With his charismatic nature that allowed him to connect with all the groups of the opposition, Khomeini led the revolution and overthrew the Shah. For the religious and traditional masses of Iranians, he represented authentic Shi’a Iranian culture. For the idealistic students who were the leaders of the revolution, he represented unconventional defiance against the Shah’s regime. Khomeini understood the pain and alienation of all of his followers, who felt separated from their own Islamic culture as a result of the Shah’s westernization, and his charisma allowed him to unify the opposition against the Shah. With mass demonstrations all throughout Iran that immobilized the country, the Shah had no choice but to abdicate his position as monarch …show more content…
on January 16, 1979. On February 1 1979, Khomeini returned to Iran to establish an Islamic Republic. Both Iranians and foreigners believed that “Khomeini had achieved the miraculous. Nobody had ever thought the Shah would leave. He was so powerful, so hated and so corrupt… that the perception was that he would never be overthrown and Khomeini did it. So there was also that sense of the surreal.” There was a divine quality to Khomeini’s leadership that, to some, justified his overthrow of the Shah. Reflecting on Axworthy’s image of mirrors, it is clear the the revolution was successful because of the perceptions of perceptions, or misperceptions, of many groups throughout the 1900s.
The west, who trusted the Shah to rule Iran safely with the help of CIA trained SAVAK, never picked up on the momentum of the revolution within Iran. They perceived that the Shah had Iran under control and therefore did not intervene until it was too late. The Shah also had a misperception of Khomeini and his revolution. The Shah believed that by exiling Khomeini from Iran, he had taken care of any threat Khomeini posed. He was oblivious to the fact, however, that Khomeini had been establishing himself and nurturing anger towards the Shah ever since the White Revolution, sending cassette tapes into Iran from his exile in Paris with his preachings. With these tapes, Khomeini inspired demonstrations and unrest within Iran until the Shah was forced to abdicate in 1979. Finally, Khomeini also perpetuated a misperception that the groups of the opposition, including the bazarris, the peasants, and the Ulema, had the same goals and complaints. This perception unified the opposition under an ambiguous banner whose broad definition promoted inclusion and …show more content…
confidence. Perhaps the greatest misperception, or deception, was that the Islamic Republic would lead to peace and political freedom. Upon return from exile, Khomeini established a Provisional Revolutionary Government, with rules that adhered to the demands stated within the Koran. These absolutist laws restricted political freedom, speech and the rights of women in Iran. In an attempt to reclaim Iran’s identity as a strictly Islamic state, Khomeini repealed all relations with the west, putting Iran’s economy at a disadvantage and therefore affecting the livelihoods of many. Additionally, in an effort to cleanse the country of previous western influence, Khomeini established khomitehs, Islamic vigilantes who randomly arrested and executed anyone who seemed at all counterrevolutionary. Khomeini had created a bloody theocracy centered around the desire for revenge and a hatred towards the previous, western regime. This hatred manifested during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, when Iranian students seized the American embassy in Iran, taking all members within as hostages. Ever since the Iranian demand for a return to tradition and the Shah’s inadequate response to these grievances, Iranians have not forgotten their hatred for the monarch’s regime and its connections with America.
Even today, Iran has largely maintained its anti-American stance, and conflict between the two nations is tangible. The United States, still wary of Iran’s hate for all western influence, keeps sanctions on Iran, in an attempt to restrict Iran's nuclear power. To many Americans, Iran is considered part of the Axis of Evil, a nation of terrorists and radical Muslims. In Iran, there still exist many ‘death to America’ slogans. With Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, however, the United States and Iran have started restoring diplomatic relations. We can only hope that Iran and the US will find enough common ground to break the shackles of
history.
This completely changed the perception of the United States within Iran. Many Iranians believed that “American influence and power made a mockery of their national autonomy and desecrated their religious beliefs” (Farber, 37). The real struggle came once the Shah sought asylum in the U.S. Iran believed this to be a betrayal and demanded the Shah be released to the revolutionaries. Due to the fact that the United States did not refuse the Shah, the revolutionaries took the embassy in Tehran and all of the people that worked there hostage. One of the hostages wrote back to his parents during the crisis “‘We will not be set free until shah is released and the longer we stay here like this the better is a chance for something terrible to happen’” (Farber, 156). The siege was led by Iranian students who supported the revolution and the Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader that the revolution had selected to take the place of the
In All The Shah’s Men there seems to be a very strong hatred for all foreign powers, including the United States, taken by the citizens of Iran. I believe that this ultimately occurred because of the impatience of certain government officials in Washington D.C., and also in Great Britain. If only there could have been better communication between countries, I feel that there would have been a solution reached. The stubbornness of the British for the most part, led to many lives being lost, and a feeling of perpetual disgust being shown towards the United States for their involvement. Although the British were our allies and we did have an extreme fear of communism taking over the free world, this coup was disorganized, forced along too quickly, and put forth without any guidance or strong evidence, which in the end proved to completely defy what the United States was trying to impose on the world, and what Mossadegh was trying to give his people; freedom and democracy.
From 1941 to 1979 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, commonly known as Mohammad Reza, or simply the Shah, led Iran as successor to his father, Reza Shah Pahlavi. Mohammad often went against his vows of constitutional monarchy by using the Iranian secret police, SAVAK, to suppress his political opponents. Mohammad Reza's domestic policy focused on a series of reform policies to modernize the country. His foreign policy focused on an effort to abolish sovietism, and become an ally of the western powers and the US. Shah's rule is characterized as dictatorial, a period of major domestic and constitutional reform, as well as a period in which Iran established itself as a major regional power. Mohammad Reza attempted to rid the region of foreign influence, mainly that of the Soviets and communism, in an effort to grow the countries individual power. As a means to reach this goal, Mohammad Reza instituted reforms to modernize the country. However, as stated on the official website of Farah Pahlavi, his rule did not follow the emerging ideas of democracy and brought opposition from many of the traditionalist, and nationalists with different priorities. Overall, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's domestic reforms were largely ineffective in reaching his goals, whereas his foreign goals were largely met.
Born Ruhollah Mousavi in 1902 near the village of Khomeini, Iran which he would later adopt as his surname, Ayatollah Khomeini would go on to become the most evil despot of all time. From the beginning, the roots of his malevolence were nurtured by his circumstances. His father, Seyed Moustafa Hindi, an Islamic scholar and prominent citizen of Khomeini, was murdered in his infancy, leaving him to be raised by his mother and aunt, who both succumbed to a cholera outbreak during his adolescence. Following their deaths, and the culmination of World War I, he left home to study at the Islamic seminary in Arak, and later Qom, under the guidance of Ayatollah Yadzi, a contemporary Shia authority. Khomeini himself soon became a leading Shia scholar, as he published numerous literary works and gave lectures at leading seminaries on his way to amassing a large and loyal following. In 1963, he was anointed as a member of the marja, the supreme legal authority within the Shia sect, forming a basis of power from which he would launch his political career (Algar). This could not have come at a worse time for Iran, as Mohammad Reza Shah was beginning to enact his “White Revolution” which sought to use the vast wealth that Iran had acquired from oil production to bring the nation out of feudalism, improve infrastructure, modernize the government, and give rights to women and religious minorities (Reynolds Wolfe). Khomeini vehemently opposed the Shah’s plan because of the perceived influence of the United States and Israel and insisted that Iran must be a theocracy under Sharia Law. Because of his views, he was exiled from Iran; however, he continued speaking out against the Shah’s regime for the full extent of...
Throughout the 20th century, the United States tried to control Iran to ensure the exportation of oil to America. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi came to power in 1941 and became allies with the United States. However in the 1950s, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh began to gain political power. Unlike the Shah, he was extremely against western influence in Iran. Mossadegh won national elections and he demanded more power. In order to retain influence in Iran, the CIA helped overthrow Mossadegh and bring Pahlavi back to power....
In the 1970’s Iran, under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a very centralized military state that maintained a close relationship with the USA. The Shah was notoriously out of touch with working class Iranians as he implemented many controversial economic policies against small business owners that he suspected involved profiteering. Also unrestricted economic expansions in Iran lead to huge government expenditure that became a serious problem when oil prices dropped in the mid 1970’s. This caused many huge government construction projects to halt and the economy to stall after many years of massive profit. Following this was high rates of inflation that affected Iranians buying power and living standards. (Afary, 2012) Under the Shah, political participation was not widely available for all Iranians and it was common for political opposition to be met with harassment, illegal detention, and even torture. These measures were implemented by the Iranian secret police knows as ‘SAVAK’. This totalitarian regime combined with the increasing modernisation of the country paved the way for revolution.
Although the Iranian Revolution was both a political and religious movement in that it resulted in major shifts in government structure from an autocracy to a republic and that Islamic beliefs were fought to be preserved, it was more a religious movement in that the primary goal of the people was to preserve traditional ideology and in that the government became a theocracy intertwined with religious laws and desires of the people. Although the Iranian Revolution was caused by combination of political and religious motivations and ideas, the desires of the people supporting the movement were more dominantly religious ideas that were wished to be imposed in society and in a new government. The Shah, or king, of Iran at the time was Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, who had developed relations with nations in the “western” world, specifically with the United States. The United States supported the White Revolution, which was a series of social reformations the Shah made to remove Islamic values, law and tradition from the government to boost the country’s economy (White Revolution, 2010).... ...
During the course of the centuries, Christianity has both flourished and declined in the Persian region. The flourishing, initiated by the first leaders of the Christian Church, has dissolved over time and has become oppressed by other beliefs and faiths, specifically Islam. Blood, sweat, and tears of many persecuted Christians saturate the arid lands, which Islamists primarily inhabit. Many of those Islamists live in direct antipathy to the Christian minority. The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, once said that “their (Christians) goal is to weaken the (Islamic) religion within the society” (“The Cost of Faith” 15). Many Iranians also feel this way, and have certainly not accepted the existence of a Christian minority within their country gently. From the Islamic conquest in the 7th century, to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranians have not let up on their subjugation of Christians. Indeed Christianity has witnessed various forms of deterrents to their religion, from the modern day imprisonments and executions to the ancient ways of leaders such as Shapur II, who would have them burned or fed to animals (Price 1). The government of Iran has acted severely towards Christians, subjecting them to harsh consequences for not turning from their religion, such as prolonged imprisonment and even ex-judicial killings. Despite all of this, many Christians living under these harsh conditions persevere and Christianity still receives new followers. Christianity in Iran has suffered and continues to suffer at the hands of a militant Islamic regime, and although this is nothing new, it receives little publicity in the West, something...
The Iranian revolution began with the overthrow of then leader Reza Shah, who was a non-
Under the Shah's son, Iranian citizens were often whipped, killed execution style, or went to prison for speaking out. Brainwashing people into believing, that the way to heaven was by obeying the Shah's rules and if they did not honor the Shah they would go to hell. After the deposing of the shah by revolution, the people of Iran elected a democratic leader.... ... middle of paper ...
The Iranian revolution was a movement that rejected westernization and sought to reinstate religious law in Iran. Before 1980 Iran was a westernized country, the people enjoyed freedom, were provided with liberal educations, and did not endure severe oppression (Satrapi 1). In her book, “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi writes, “The year before, in 1979, we were in a French non-religious school, where boys and girls were together” (4). However, a resistance began to form of Iranians who rejected westernization and wanted an Islamic government (Satrapi 2). After their movement gained traction and the shah fled Iran, a transformation began (Satrapi 2). The revolution brought severe oppression of citizens, especially women. Marjane Satrapi would soon
In February of 1979, Muhammad Reza Shah was in exile and Ayatollah Khomeini arrived as the triumphant leader of a revolution. Throughout the remainder of the year, the execution of former prime ministers, SAVAK agents, and high- ranking military officers took place. Muhammad Reza Shah’s regime was no longer in power and the Iranian Revolution was in full effect, but what caused this rapid shift of power? In the years leading up to the revolution, the Shah implemented the White Revolution in attempts to modernize Iran. The White Revolution was an attempt to turn Iran into an economic power, however; it went against many of the core beliefs of Islam. The White revolution of the 1960’s and 1970’s caused the Iranian revolution because it marginalized
After the Shah returned to power, he depended on the Western powers (mainly the United States) for support against his opposition. He continued to follow the road to Westernization, and formed the SAVAK, a secret police supported by the CIA after the coup, to quell domestic protests and continue censoring the press. The SAVAK became a powerful force that provoked fear and allowed the shah to dominate Iran. Mohammad's strict rule suppressed political and socials freedoms and emphasized the nation's social inequality. Many Iranians wished for a return to peace, equality, and justice, which they found in their own Islamic religion, an eventual cause of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, formerly known as Iran or Persia, was crowded with a young generation looking for full freedom against the Shah. Persia, once as a powerful country with vast oil resources, soon became a vulnerable nation, ready to accept a new leader to guide them. The people were ready for change, but were the changes they got the changes they were looking for. The people wanted freedom against the shah, (For generations Iran was ruled by Kings) who allowed some freedoms, but it was somewhat limited. The people wanted freedom of speech, so that the press could freely publish their own opinions. They wanted to get rid of a law that made all eighteen-year-old males attend two years of military service unless they are accepted to a university, which would allow them attend the army later as a service worker. The shah was anti-religious, which was not ideal for many of the civilians in Iran. Savak (Secret organization of Iran) was accused of many anti – human rights actions, such as killing students who protested and immediately jailing press members for inappropriate conduct. A major problem was that the shah was a “puppet” of the United States many say, because the Shah would constantly confer with the U.S. of all of his decisions as ruler. The after affects of the revolution resulted in similar conditions, however. Human rights are horrible, the government limits all freedoms, the economy has suffered greatly, average salaries are hard to live with, most of the educated people in Iran fled to foreign countries, the quality of public schools is horrible, and the government still controls all television broadcasts and keeps a watchful eye on the newspapers. From bad to worse is what many people feel has become of Iran, but the people are ready for a real change.
Shah was the Supreme leader of Iran. The vast majority of people did not agree with his economic decisions and as a result he was overthrown by his people. His bad financial decisions led to high levels of inflation and a low standard of living. Wikipedia stated that, “Shah was perceived by many Iranians as beholden to if not a puppet of a non-Muslim Western power (the United States).”(Wikipedia; Background and causes of the Iranian revolution).