The Road to Democracy in Iran (Boston Review Books)
An Iranian dissident well known to human rights organizations, Ganji has paid the price of his convictions. Imprisoned by the Iranian government from 2000 to 2006, the now-exiled Ganji had been an enthusiast of the Islamic Revolution, so his repudiation of its theocratic outcome should interest observers who detect democratic stirrings in Iran. Gathered here in four lectures and a letter he smuggled out of prison, Ganji’s views uphold basic human rights generally; he specifically refutes clerical interpretations of Islamic law that justify the deplorable status and treatment of women. Maintaining that being a faithful Muslim is compatible with accepting modernism and modern human rights, Ganji urges cultural reformation to break down Iran’s “gender apartheid.” Taking up resentments of the Islamic world toward the West, Ganji indicates their alleviation might come from some form of Christian-Islamic ecumenicalism, perhaps in a world republic of liberal democracies. Tending toward the philosophical more than the programmatic, Ganji’s aspirations––some idealistic, some practical––will resonate with all engaged with the human rights movement. --Gilbert Taylor