Wilayat al-faqih and Democracy

Abstract

Are the Shi‘i theory of wilayat al-faqih (guardianship of the jurist) and democracy compatible with one another? If they are not compatible, could the modification of one or both bring them into agreement with one another? If these two concepts are irreconcilably at odds, which should we reject in the interest of preserving the other? These three questions are of utmost importance to contemporary political thought in Iran. This chapter primarily discusses the potential convergences and divergences between wilayat al-faqih and democracy and offers a critique of current perspectives on the relationship between these two concepts.