratic side to it. The democratic characteristics of Iran’s government are countered by the existing theocratic rule in the nation. The unelected institutions include the Supreme Leader, Armed Forces, Head of Judiciary, and Expediency Council. I personally feel that the unelected institutions overpower the elected institutions, which shows how theocracy may be a little bit stronger in Iran. The Islamic rule of the Supreme leader show’s how religion is a prime aspect of power in Iran’s rule.
ReplyDeleteB) After viewing the photo essay I definitely feel that Iran has a more religious society rather than secular society. All photos reflected “daily life” in Iran but there were a lot of Islamic details incorporated throughout the pictures. One picture’s caption is “Mosque People”; this represents the Muslim rule in Iran. I also realized how almost all pictures of women included the women fully covered in hijab’s. This is a religious characteristic of Islam. There are about 10 consecutive photos of women completely covered head to toe, due to religious reasons. In America we have freedom to practice any religion we please, but in Iran there is no option due to the theocratic rule. I was especially interested in the picture with the woman covered holding a picture of Ahmadinejad smiling. The theocratic rule clearly overpowers all other aspects in the nation.
C) After reading this article, I was not surprised by much of what I read through. Since I am part Iranian I understand what the public is going through and where they are coming from. I have heard a lot about the recent struggles in Iran for personal freedoms in their country. It is clear that the Supreme Leader has a strict theocratic Islamic rule on them and leaves little room for compromise. It was interesting to read that they had to do a questionnaire to get honesty out of the Iranian’s because they were so fearful of the government finding out. The fear enforced upon the people portrays how strong theocratic rule truly is in the nation. Of course there are democratic aspects, as mentioned before, but the religious rule is overpowering. Statistics showed that 94% of the people believed in pro-liberal values, but of course with a theocratic rule, it is hard for this 94% to be compensated. The idea of theocracy and democracy coexisting is a hard concept to grasp. Democracy means freedom, equality etc., but theocracy contradicts those qualities. I personally believe that the two systems will not coexist successfully and that theocracy will continue to be the primary government in Iran.
Alina Khan
E Block
Fiona Jung
ReplyDeleteE- block
A) In a detailed paragraph, explain how Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic.
The Iranian government is democratic because they have an organization in the government and have elected leaders. The president is elected for four years with no more than two executive terms, same as the United States presidency. Their government also has three branches just like the US with judicial, executive and legislative. The Iranian government is also a theocratic rule because it was always a theocratic government but over time it adopted democracy. The government is stilled ruled with some religious laws.
B) Reflect on the photo essay “Faces of Iran”; do the images shared here reflect more of a religious or secular (non-religious) society? Describe two images to support your point of view.
I would say the photos display more of a religious society because majority of the photos are taken in churches and religious artwork. Also in a lot of the photos, a lot of the women are wearing veils like in the picture “schoolmates” both of the ladies are wearing veils. In the picture “brothers,” it displays two little boys and on boy is holding the Iranian flag.
C) Read the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” from the Wall Street Journal. What surprised you about this article? How does this account differ from the impressions you may have received about Iranian culture in the news and other sources. Overall, to what extent can democracy and theocracy coexist in Iran? In your opinion, which system has a greater impact on Iranian society?
What surprised me reading this article was that Iranians were pro-liberals which mean they’re open to new ideas. I always thought Iran was a non-transparency nation because I always thought they looked secretive. The women wear veils which make them look more secretive to me. I personally think the Iranian government is a theocracy and will always be a theocracy because their religious views are just too strong. But I also think that the government is taking steps toward democracy because it’s adopting their ideas, like the election of government, hence being pro-liberal.
Samantha Escobedo
ReplyDeleteBlock E
A) According to “Who Holds Power: Iran” resources from BBC News service, the Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic. The Iranian government demonstrates democracy as a principle within their government by having elected members and branches representing each role. While the people elect the president, cabinet, parliament and other main members of government; they also have an unelected institution that consists of the armed forces, head of judiciary, Supreme Leader and Expediency Council. Within the unelected institution, the Supreme Leader has conflict with the president of Iran. The Supreme Leader concentrates more on the theocratic concept of the Iranian government and holds social, religious and political values as importance. This also affects the rest of the government because the Supreme Leader also appoints its members who hold religious values.
B) I believe that in general the photos on the photo essay, “Faces of Iran” mostly reflect religious views. As seen in an image named Nap Time at the Mosque, a man is seen standing in what seems to be a religious place such as a mosque. This photo reflects a religious society where socially going to the mosque to nap is part of their religion and culture. In another image called The Candy Shop, it is apparent of religious views. The woman that is behind the candy counter is wearing a black veil that covers her head and neck area. Although, she does not have the full black attire, she still covers her arms wearing long sleeves. This is a sign of religion playing a part in their society.
C) Reading the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” from the Wall Street Journal, I was very surprised to read that Iran had a higher percentile of being pro-liberal compared to most Arab and European countries. Before reading this article I was always under the impression that Iran was a theocratic country and socially didn’t have much political views. However, this article opened my eyes to something completely opposite. After reading the BBC source earlier in this blog, Iran seemed to be while democratic also very theocratic and held religious principles high up. However, now reading this article my point of view has broaden. I believe that in the end, democracy and theocracy cant really coexist under the same government. The religious views will come in conflict when making political and also social decisions. As seen in the BBC source, the president and Supreme Leader had a clash in ideas, creating tensions between both. Inevitably, having both concepts in the same government could be Iran’s downfall. In all i believe both systems have an impact on Iranian society because although some members are elected others are not and the Supreme Leader who has theocratic views, appoints members similar to what he believes in.
Jordan Minchew
ReplyDeleteD- Block
A. Iranian government can be considered both democratic and theocratic. The article “Who Holds Power: Iran” proves that Iran is and can be both. Iran has a very powerful leader, president and cabinet, which are elected by the people. The president is elected for four years. This is a great example of how Iran is a democratic government. The council of ministers are chosen by the president. The president decides the religious views of the country, which is why the government is also considered to be theocratic. The supreme leader is head of law and every branch of government.
B. Based on the pictures I feel that Iran is more of a religious society than a secular one. The pictures illustrate the people following their religious beliefs. For example in the picture “North Tehrani girls”, the women are wearing head coverings. This is a symbol of their religion. Another picture “Nap Time at the Mosque” shows that Iran is more of a religious society because people consider the mosque, a religious place, like another home where people nap there.
C. After reading the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” from the Wall Street Journal I was surprised that one of the results for the questionnaire was that 94% of people that took the survey agreed that freedom is important. Also that through out all of the countries that took the survey Iran was one of the highest toward liberal democracy. It seems like it is hard to balance a democratic and theocratic government at the same time. This article shows a different side than other news articles because it shows that people would rather have a democracy but they are afraid of speaking out against the government. I think that currently theocracy has a bigger impact on Iran, but based on the survey results I think it will soon start to change and be more of a democratic government.
Pamela Tsetsakos A Block
ReplyDeleteA) Iran’s government is both democratic and theocratic. It is democratic because one of their highest-ranking positions in government, their president, is elected. Along with an elected president come directly elected electorate, parliament and assembly of experts in order to voice the needs of the people. However most of the government leaders are not elected and actually appointed such as the supreme leader of Iran. The supreme leader’s armed forces and head of judiciary are also appointed allowing the leader to rule the nation any way he pleases. Even though the president is directly elected, his cabinet and guardian council are appointed also allowing the supreme leader to have total control.
B) The images shared reflect a religious society because all the women in the pictures are wearing head wraps and are covering their bodies completely only showing their hands and face. Two other examples of this are the photos “waiting for the Friday prayer” where an old man is standing in proper attire and a cap and “nap time at the mosque” in which younger men are standing near a decorated mosque.
C) What surprised me in the article was that Iranians were so eager to take the surveys and answer all the questions. In the media, Iranians are depicted as solitary people who cover themselves up in big black robes. 94% of Iranians believe that freedom is necessary and that a person is entitled to it, and 71% of people believe that religious and ethnic tolerance is necessary as well. The news can alter our views due to them only showing one type of person in Iran, or one religious viewpoint therefore we would’ve never know that they were actually religiously tolerant. Democracy seems to lie in Iran, however it needs to be worked on. Iran can have democracy and theocracy coexist in their nation because of how tolerant they are with others, and how much say they would like to have in their government
Brittany Young
ReplyDeleteD- Block
Iran, a country known for it’s religious belief, has a government run under both theocracy and democracy. The Iranian political system has two parts, the elected institutions and the unelected institutions. Under the elected institutions, the county’s government seems to have a democratic outlook and practices. Such practice include a president, which is elected by the people and can last from four years up to two term, and a cabinet, which help the president in decision making for the country’s benefit. While the e seems to have more democratic practices, the unelected institutions have more theocratic practices. Theocratic practices include the Head of Judiciary, which is based around the Islamic texts and teachings of the Sharia, and the Supreme Leader, known as Ayatollah Khomeini who, including many other duties, appoints the head of judiciary and leads Friday prayer.
The images in the photo essay “Faces of Iran” share more of a religious society. The religious society of Iran is seen through many of the photos included in this photo essay, specifically photos taken in the mosque and photos taken of women in long black robes. One photo in particular shows both a woman in a long black robe, covering her hair, and praying in a mosque. Religion is clearly shown through the woman’s attire, setting, and stance, which show her kneeling while looking upwards as if she is praying. Another photo that shows the view of a religious society in Iran is the photo titled “Nap Time at the Mosque.” This photo shows religious society through the sleeping men on the floor, with their shoes off, which may symbolize a religious duty.
In the article, “Iranians Have Democratic Values,” by Yuval Porat, I was surprised about the interview process, and how many of the people in Iran are afraid to respond to such explicit questions about their country, and that their responses are likely to be distorted by fear. This differs from what the news and other sources portray of Iranian culture mainly in their role of democracy. The news shows many video clips and interviews of protestors chanting and yelling in the streets of Iran wanting their rights. This news article differs to the idea that the citizens of Iran and afraid to speak out against their country.
Democracy and theocracy can coexist in Iran to a certain extent. While also following religious values, citizens should be able to vote who is ruling their country which gives the people a chance to decide who will provide their basic necessities better without breaking the barrier between politics and religion. In my opinion, I think democracy has a greater impact on Iran. The struggle for people to have rights while also being able to practice their traditional religious beliefs has been the main argument for many Iranians. Knowing this, while religion is always going to be enforced, democracy can also provided citizens with a voice in government.
E block
ReplyDelete4/4/13
a) There are many supporting factors that contribute to the claim that Iran is both a theocratic and democratic nation. One of the main factors that support Iran’s democracy is that there are certain elected positions within the government. The president is elected and can serve only 2 consecutive terms (four years each). Although there are positions that require elections, such as cabinet and parliament, there are also ones that are given through appointing the officials. Although the appointing of officials alone does not support theocracy within Iran, the appointed positions are run with major religious influence. For example the Head of Judiciary ensures that Islamic laws are thoroughly enforced.
b) In the photo essay “faces of Iran” I believe that most of the pictures reflect a more secular society within Iran. Many of the pictures present show woman wearing religious head coverings or in a mosque. One of the first pictures within the photo essay is “mosque people”. This picture shows two older men who are either awaiting Islamic prayer or have just finished. Another picture that I felt specifically portrayed secular Iran is the picture of the man actually carrying out his prayer in a mosque. I felt this really shows the devotion of the nation to Islam because from personal knowledge I know that the majority of Muslim people usually pray at home, for a man, an elderly man at that, to leave his home and join the masses of other Muslim Iranians at the mosque shows the nations devout.
c) I found this article to be very informative about Iranian society. I was shocked to find out that of the other 47 countries that were compared up against Iran, Iran was higher than 23 of them. Since I have extensive and personal knowledge of Egypt I feel that its citizens are extremely pro- liberal values, so to find out that Iran out ranked them was a true shock. Besides the facts that we presented within the article I found it very contradictory to my personal knowledge of Iranian society. For the longest time I deeply believed that Iran as a whole was pro-Islamic rule and to find out that the people were against it at the extent that was shown in the article was a rude awakening. Overall I feel that within Iran or any other nation for that matter cannot have two contradicting policies present. To some extent there can be some secular views but not to the point where there is major Islamic rule. Although there should be a limit to the secularism in Iran this is not the case. I feel that Islam has a great impact on Iranian government and society.
Christopher Morabito
ReplyDeleteE Block
A) The Government of Iran has both democratic and theocratic aspects. Many of the government positions are determined by election. This includes the President, Parliament, as well as the Assembly of Experts. People vote directly for all of these positions. However, Iran has a national religion of Islam. Many Islamic customs are incorporated into the laws of the nation. The Assembly of experts is even based in the holy city of Qom. While people have the freedom to vote, and not every citizen of Iran practices Islam, all of the citizens are subjected to Islamic customs and laws.
These images reflect Islamic customs. In all of the pictures, the women are wearing traditional Islamic dress. There is even a picture of a man “waiting for the Friday prayer.” Overall, these images show the Islamic nature of the people of Iran.
C) In the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values,” I was surprised to learn many of the answers that Iranian citizens had for the questions. I was especially surprised that the survey ranked Iran’s “potential for liberal democracy” to be higher than twenty-three of the forty-seven surveyed nations. This was surprising to me as Iran is often pictured as a nation of oppressed people, however many of the citizens do not feel that way. Despite the values of the citizens, however, the true democratic standing of Iran was ranked to be much lower. It would appear that Iran is still some way away from being a fully developed democracy. Part of the reason for this lies in the Islamic nature of the nation. Much of society is restricted by the Islamic religion, and democratic laws do little to combat this, and instead support it. It is for this reason that Iran is more theocratic than democratic
Brian Fox
ReplyDeleteA-block
A) The government of Iran is both democratic and theocratic. It has elected institutions such as the president's cabinet and the country's parliament. In 1979, the country approved a theocratic constitution in which Khomeini gained power and became Supreme Leader. Presidential powers can be overruled by the Supreme Ruler and by the clerics.
B) The images shared in the "Faces of Iran" photo gallery represent mixed views of Iranian society. There are many pictures of men dressed casually driving motorcycles which can be seen as a representation of some freedoms. Men are not forced to dress in religious outfits all the time. On the other hand there are also numerous pictures of Iranian women dressed in burqas. Women are forced to wear religious coverings which links back to the theocratic parts of the government.
C) In my opinion, I believe theocracy has a greater impact on Iranian society. President Obama is well aware of Iran's "electronic curtain"- the government's attempt at limiting it's citizen's contact with the outside world. In a democratic society people would actually be able to freely communicate. Also when surveyed, some people were skeptical about answering questions about the government honestly. Many citizens of Iran believe in democratic practices as the survey showed. The people want democracy but the fundamentalist regime in place opposes these beliefs. Democracy and Theocracy coexist in Iran with some aspects of democracy proving to be present but they are often overshadowed by theocratic actions.
Caitlin Casale
ReplyDeleteD- Block
A) The Iranian government shows characteristics of both a democratic and theocratic government. Democracy is displayed through the annual elections they hold for the presidency. A President serves a four year term as well as Parliament. In Parliament people are elected by the popular vote. The unelected institutions are appointed and most of these are theocratic. These unelected institutions show strong Islamic influence on politics and laws. The laws are derived from the Quran as well as Islamic texts. The supreme leader demonstrates religious views and actions in the country.
B) I believe that the the images shown reflect the idea of a religious society. These pictures display how significant Islam is and its influence on society. Religion plays a very important role in these peoples lives. In almost all of the pictures, women are wearing a headdress or head covering.These head coverings are called hijabs. It is required that women wear these head coverings after they have reached puberty. These head coverings demonstrate an Islamic religious tradition. Another example of religion being expressed is in the picture "Waiting for the Friday Prayer". The people in this photo are awaiting prayer or going to a mosque. The man in this photo is dressed in a conservative and formal attire as he waits for the Friday prayer.
C) Based on the article “Iranians Have Democratic Values” by Yuval Porat, I do not think that a democracy and theocracy can influence a society successfully. The religious views and guidelines can cause a problem with democratic decisions. This adds controversy and the possible changing of decisions made. This is shown in Iran and how they are having a difficult problem with abiding by religious values and the freedom of the people. People will always have their own opinions, and these opinions can be influenced by their religion. In the psychological poll given I learned that 94% of the people want pro-liferal values. Democracy is a government that allows people to make decisions and govern themselves through voting. Theocracy is when a religion has a strong influence on a society. Both of these types of governments are very opposite and i find that while democracy provides the people with freedom, theocracy puts a strain on the freedom provided. In the Iranian government I think that theocracy has a stronger influence in the society because its like a blueprint on how these people need to live and based on the pictures in part B you can plainly see how it affects the citizens.
Irans government is a combination of democratic and theocric principles. The balence of these elements can easily swing with the peoples opinions. The people elect the president and about half of the government. The other half is chosen by those who are elected. This allows for the people to have total control over the government however that control may be delayed by a few years. Surrveys indicate that Irans people have a higher want for democrocy then currently exsists. According to the article governments often change to reflect the amount of democrocy the people want. That is not to say that the people there are not happy ass they are from the photo jornal but they wish for more democrocy.
ReplyDeleteJohn D’Onofrio A Block
ReplyDeleteA) The Iranian government is both theocratic and democratic due to its political structure. There are elected institutions such as, the president, cabinet, parliament, electorate, half of the guardian council, and the assembly of experts. However, there are also appointed institutions such as, the supreme leader, armed forces, head of judiciary, expediency council, and the rest of the guardian council. An example of how the government is balanced is that while the supreme leader is appointed, he is appointed by an elected body, assembly of experts’ clerics. This illustrates Iran’s unique form of government.
B) The pictures illustrate a Iran that is more religious in nature. Examples would be that all women are wearing traditional islamic clothing in every picture, even in Tehran the country’s capital.
C) I was surprised by many things in this article. Iran is often portrayed in the media as a nuclear threat by religious zealots, however this article illustrates a more human and similar side of Iran and its citizens. I was shocked at the article’s results of, “94% of the respondents identified with the sentence "freedom to choose what he does is important to him," and 71% of the respondents identified with the sentence "being tolerant toward all kinds of people and groups is important to him."” This illustrates how Iran has a capacity for democracy in their nation, and while they may not be extremely tolerant of all people, freedom is important to them. Most media outlets in the United States pose Iran as a foreign threat with little similarity to the U.S. due to its religious nature. However, this article disputes this with evidence. Iran, is simply misunderstood by the outside world. Democracy and theocracy can coexist in Iran for as long as the people wish it to coexist. The study pointed out that usually gaps in democratic potential and actual democratic government are closed over time, which may hold true for Iran as well, but not until its citizens want their government to be more democratic. I would say that the theocratic system has more of an impact on Iran. The EXPEDIENCY COUNCIL has complete control over legislative disputes between parliament and the guardian council. The theocratic side also has control over armed forces. The democratic side is only given as much freedom as the theocratic side allows. Therefore in Iran the theocratic system has more control in the nation.
In a theocratic political system, government is based on religion. In democracy the government is elected by the people and represents the people. There are very important elected and unelected institutions in Iran. The Supreme Leader, Armed Forces, Head of Judiciary, and Expediency Council are all unelected institutions. President, Cabinet, Parliament and Assembly of Experts are all elected institutions. In the last presidential election in Iran 60% of those eligible to vote voted. The president of the country is elected, but is only the second highest ranking official in the country. The Supreme Leader who is not elected, is the person in charge of the country's security, armed forces and foreign policy issues. The Supreme Leader in Iran is currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader is not elected, but democracy is shown in the fact that the Assembly of Experts (all of whose members are elected) chooses the Supreme Leader. Although he is not chosen directly by the people, at least he is chosen by officials who were elected by the people. Although the current president is not a cleric, many high ranking political officials are religious, which keeps the government a theocracy. In the armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard reports directly to the Supreme Leader, (and is chosen by the Supreme Leader) to protect new leaders and fight opposition. The fact that leader's have their very own army to protect themselves is not very democratic, since that system can very easily turn into a military dictatorship or people with opposing views can be jailed or killed. The unelected officials of the judiciary ensure that Islamic laws are enforced and define legal policy. This is most comparable to the US Supreme Court, a establishment that also defines legal policy. If the people of the Supreme Court were chosen by our leader, every law the leader proposed would pass and opposition would not be able to make it's way in government. Many laws are based on Islamic teachings and texts. The head of Judiciary is another official who is chosen directly by the Supreme Leader. The Guardian Council contains both elected, and non-elected officials.
ReplyDeleteIn the photo's taken of people in Iran it is evident that there is both religious and non-relgious sections of the country. It looks like majority of images reflect a secular society. In the second picture there are two young brothers playing soccer. These boys don't look particularly religious. They are not wearing any religious garments, and are not doing any type of religious activity. They look average boys who play and fight. In another picture there are two women facing away from eachother and looking at the camera. These women too do not look religious. The only thing about them that ties them to the Muslim religion is the head scarfs they are wearing. Neither of the women look too modest as they are both wearing makeup, and one women even appears to have dyed her hair.
The Iranians in this article do not sound like the same Iranians that some government officials in Iran are elected to speak for. The article states that Iranian society as a whole is characterized by pro-liberal values. These people believe in having a wide range of options. They open to new behavior and willing to discard traditional values. This is different from the conservative government that they live under. I do not think in this country theocracy and democracy can co-exist. I feel that a democratic government is best for Iran because all citizens in all countries have the right to be heard. A government based on religion is a government with very conservative values. The current citizens of Iran are ready to move on from conservative traditions.
A) Iran uses democratic traditions that include their religious beliefs, which is known as theocracy. They manage to have both elected and unelected institutions such as having a president and a supreme leader. They vote in certain roles and some roles that take part in the country are unelected. The democratic portion of Iran deals with the participation of people voting for power and then there is the theocratic are in which voting power is giving to those already in the politic party.
ReplyDeleteB) The photos illustrated represent Iran as more of a religious country. Many of the citizens shown are clothed in a traditional and religious way. In the photo “Nap time at the mosque” show men in traditional clothing and in a religious building. It shows that it has high power and they have respect by taking their shoes off and leaving them off to the side before they lay down to rest. In the photo “On Hafez’ Ground” shows more of a secular surrounding because the people are dressed more comfortably and are laid back. They are both wearing jeans rather but the woman still provides a piece of religious clothing around her head.
C) In my opinion Theocracy has more of an influence on Iran because it deals with religion. Religion is what Iran’s are used to, while democracy focuses on taking away religion and is more of a secular party. It is easier for Iran to adjust to what they know rather than adjusting to something they haven’t learned much about. It hard to co-exist something that is secular with something that is traditional and religious.
A)Iran has both Democratic and Theocratic identities that define its country. The Democratic aspects include having a president who can serve only 2 terms much like the president in the United States. They have an elected parliament along with an elected group of "experts". They all appoint to the supreme leader, which is where their Theocratic aspects come in. This supreme leader holds the religious views of the country, THEN the supreme leader appoints the head of Judiciary, the head of Military, and head of Expediency council. The head of judiciary enforces Islamic law, and the expediency council has supervisory powers over all branches of government. These roles roles enforce the fact that Iran is more of a religious country
ReplyDeleteB)After viewing the photos, I feel that Iran is definitely more of a religious country than a secular. In the photos the women are wearing the head coverings which are a very popular image of Iran. Also in another photo there are two people conversing outside of the Mosque, which shows that they are "hanging out" outside the Mosque. This isn't necessarily a bad thing that Iran is a religious society because the religion doesn't control all aspects of Iranian life.
C)After reading the article I didn't really expect to see that the citizens of Iran were afraid to answer political questions. I feel that it seems to be extremely difficult to be a Theocratic and Democratic country because in democracy the people have to have some sort of say, also when there is a president appointed with a reflection of an elected congress, they are supposed to not necessarily control what goes on in the country. A theocratic government has to do the same thing. So it confuses me that Ira is a country that is both democratic and theocratic because it seems as if these government types cant coexist with eachother.
Zachary Agatiello
ReplyDeleteA. Iran has a Theocratic government that's combined with some Democratic features. Iran's President is elected by the people and only has a limited time in office. The Parliament is elected by popular vote after every four years. Iran has these Democratic features, however it still has many features that make it more of a Theocracy. For example, the majority of the expediency council is made up of religious magnates with a more powerful hand. Laws are influenced greatly by Islamic tradition. The Assembly of Experts contains only clerics, which makes religious influence on the government significantly greater. Although Iran has democratic aspects, it's mostly a Theocracy.
B. The majority of images reflect the religious views of Iran. There are many pictures of women wearing their hijabs and clothing covering the skin. Also there were pictures of people praying and some pictures of mosques. The picture titled “The candy shop” is just an example of how most women dress compared to the rest of the gallery. The majority of pictures have a religious aspect to them, except the pictures towards the end of the gallery which began to show a more secular outlook on Iran. The women seem to be involved in the government and are able to have a say in the political aspect of society. This image shows that Iranian society is becoming less revolved around religion.
C. The information from the article showed that there is definite turmoil in Iran. The Islamic values in Iran seem to be causing people to struggle between their religious values and personal freedoms. I was surprised to learn how much of an influence Islamic tradition played in peoples lives in Iran. What I took from this is that Iran is still unsteady and the idea of yet another revolution occurring doesn't seem to be out of the question. Theocracy and Democracy doesn't mix so well. Right now, the use of both a Democracy and Theocracy is hardly working. As of now, Theocracy seems to influence Iran most, however Democracy will most likely begin to have a gradual impact in their society.
Zachary Agatiello
A) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic. This shows through their institutions and whether they are elected or unelected. A democracy allows the people to have a say in what goes on in their government through popular vote. In Iran the people are able to vote for their President, Parliament and Assembly of Experts to run their country in the direction they feel is right. In other aspects of their government the people are unable to vote for other important people who also run the government. They have a Supreme Leader who is a high religious authoritarian who controls most of the elections that are partaken. This puts the Islamic religion as a big factor into their government. Laws were put into affect that have derived from Islamic texts and teachings, mixing religion into their government through the unelected Supreme Leader.
ReplyDeleteB) I feel the images here reflect more of a religious society, rather then a secular society. Two pictures that can varify my opinion are "Mullah praying at the Lotfollah mosque" and the picture represent here ( http://www.pbase.com/karibbb/image/113887444 ). In "Mullah praying at the Lotfollah mosque" there is a man praying in a mosque, which is a place of worship for the followers of the Islamic religion. He is also wearing a head piece along with a long covered robe. This shows he is apart of a religious society due to his unrevealing wardrobe and efforts in prayer. In the other photo there are two girls who are also wearing head pieces and clothing that covers their bodies. They are also holding flags in honor of their religion. In the Islamic religion women are suppose to cover up their bodies in order for respect and the flag just shows that they are very much apart of the Islamic religion.
C) I am surprised about the fact that they set up a questionnaire for the people in order to see what they really are hoping for in their government. It seems to me that although they may want to please the people that it is in their best interest to follow Islamic rule, so I was surprised that they even made a questionnaire for the people to respond to. In Iran democracy and theocracy is a lot easier to coexist due to the large amount of Iranian people within the country. Being that the people are Iranian, giving them a say in the government would probably just reflect off of their religious way anyway. In my opinion democracy would be the best policy for Iran because of that reason. The peoples votes will give them what they want from the government and their religious ways will most likely be reflected by their decisions.
A) The Iranian government is both democratic and theocratic. This shows through their institutions and whether they are elected or unelected. A democracy allows the people to have a say in what goes on in their government through popular vote. In Iran the people are able to vote for their President, Parliament and Assembly of Experts to run their country in the direction they feel is right. In other aspects of their government the people are unable to vote for other important people who also run the government. They have a Supreme Leader who is a high religious authoritarian who controls most of the elections that are partaken. This puts the Islamic religion as a big factor into their government. Laws were put into affect that have derived from Islamic texts and teachings, mixing religion into their government through the unelected Supreme Leader.
ReplyDeleteB) I feel the images here reflect more of a religious society, rather then a secular society. Two pictures that can varify my opinion are "Mullah praying at the Lotfollah mosque" and the picture represent here ( http://www.pbase.com/karibbb/image/113887444 ). In "Mullah praying at the Lotfollah mosque" there is a man praying in a mosque, which is a place of worship for the followers of the Islamic religion. He is also wearing a head piece along with a long covered robe. This shows he is apart of a religious society due to his unrevealing wardrobe and efforts in prayer. In the other photo there are two girls who are also wearing head pieces and clothing that covers their bodies. They are also holding flags in honor of their religion. In the Islamic religion women are suppose to cover up their bodies in order for respect and the flag just shows that they are very much apart of the Islamic religion.
C) I am surprised about the fact that they set up a questionnaire for the people in order to see what they really are hoping for in their government. It seems to me that although they may want to please the people that it is in their best interest to follow Islamic rule, so I was surprised that they even made a questionnaire for the people to respond to. In Iran democracy and theocracy is a lot easier to coexist due to the large amount of Iranian people within the country. Being that the people are Iranian, giving them a say in the government would probably just reflect off of their religious way anyway. In my opinion democracy would be the best policy for Iran because of that reason. The peoples votes will give them what they want from the government and their religious ways will most likely be reflected by their decisions.
A) The Iranian government is a unique one due to its unusual and complex system mixing modern day Islamic theocratic factors into its democratic ran nation. Their system is fairly complex if you look at a chart on what’s elected or appointed and what’s not elected in the system. It’s very unusual to have an elected president and parliament by the people yet a network of unselected institutions controlled by a powerful and conservative supreme leader. The government may be democratic (and even dictatorial) in appearance, but is theocratic in character. Iran’s institutions delegate from the Islamic revolution, and are largely how they operate to this day. They stick to conservative Islamic beliefs, including its violent and grotesque old-fashioned ways of punishment, and zero use of women in government. Its complexities is a paradoxical way of disarming criticism of Iranian democracy, while making it difficult for reformers and politicians to break into the unique system and make it their own.
ReplyDeleteB) The pictures that are shown seem to present images of everyday Iranians whom are modernized for the most part, though take a lot of their religious elements into place. For example, all girls all shown covering their hair (i.e. most of the black & white images), although they definitely have loosened up from the completely conservative way of dressing (i.e. North Tehrani girls or Go Moussavi!) and show couples voting (i.e. Off to vote).
C) After reading the article, it surprised me how Iran is able to run/stablize itself on the foundation it carries. Theocracy and democracy doesn’t seem to work side by side. Iran is facing cultural problems, as the world is getting more liberal, their theocratic society alters how they could interact. I don’t think, personally, it seems to work. It’s looking like their heading for another revolution.
A) The government is both theocratic and democratic. The supreme leader can not be unelected from their position. Religion has a huge influence to the government of Iran. Religion has impacted the governments decisions overall.
ReplyDeleteB) People have the look of the modern era. As we can see from the pictures, people are still influenced by their religion. this includes their decisions and their cultures. Democracy is shown in the pictures based on the way that the people are shown.
C) I learn that a country must make the decision of one type of government or way of leadership. It is hard to lead a country with both theocracy and democracy . I feel that religion should not interfere with governmental decisions, because this may prevent countries from keeping up with the times and connect with the modern era. People seem to like theocracy better for Iran.