The discursivity of the theory of the Wilayat-i faqih as the foundation of the ideals of order and unity in the theocratic vision of power in Iran

This paper examines the relationship between order and unity in the theocratic vision of power in Iran. Starting from the analysis of the theory of the Wilāyat-i faqih, the role that these terms assume within the political project of the Islamic State is studied through the analysis of the speeches of the Āyatollāh Khāmeneī. !is paper argues that Michel Foucault’s reportages on the Iranian revolution provide conceptual insights for the understanding of the Wilāyat-i faqih as an ideology which stands as an alternative to liberalism and positions itself outside the canons of Western thought. !rough highlighting the analogical symmetries between Khāmeneī’s theory of the islamic government and Khomeini’s speeches, the Wilāyat-i faqih is analyzed as a form of ideology that has emerged from the perception of a lack of order in Islamic society following the 1978 Iranian Revolution.