Engineering and Ethics `Method of Casuistry`

All laws in operation in the country had to obtain the approval of the parliament before being executed . Also , national resources could only be sold out if the parliament approved them unlike in the past where Shah had powers to make decisions regarding the nation all alone (Afary Janet , para 7

By curtailing the powers of Shah , the parliament sought to reduce the intervention and influence the influence the foreign powers were having on Iran . Despite its success in curtailing the powers of Shah , the constitution had flaws in that many

vital issues had been left unresolved . The laws did not provide for the bill of rights and also did not explicitly separate the functions of the three arms to the government that is , the legislature , the executive arm and the judicial branch of government . There was thus need for the amendment of the constitution and the majlis formed a committee to look into these issues in 1907 . Since the constitution was mainly based on European laws , the members of the committee were supposed to learn foreign languages to help in easier consultation with the Europeans (American Iranian Friendship Council , para 8

The first amendment of the constitution was approved in 1907 and the provisions of the amendment included a clause which granted citizens freedom of speech and association . It also consisted of laws necessitating individuals to be granted security for their property as well as their lives . Under this amendment , Christians , the Zoroastrians and the Jews were given a formal recognition as citizens of Persia and also given equal treatment under the law . This amendment is discredited on the ground that it failed solve the conflict which had persisted between the religious laws and the secular laws . It also gave new institutional powers which were unprecedented to clerical establishment...