Nathan Gonzalez
On July 12, 2009, Grand Ayatollah Ali Montazeri issued a set of fatwas, or religious rulings, from the seminary city of Qom, Iran. The rulings were given in response to a set of queries submitted by Dr. Mohsen Kadivar. Tehranbureau.com provides a translation of the rulings, which can be read in their entirety here.
THE RULINGS
In answering the five questions presented by Dr. Kadivar, which revolved around the legitimacy of the Supreme Leader in the face of the post-election protests, Ayatollah Montazeri delineated the following three key points.
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*When the political system is embodied in a single person [as it currently is in Iran, with the office of the Supreme Leader], then one cannot simply justify immoral acts to preserve the "system."
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*Those who are unjust are by definition unqualified to rule.
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*Those who are unqualified to rule are automatically "sacked" without need for official dismissal.
These three points amount to saying that the Supreme Leader is no longer fit to rule in Iran, which is a significant statement, even though it comes from a religious leader outside the "loop" of Iran's regime.
Dissecting Montazeri's July 12 Fatwa
SOME DEFINITIONS
What is a "Grand Ayatollah"?
Believers of the main orthodox branch of Shiism are expected to follow the rulings of a qualified living cleric, or "marja-ye taqlid" ("source of emulation"). These marjas, who are also called Grand Ayatollahs, are the clerical cream of the crop, and their ability to practice individual reasoning (ijtihad) can provide believers with answers on Islamic law.
Although the Islamic Republic has sought to shift the balance of power in the favor of a single cleric (the Supreme Leader), traditionally believers have been expected to select a marja of their choosing. This has historically made Shiism a dynamic faith, but it also has placed significant mobilizing power in the hands of the clergy. This is the power that Ayatollah Khomeini harnessed in the run-up to the Iranian Revolution (1978-79), but it is also that which reformist clerics are seeking to use to bring about change in the Islamic Republic.
What is a fatwa (in Shia Islam)?
A fatwa is a religious ruling, which comes in the form of a response to a believer's query, which can range from the seemingly mundane to the profound.
Who is Ayatollah Montazeri?
Ayatollah Montazeri was a close confidant of Ayatollah Khomeini and was considered his heir apparent until he had a falling out with the Leader in 1989. Ever since, he has been effectively sidelined by the regime, and was even placed under house arrest between 1997 and 2003.
