Iranian Revolution

Early History of Iran

Where is Iran?

Arab: A panethnic group from the Arabian

Peninsula Panethnic: multiple ethnicities

In the 7th Century CE Arabs invaded Iran and brought Islam with them

Arabs

Allah (God) spoke through his final prophet

(Mohammed) and those teachings were written down in the Quran

Members of the Islamic faith call themselves Muslims

Not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs

Today there are over 1 billion people who practice Islam

Islam

There is only one God, Allah, and Muhammad

was his prophet (spiritual spokesperson) Praying in the direction of Mecca (a holy city in

Saudi Arabia) 5 times a day Fasting from dawn to dusk during Ramadan to

commemorate a time when Muhammad began to receive messages from Allah

Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime

Giving Charity to the poor

5 Pillars of Islam

85% of Muslims are Sunni Most Iranians are Shiite What caused the Break?

When Muhammad died who would lead the Muslims? (Become Caliph – highest religious leader) Shiites believed that the authority should remain

in the Prophet’s family line Sunni’s believed that the prophets closest

followers should choose the Caliph

Two Branches of Islam

Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law eventually

became the 4th Caliph but was assassinated – his son vowed revenge

Husayn and a small band continued to challenge Sunni rule for 19 years – When Sunni troops eventually surrounded and massacred them martyrdom (sacrificing oneself for a cause) is a key aspect of Shiite branch

Karbala Massacre

Iran had a Shah (king), but he wasn’t very

powerful and so he sold rights to Iran’s natural resources to European companies for paltry profits (but it was enough to make him wealthy)

1906 the people revolted and demanded a Parliament – Initially the Shah agreed to create a Parliament and write a Constitution

The next Shah rejected these and called for aid from Great Britain and Russia (who had interests in Iranian Oil) who brought troops in and in 1911 they had re-established the Shah’s power

The First Iranian Revolution

Son of a local cleric – Murdered for following

Islamic law Khomeini entered religious school and studied

to become an Imam (or Mullah – leading clerics whose job is to interpret Islamic law to fellow Muslims)

He finished his studies and became a teacher – was renowned for his legal talent

Ruhollah Khomeini

In the 1920s an army officer seized power

from the Shah and crowned himself Shah in 1925 – changed family name to Pahlavi

Program of Modernization Modeled his government on European

structures Took power away from local religious institutions

and leaders

Reza Khan

In 1942 Khomeini publishes Secrets Exposed

which argued that the Shah’s reforms were bringing in western influence which would destroy Islam – this influence was “poisonous to the nation”

Secrets Exposed

Reza gave his support to Germany and was

pressured to abdicate by Great Britain and the Soviet Union

22 year old Son, Mohammad, became Shah

WW2 and a New Shah

1951 Parliament's new Prime Minister is

Mohammad Mosaddeq He pledged to nationalize Iran’s oil fields GB turns to US for help Eisenhower tells Kermit Roosevelt (yes the

grandson of TR) to overthrow Mosaddeq

Mossadeq

The Shah ruled with an iron fist – This

embarrassed the US The US forced the Shah to enact reforms

Selling land cheaply to the poor Reforming Education and Health Care Women’s rights – vote He also focused on Iran’s Persian roots over its

Arabic/Islamic traditions

White Revolution

On the anniversary of Husayn’s Martyrdom

Khomeini gave a speech openly criticizing the Shah

The next day he was arrested Chaos in the city “All of Islam is Politics” Shah banishes Khomeini 1964

Khomeini Responds

Borrowed from Plato’s Republic he argued that

the Mullah’s would be the philosopher kings that would lead Iranian politics

The Islamic faith would be the basis for laws and the supreme judge of right and wrong

Khomeini’s Thinking

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting

Countries) raises prices of oil which reap huge rewards for the Shah and the wealthiest of Iran

Tehran of nightclubs and liquor stores – in direct violation of Islamic law

Smuggled tapes of Khomeini

1974 and The Wealth Gap