Building an Islamic state

The Iranian Revolution and its aftermath

Muslim clergy and soldiers clasp hands in friendship atop an armored personnel carrier. Printed in Time magazine, January 29, 1979From: http://www.iranian.com

A cartoon believed to have been published around January, 1980, depicting post-revolution chaos. The artist is unknown. Posted on the Iranian newsgroup soc.culture.iranian

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

Iran Prior to Revolution: A very hasty comparative overview

Pre-20th century state: Safavid and Qajar empires Qajar rule: decentralized,

diffuse

Imperialism/Colonialism British and Russian spheres of

influence

Early authoritarian state-building Pahlavi rule, 1926-1979

Reza Shah, 1926-1941 Muhammad Reza Shah, 1941-

1979

A wall in Tehran, 1978 : "Kings are the disgrace of history; you are the most disgraceful king. Death to Imperialism." From: http://www.iranian.com/

State-building under Reza Shah: brief notes

Secularism New civil code (1928) Secular judicial system

Centralization Creation of police force, civil

serviceCosmetic “westernization” Hat law (1935) Veil banned (1936)

Nationalism From “Persia” to “Iran” New state school curricula

Turkey & Iran compared: the early period

Institutions of government Occupation

State consolidation: Muhammad Reza Shah

Entrenching the monarchy 1953 coup against Mosaddeq Creation of internal security

organization, SAVAK Tight political control US aid & oil revenue patronage

The “White Revolution” Large-scale industrial

development, literacy, education, land reform

After 1975, one-party state Harsh police rule, systematic

torture Forced “westernization” Devaluation of the Ulama & Islam

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.

Left, Muhammad Reza Shah in London, as covered by a Belgian tabloid. Right, Muhammad Reza with his son. Photos: http://www.iranian.com

1979 Iranian Revolution: Three visions, and then two (and then one)

Representatives of three different and conflicting visions of the new Iran. Left, secular reformer Bani-Sadr; middle, constitutional liberal Mehdi Bazargan, who originally proposed retaining the Shah under a constitutional monarchy, and later, the first prime minister of the new Iranian republic; and right, Ayatollah Khomeini. Photo courtesy of Nikki Keddie, from Bill Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East, p. 424.

After the Shah: competing visions

1st (early Revolution) Vision Moderate Constitutional Monarchy (Mehdi Bazargan, the Freedom Movement & Ali Shari’ati)2nd Vision

Secular Republic -- respecting but not controlled by Shi’ism3rd Vision: Theocracy-government of Ulama

Iranian Revolution: Who

Bazaari merchants

Moderate, politicized UlamaRadical Ulama

A. Khomeini

Secular Urban IntellectualsSecular students

Theological students

Urban workers

Oil workers on strike, 1978.

Photos of the Ayatolloh Khomeini, from http://www.imam-khomeini.com

Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, 1902-1989

• Exiled, 1962-1978

• Velayet-e Faqih (Guardianship of the jurisprudent)

Ayatollah Khomeini in the Paris suburb of Neauphle le Chateau, late 1978. Photo by Hatami

"Anti-government demonstrators in Tehran set fire to portraits of the Shah and his family." From the November 20, 1978, issue of Time magazine

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

Main headline: "2,500-year-old despotic monarchy collapses. Cities liberated by the revolutionary army." Kayhan newspaper, February 11, 1979

The chaos after the revolution: the first new Islamic-Iranian state

Presidency &Prime Ministry

Council of Guardians•Issued laws, decrees, •veto power over PM

Localcommittees

RevolutionaryGuards

RevolutionaryTribunals

KhomeiniMonarchy replaced by new Islamic republic (March 1979):

But what was an “Islamic Republic?”

ArmedForces

Who exactly should rule, and how??

Various political parties

Newsweek, February 26, 1979

Foreign crises

* US hostage crisis, Nov. 1979

* Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1989

Internal purges

Former SAVAK chief and three colleagues lie dead after their execution.

Photos: http://www.iranian.com

After the Revolution (or, the 2nd revolution):

The second Islamic-Iranian state