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Don't Misunderstand Khamenei's Nuclear Fatwa

(Arms Control and Regional Security for the Middle East) Ariane Tabatabai - The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa (religious edict) that the use of nuclear weapons is prohibited under Islamic law. However, Iranian authorities have never presented the text of this document. It does not appear on Khamenei's comprehensive website, which includes the texts of all of his teachings, statements, and speeches. Whether or not Khamenei can even issue such a decree is debatable, as he is not a religious authority (marja) in the traditional sense, but rather a member of the Shiite clergy, who has received much of his authority not from his religious education and status but from his political power. A fatwa is not absolute and irreversible. The Islamic Republic's Shiite political ideology enables the Supreme Leader to overrule any religious rule in order to safeguard the regime. The fatwa seems to have been created to convince a Western audience of Iran's peaceful intentions. This is why the fatwa is hyped by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while it has remained virtually absent in domestic debates in Iran. Indeed, the fatwa discourse has never been a central element of any of Khamenei's speeches regarding the nuclear program. The Iranian campaign for the international community to take the fatwa seriously is based on the Islamic Republic's ideology and strategy. The fatwa is a way of defying the international community and undermining its will. The writer is a Ph.D. candidate at King's College, London.
2013-04-04 00:00:00
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