Individual human rights and social rights in general, as well as women’s rights and the rights of religious minorities in particular, are controversial issues in Shiite jurisprudence. In traditional Shiite jurisprudence, the duties of human beings have always been the subject of debate. In contrast, rights have rarely been considered. Religious reformers, who prioritize human rights over duty, have criticized advocates of traditional jurisprudence for their one-sided attitude. The rights of religious minorities in Islamic societies – how to regulate their relations with the government as well as their general social relations – have posed a significant challenge. The present study aims to examine the legal and social status of religious minorities as recognized in traditional Shiite jurisprudence. This will be used to assess contemporary Shiite reformist jurists’ fundamental differences of opinion on this issue.
Masoumeh Radgoudarzi (Sat,) studied this question.