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Authoritarianism in Iran: Why Democracy Remains Out of Reach
Authoritarian governments have dominated the Middle East region for decades, thus creating an obstacle for the emergence of democratic governments across the region. Democracy, in terms of Middle Eastern politics, refers to a political system in which power is concentrated among the people, which is typically given through free and fair elections, rule of law, and the protection of civil liberties. However, most, if not all, states among the Middle East have authoritarian structures. Authoritarianism is the dominating form of governance in the Middle East region, often characterized by centralized power, constraints on politics, and restrictions on freedoms such as press, expression, political involvement, and speech. Authoritarianism is presented differently among the states of the Middle East and it can be seen in different forms, including monarchies, military regimes, and one-party systems.
The political system of Iran is an authoritarian regime called the Islamic Republic. The system was formed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution by Ayatollah Khomeini, introducing the religion of Islam into the governing system. While the government is heavily influenced by the religious aspect of it, there are also figures who are voted in, however, holding a significantly less amount of power than those of the religious branch. Iran’s persistent lack of democracy stems from internal barriers in the government, including gender inequality, restricted media freedom, the influence of religion on government, widespread human rights violations, and the absence of free and fair elections, all of which reinforce the authoritarian system that continues to limit democratic development among the region.
Cause 1: Gender Inequality
One noticeable trait of a democracy is the gender equality that the states tend to see in politics, employment, and personal freedoms. In Iran, due to the religious and authoritarian style of government that the region has, gender inequality is seen in many different forms. Personal rights are restricted for women, and their role in society is seen different than that of a man, with unequal political opportunities, power indifference in the general public, and the suppression of movements that advocate for their civil rights.
The role of gender in society saw a shift when the governing system changed to an Islamic Republic, posing a threat to women. In 1979, the shift had “…reversed many of the hard-won women’s rights gained under the Pahlavi regime, restricting women’s rights and status in areas such as the family, employment, and political leadership, justified through the new regime’s interpretation of Islam” as Mona Tajali, author of “Gender Justice” versus “Gender Equality”: Elite Women’s Framing for Political Representation in Iran and Turkey adds. With restrictions across the board for women that enforces the authoritarian-shaped government, it reduces the possibility for a functioning democracy in Iran.
Gender inequality among Iran is also enforced in cases of divorce, and many Iranian women are unable to divorce their husbands, no matter the circumstances, due to the legal system prioritizing Islamic principles. Not only that, but economic dependence also plays a role, considering “Most married Iranian women are unemployed and therefore cannot easily support themselves financially following a separation or divorce. This is largely because Iranian women are traditionally deprived of the ability to pursue gainful employment and are often paid unfair wages” as mentioned by Kosar Haghani in Women’s Perceptions of Gender Inequality in the Divorce Process in Iran. Economic dependency is something so common amongst Iranian women, considering once they get married and start creating a family all prospects of working are essentially erased from their minds. One interviewee expressed her frustration with the laws regarding divorce, stating that “I can neither leave the country nor remarry just because the right of divorce is granted to men. Men do not get a divorce if they do not want to.” Women, in Iran, are stripped of many personal freedoms, which is essential within democracies. Without being able to do so much as filing for divorce, those personal freedoms are stripped from them, thus supporting the non-democractic type of government that Iran has.
Cause 2: Lack of Media Freedom
Censorship is the obstruction or suppression of ideas, information, or various forms of expression, generally with the objective of impacting the public and shaping their opinion based on the information that is deemed permissible by the state. One reason that keeps Iran from becoming a democratic state is the censorship and lack of freedom in media and other institutions see. Freedom of speech is an essential right, as it allows people to express themselves, their thoughts, or their opinions freely. Along with that, freedom of the press is an essential right amongst democracies, as it helps maintain and monitor the balance of power within governments. Without generally unbiased media, or the freedom to express one's thoughts or opinions, the government is able to manipulate and control what information the general public is able to know or share along with how people can act in the state.
The article Censorship and the Islamic Republic: Two Modes of Regulatory Measures for Media in Iran”, by Babak Rahimi, discusses the reactive and proactive measures of censorship in Iran. It is noted that censorship among Iran has been seen as early as 1851, with “the censorship of the country’s second-oldest newspaper, Vaqaye’-e Ettefaqiyeh” and has developed to the “jamming of satellite television and the blocking of websites” more recently. Censorship among Iran has developed as technology grew, with the ultimate goal of being able “control what can be displayed in order to reinforce state power and state ideology.” The suppression and censorship is backed by various departments within the government, each tasked with various tasks to regulate specific types of medias, Rahimi supports this by writing, “the Department of Art Affairs includes four subunits in charge of supervising visual, musical, theatrical, and artistic/cultural educational activities.” By providing citizens with access to the internet, especially during times of crisis, it poses a threat to the government power, as western ideas or help from other countries can cause protests, revolutions, and other uprisings, which is why the government applies strict measures and allocates departments to oversee information that they may deem a threat to their power or information that may influence the citizens.
The suppression of ideas and information from the government poses threats to citizens today, as the country has faced several internet shutdowns, filtering of applications and messaging services, and has seen the manipulation of press and news. When these events occur, the state pleads “the internet restrictions are for the protection of the public” or claim that it was a cyber security attack, as seen in the article, International Law and the Right to Global Internet Access: Exploring Internet Access as a Human Right Through the Lens of Iran’s Women-Life-Freedom Movement, by Pegah Banihashemi. These attacks of suppression often follow protests, movements, or state crisis, with the goal of containing information about the events occurring within the country, thus not permitting any concern or interference from other states. Not only does the censorship within Iran limit what citizens consume, but it also limits what the world can see and hear about the country and the welfare of its citizens. Banihashemi notes how many countries consider freedom to expression via the internet or access to the internet in general as a human right, so with Iran heavily limiting access, the