ABSTRACT
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran became an Islamic Republic based on the politico-religious theory of vilāyat-i faqīh (in Arabic wilāyat al-faqīh) – governance of the jurist (also defined as authority/guardianship/mandate/rule by the jurisconsult/guardian of Islamic jurists) and regulated by the Islamic Constitution. This created a perception of Iran as “crazy,” “unstoppable,” ruled by “mad mullahs,” or as a “Mullah regime,” especially within mainstream American academic circles. Many studies have shown that the perception of the Iranian political system as irrational is erroneous. Moreover, the 34-year existence of the Islamic Republic of Iran shows that it is driven by the pragmatic concerns of state-hood, conditioned by a religious doctrine which plays a central role in the official ideology of Iran.
