About

Mohsen Kadivar is a mujtahid, Islamic theologian, philosopher, writer, and a leading intellectual reformist. He is a research professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. Kadivar offers a rare insider critique of Iran, opposing US imperialism and Israeli aggression while also challenging the authoritarianism of the Islamic Republic from within Shia theology itself. His work traces his own journey, including arrests under both the Shah and the Islamic Republic, and explores how the revolutionary promise of freedom, democracy, and justice was only partially realized in Iran. His research and writings delve into the interaction of power, religion, personalities, and competing visions of destiny that have shaped Iran's political and social landscape.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Philosophy
• Theology
• Law
• Religious studies

Selected publications

• The Institution of Marriage: A Case Study of the First Pillar of the Marriage Contract

  2023-11-11

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• Islam and the State from a Shi’ite Perspective

  Philosophy and politics · 2023-01-01 · 1 citations

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• Free Speech and Critique of Religion in Contemporary Islam

  2022-10-03

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
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• 8 The Freedom of Belief and Religion in Islam and Human Rights Documents

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13

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• Human Rights and Reformist Islam

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021 · 5 citations

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  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Sociology

  Published in Association with the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations Translates the influential collection Haqq al-nas , which argues for the compatibility of human rights and Islam Written by an original and prolific intellectual of the Iranian reform movement Adds an extensive new introduction and annotations throughout the text from Mohsen Kadivar bringing the work up-to-date and placing it in its academic and public contexts Includes a preface by Professor Mirjam Künkler explaining the importance of the translation and the value of its contribution to current scholarly debate Critically compares Mohsen Kadivar’s approach to Islam and human rights with those of five leading contemporary scholars: Mahmoud M. Taha, Abdullahi A. an-Na’im, Ann E. Mayer, Mohammad M. Shabestari and Abdulaziz A. Sachedina Includes a glossary of key terminology Human Rights and Reformist Islam critiques traditional Islamic approaches to the question of compatibility between human rights and Islam, and argues instead for their reconciliation from the perspective of a reformist Islam. The book focuses on six controversial case studies: religious discrimination; gender discrimination; slavery; freedom of religion; punishment of apostasy; and arbitrary or harsh punishments. Explaining the strengths of structural ijtihad , Mohsen Kadivar’s approach is based on the rational classification of Islamic teachings as temporal or permanent on the one hand, and four criteria of being Islamic on the other: reasonableness, justice, morality and efficiency. In the book, all of the verses and Hadith that are problematic in relation to human rights are abrogated rationally according to these criteria. The result is a powerful, solutions-based argument based on reformist Islam – providing a scholarly bridge between modernity and Islamic tradition in relation to human rights.

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• Index

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13

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• Blasphemy and Apostasy in Islam

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13 · 2 citations

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  Published in Association with the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations Take a front-row seat to the debate on blasphemy and apostasy in Islam Presents a back-and-forth debate between two modern Shi’a jurists (one conservative, one reformist) that locates the exact points of controversy surrounding apostasy and blasphemy Engages with the broader subjects of religious freedom and human rights, addressing both secular and religious interests Articulates the secular–religious divide and proposes a pluralistic solution, making a case that apostasy and blasphemy are non-existent in the Qu’ran Packed with translations of primary sources, including fatwas and interviews, that allow English-speaking readers to understand the arguments advanced by both parties in the debate Is it lawful to shed the blood of someone who insults the Prophet Muhammad? Does the Qu’ran stipulate a worldly punishment for apostates? This book tells the gripping story of Rāfiq Taqī, an Azerbaijani journalist and writer, who was condemned to death by an Iranian cleric for a blasphemous news article in 2006. Delving into the Qu’ran and Hadith – the most sacred sources for all Muslims – Mohsen Kadivar explores the subject of blasphemy and apostasy from the perspective of Shi’a jurisprudence to articulate a polarisation between secularism and extremist religious orthodoxy. In a series of online exchanges, he debates the case with Muhammad Jawad Fazel, the son of Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarānī who issued the fatwa pronouncing death penalty on Taqī. While disapproving of the journalist’s writings, Kadivar takes a defensive stance against vigilante murders and asks whether death for apostasy reflects the true spirit of Islam.

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• Contents

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13

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• Index

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13

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• 12 The Issue of Slavery in Contemporary Islam

  Edinburgh University Press eBooks · 2021-04-13

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Frequent coauthors

• Mirjam Künkler

  Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study

  23 shared

• Niki Akhavan

  21 shared

• Gianluca Parolin

  16 shared

• Hamid Mavani

  15 shared

• ATAOLLAH MOHAJERANI

  Prime Minister's Office

  4 shared

• ABDOLALI BAZARGAN

  Guidance (United Kingdom)

  4 shared

• Akbar Ganjī

  4 shared

• A. Soroush

  Guidance (United Kingdom)

  4 shared

Awards & honors

• Global Humanities Center Fellowship (2017)
• National Humanities Center Fellowship (2019-2020)
• Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Fellowship (2017)
• Open Society Institute, New York - Human Rights and Islamic…