THE EDITORIAL

In His Name, the Most High
In addition to the many articles and books that have been written on the subject of Religious Democracy, numerous conferences and lectures have also been devoted to theorizing about it. Some of these works have outlined the differences between religious democracy and other systems of governance, while others have examined the foundations of legitimacy for this model.
In this issue, alongside clarifying existing practical examples of such a system, we seek to address the following questions:

Has this form of governance been mentioned in Islamic religious and jurisprudential sources?
Has Religious Democracy been practiced in Islamic countries? Considering modern technologies, has this system been properly implemented, and has it proven to be successful in practice?
What are the essential pillars of a religious democratic system?

It is worth noting that, from long ago, Shi’a scholars (may God’s mercy be upon them) have discussed both the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing such a system. They have emphasized its central element in the era of occultation—namely, Velāyat al-Faqīh (Guardianship of the Jurist)—and its role in religious democracy.
Among the issues surrounding religious democracy, the most significant is its realization through the efforts of the two Leaders of the Islamic Revolution. Imam Khomeini (may God’s mercy be upon him), by presenting this system under the title “Islamic Republic” and stressing that it is “neither one word more nor one word less,” sought to properly introduce the concept of religious democracy. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei (may God protect him), by following and continuing this path, has brought this model to full manifestation.
One of the innovations of these two Leaders was presenting and exporting this system to the world under the title of “the discourse of the Islamic Revolution.” This discourse of revolutionary civilization opened a new chapter in the political arena, challenging both Western and Eastern models of governance.
Among the distinguished features of Religious Democracy are: Grounding all aspects of social life in knowledge of God with a focus on monotheism, entrusting responsibility to faithful, committed, and knowledgeable individuals, and ensuring participation of all segments of society, particularly women, in decision-making and social activity.
Global arrogance and the enemies of Islam, through various means, have attempted to confront the discourse of the Islamic Revolution. They have always tried to prevent this message from reaching other nations. Today, having failed in direct opposition, they have concentrated their efforts on distorting this discourse and diverting the current of the Islamic Revolution. By promoting the separation of religion from democracy and by advocating for secular systems, they have come somewhat closer to their goals. In their next steps, they seek to eliminate and replace this model of democracy altogether.
However, the steadfast efforts and struggles of the two Leaders of the Revolution, along with the sacrifices of the martyrs of Islam and the Islamic Revolution, have ensured that not only is religion not removed from religious democracy, but rather, by highlighting the merits of the ideal Mahdist society, this system of governance is presented as a prelude to the introduction of the awaited Mahdist community—God willing, soon to be connected to the universal rule of His Eminence.
September 23, 2025