Politics in IranA brief overview of the Iranian Revolution

Iran Basics• Population

• Persian, Azeri (Turkic), Kurdish, etc

• Language(s)• Persian, etc

• Religion: Shi’ism

This and the map on the following slide from the Univ. of Texas map collection, http://www.lib.utexas.edu

Iran prior to Revolution

• Authoritarian monarchy•Harsh police rule, systematic torture•Forced “westernization”•Devaluation of the Ulama & Islam•US aid & oil revenue•patronage

•The “White Revolution”•Large-scale industrial development, literacy, education, land reform

Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

1979 Iranian Revolution: Why

•Rising popular opposition

•Authoritarianism•Economic woes

•Urban middle class suffering

•Shah’s reliance on foreign experts

•Cracks in the regime•US & NGO pressure•Moderate reforms

•Crises•Economic recession•protest & suppression

“The Shah had a lot of sympathy for the poor.” Cartoon by Iraj Zare; re-printed in Hassan Javadi's Satire in Persian Literature.

Iranian Revolution: Who

Bazaari merchants

Moderate, politicized UlamaRadical Ulama

A. Khomeini

Secular Urban IntellectualsSecular students

Theological students

Urban workers

Oil workers on strike, 1978.

Post-revolution: competing visions1st (early

Revolution) Vision Moderate Constitutional

Monarchy

2nd VisionSecular Republic -- respecting but not controlled by Shi’ism

3rd Vision: Theocracy-government of Ulama

From Marjane Satrapi, Persopolis

1979 Iranian Revolution: How• Early days of protest & suppression

•pamphlets,cassettes demonstrations•Violent suppression & continued resistance

• Growing confrontation•Sept 8 1978 “Black Friday” in Tehran: wave of protests and violent suppression•Strikes, paralysis of Iranian economy, huge demonstrations, defections in the army

• Jan. 1979 M. Reza Shah flees the country • Feb. 1: A. Khomeini returns to Iran

Ayatollah Khomeini escorted by military

officers upon his return to Iran. Photo from:

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/publications/ira

n/irbroch.html

After the revolution•New Islamic republic (03/1979)

•But what was an “Islamic Republic?”

•Foreign crises•U.S. hostage crisis

• Nov. 1979

•Iran-Iraq War,’80-’89•260,000 Iranians dead

•Internal resistance & purges

•1981-82- internal conflict and suppression: 10,000 Iranians die

Photo: http://www.iranian.com

The new theocracy: changes & reforms

• The new state: democracy & theocracy• Islamicization of law & governance

• Economy: state control, privatization• 1988 and after: liberalization package

• new privatization, reduction of govt subsidies, promotion of exports

• oil still provides 40-50% of government income

• New Sharia-based legal code• increasingly challenged in late 1980s

• Cultural revolution

• Social reforms• “Reconstruction Jihad”: Improved rural conditions• Improved education and public health

• Rise in female literacy: 36% in 1976; 72% in 1996• Grassroots primary health care• Better family planning: drastic reduction in birthrate after 1988

One view of the Cultural Revolution

From Marjane Satrapi, Persopolis