Freedom of Religion: The Contribution of Contemporary Iranian Reformist Scholars

This article examines a specific line of thinking shared by several contemporary reformist Iranian religious scholars who present arguments in favor freedom religion. Focusing on the ideas five prominent scholars—Abdolkarim Soroush (b.1945), Muhammad Mujtahed Shabestari (b.1936), Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari (b.1950), Mohsen Kadivar (b.1959), and Ahmad Qabel (d.2012)—the argues that these thinkers’ defense religion is based not only their interpretations Qur??n historical Islamic sources, but also philosophical which concepts from fields epistemology hermeneutics are deployed. As demonstrates, some connect notion to political supporting tolerance, or view that, order guarantee freedom, state must be neutral towards orientation its citizens.