Religion as a Source of Political Legitimacy Religion plays a significant role in the development of individual identity, as well as a system of values and beliefs. Because faith is so meaningful to so many people, it is easy to assume that people base their political opinions on their religious beliefs to some extent. As a result of religion's influence on these systems, religion can confer political legitimacy in a variety of different ways. Iran presents an evident example of a country in which religion can confer political legitimacy. The Iranian constitution states that the supreme leader acts simultaneously as the central figure of religious and political authority. As a result of this power vested in the supreme leader, the Iranian constitution allows for the restriction of democracy, which has resulted in rising amounts of tension among Iranians over the decades (Khalaji). Other countries, like the United Kingdom, demonstrate that religion can serve as a source of political legitimacy without interfering with the principles of democracy. Therefore, these cases prove that religion can serve as a useful source of political legitimacy when leaders utilize it efficiently without interfering with democratic principles.
The constitution of Iran is a product of the 1979 Iranian revolution. Many factors led to the revolution, such as an economic downturn, abuse of human rights, state repression, and overall Iranian support for the establishment of an Islamic republic (Khalaji). Ruhollah Khomeini was a capable politician who influenced many aspects of the 1979 revolution. Khomeini relied heavily on his charismatic charm and political skills to effectively undermine and suppress the many political and religious opposition groups that made attempts to fill the power vacuum after the revolution (O'Neil 519). Prior to Khomeini's pursuit of his political ambitions, he was a respected ayatollah or expert on Islam. His expertise in Islam served as a source of legitimacy for those who advocated for an Islamic state, which paved the way for his political ambitions. In keeping with his highly conservative Muslim values, Khomeini's popularity stemmed from his strong opposition to Shah's modernization policy which advocated for social and economic reform. Khomeini also claimed that the Shah's agenda was inconsistent with God's will. As a result of his opposition, Khomeini became associated with the protests that followed the implementation of Shah's reform agenda known as the White Revolution, which resulted in his removal from the country. As time went on, the tension only increased as a result of the economic downturn and state repression. Khomeini's influence eventually became so strong that he was able to gain control of the government following the revolution in 1979.
After Khomeini's successful overthrow of the Shah, he strongly advocated for the creation of a new kind of executive, the supreme leader a position Khomeini later came to occupy ...
