Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s system of religious democracy serves as a new paradigm capable of changing the prevailing hegemonic discourse in the international political arena, an Islamic scholar tells Press TV<\/b>.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThe idea of religious democracy, which is now being practiced in Iran, apart from the rights of the people for determining their destiny in terms of political system and having the president, has a very important point in stating that religion can now play an important role in the world of politics,\u201d said Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour in a Friday interview.\n<\/p>\n
Bahmanpour pointed to the onrushing tide of the Islamic Awakening across the Arab world, arguing that the Islamic Republic can serve as a \u00c5\u201cgood model\u201d for Muslim nations.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cI think all the pressures which are being put against Iran [aim] to suppress this model. This model is going to change the system, the hegemony in the world,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
On Friday, millions of Iranian voters headed for polling stations to cast their ballots and choose the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s 11th president as well as their representatives in the City and Village Councils.<\/p>\n
Nearly 50.5 million Iranians, including more than 1.6 million first-time voters, were eligible to vote in the June 14 poll.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThe number of people coming and voting, the turnout in Iran, especially in Iranian democracy, is quite important for this concept. No matter who will be elected, it would assert a new idea in both the world of religion and the realm of democracy,\u201d Bahmanpour said.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThe measure of turnout would give the elected president more force, more power to practice the power of president internally and in international relations,\u201d the analyst pointed out.\n<\/p>\n
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