The role of divination in Iranian governance
Istikharah or divination, according to Islamic definitions, means to seek goodness and to consult God in various affairs. Istikharah is very common among Shiites, including bibliomancy, which involves randomly opening the Qur’an and reading the first verse on the page, or rosary divination.
The 13 crises facing Iran
Ebrahim Raisi, the eighth president of Iran, has taken over at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing a series of major potential crises. Over the next several decades, these crises could have consequences that will not only affect Iran itself, but may reverberate across the region as well
Ayatollah Khamenei’s gamble and a green light for negotiations
As the U.S. prepares to head to the polls to choose its next president, Iran finds itself at a dead end. Hit hard by American sanctions and its own mismanagement of the economy, Tehran needs to negotiate with Washington to get out of its current economic crisis and shore up its waning popular
Ten Q&A about 2019 Iranian protests
How did the Iranian “Black November” started? On November 15th, the Iranian regime, under the most stringent sanctions ever and without any notice, increased gasoline prices by 200%. The reaction in the social media was swift, especially after the re-post of a picture from a suppose
Iranian presidential election: why turnout will be key
With all candidates to be vetted by authorities and an opposition boycott on the cards, one of the most important battles in the upcoming Iranian presidential election is likely to be about turnout. The country’s leaders need significant participation in June to secure legitimacy,
The leadership of the Jurisprudence
Summary and background Shiite jurisprudence has always tried to comprehensively control the even minute elements of the lives of its followers by devising rules and regulations and calling them divine and the sets of laws as “divine laws.” These laws determine the limits of individ
Islamic Republic of Iran’s Parliament Structure and Responsibilities
Summary and background Iranian Islamic Parliament (Majlis), now in its tenth session is the main legislative body of the Iranian government. Based on Iranian constitution, Majlis has two main responsibilities: 1. Passing new laws and legislatures. 2. Oversight on the other two pillars of the g
The Guardian Council
Summary and background The Iranian “Constitutional Movement” (also known as the Constitutional Revolution) of 1906 resulted in the formation of the first “Iranian National Parliament” (Majlis). In its inception, the Parliamentarians agreed to form a separate entity consisting of five h