Iran Constitution (English)

CONSTITUTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful.

We have sent Our apostles with veritable signs and brought down with them scriptures and the scales of justice, so that men might conduct themselves with fairness”

PREAMBLE

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran sets forth the cultural, social, political and economic institutions of the people of Iran, based on Islamic principles and rules, and reflecting the fundamental desires of the Islamic people. The essence of the great Islamic Revolution of Iran, and the course of the struggle of the Muslim people from its beginning to its victory, as manifested by the categorical and striking slogans used by all classes of the people, get their special character from this fundamental desire.

Now our nation, with the whole of its being is in the vanguard of this great victory, and strives for the attainment of that desire. The unique characteristic of this Revolution, as compared with other Iranian movements of the last century, is that it is religious and Islamic. The Muslim people of Iran, after living through an anti-despotic movement for constitutional government, and anticolonialist movement for the nationalization of petroleum, gained precious experience in that they realized that the basic and specific reason for the failure of those movements was that that they were not religious ones. Although in those movements Islamic thinking and the guidance of a militant clergy played a basic and prominent part, yet they swiftly trailed off into stagnation, because the struggle deviated from the true Islam. But now the nation’s conscience has awakened to the leadership of an exalted Authority, His Eminence Ayatollah Imam Khomeini, and has grasped the necessity of following the line of the true religious and Islamic movement. This time the country’s militant clergy, which has always been in the front lines of the people’s movement, together with writers and committed intellectuals, has gained new strength (lit: impetus) under his leadership (The most recent movement of the Iranian nation began in the HEGIRA lunar year 1382,equivalent to the HEGIRA solar year 1341) -

THE VANGUARD OF THE MOVEMENT

Imam Khomeini’s crushing protest against that American plot, The White Revolution,which was a step taken with a view to strengthening the foundations of the despotic regime and consolidating Iran’s political, cultural and economic links with World Imperialism, was the motive force behind the united uprising of the nation. There followed the great and bloody revolution of the Islamic people in the month of KHORDAD 1342 (Translator’s note: equivalent to June 1963) -This was indeed the starting-point of the flowering of that magnificent and widespread revolt which consolidated and confirmed the Imam’s central position as the Islamic leader.

Despite his banishment from Iran following on his protest against the shameful Law of Capitulation (immunity for American advisers), the firm bond (of the people) with the Imam was strengthened. The Muslim nation, in particular committed intellectuals and the militant clergy, continued along its path, amid banishment and imprisonment, torture and execution.

Meanwhile the informed and responsible section of the community was busy with clarification of the issues, within the strongholds of mosques, places of learning, and universities. Inspired by the revolutionary religious feeling and the rich fruitfulness of Islam, they began a persistent and rewarding struggle to raise the level of awareness and vigilance as regards the fight, and its religious nature, among the Muslim nation. The despotic regime began the suppression of the Islamic movement with a malignant attack on the FEIZIYE and the University and all the clamorous Clubs (that were part) of the Revolution. It took bloodthirsty but futile steps to quell the revolutionary fury of the people. While this was going on firing squads, medieval torture, and long imprisonment were the price our Muslim nation paid to demonstrate its firm resolution to continue thestruggle.

The blood of hundreds of young men and women flowed for the Faith in the shooting yards at dawn as they raised the cry of “God is Great”. Or they were the target for hostile bullets in lanes and bazaars in forwarding the Islamic revolution of Iran,distributing the ever-continuing proclamations and messages of the Imam on a variety of occasions, and the awareness and determination of the Islamic nation ever more widely and deeply.

ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT

Islamic Government is founded on a basis of “religious guardianship” (VELAYAT FAQIYE) as put forward by Imam Khomeini at the height of the intense emotion and strangulation under the despotic regime. This created a specific motivation and new field of advance for the Muslim people; and opened up the true path for the religious fight of Islam, pressing forward the struggle of the committed Muslim combatants, inside and outside the country.

The movement continued along this basic line until eventually the dissatisfaction and fury of the people, arising out of the daily increasing pressure and strangulation inside the country, and the extension and repetition of the struggle by the clergy, and by militant students at world level, severely shook the rule of the regime. The regime and its masters were forced to reduce its pressure and strangulation, and – so to speak – to open up the political arena of the country which it thought would be the safety valve to secure it against its certain collapse. But the nation was aroused, aware (of the situation) , and firmly devoted to the decisive and unshakable leadership of the Imam. It began its victorious and united uprising in ever more wide-spread and comprehensive fashion.