Post-Revolutionary Impact

International:

• Changed the image of Islam; interest in politics and the spirituality of Islam



• Opposition to western influence and intervention grew and strengthened



• Islamist insurgents rose in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon



• Finance and created powerful groups: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
  

• Iran provides Hezbollah with the finance aid and military support and supplies
  
  
• Iran’s financing for Hezbollah established it as a group of major political and military power
  
  
• Hezbollah weapons believed to be Iranian imports
  
  

• Some goals of the revolution: broadening education and health care for the poor, and particularly governmental promotion of Islam, and the elimination of secularism and American influence in government, were unsuccessful
  
  
• Other goals: such as greater political freedom, governmental honesty and efficiency, economic equality and self-sufficiency, and popular religious devotion were reached
  
  
• However, according to one 2002 survey, dissatisfaction was widespread



• The revolution caused an increase in literary though due to a decree that was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini to establish the Literacy Movement Organization (LMO)
  
  
• The program created success, reducing illiteracy from 52.5 per cent in 1976 to just 24 per cent, at the last count in 2002
  
  

• Iran has elected governmental bodies at the national, provincial, and local levels where all males and females from the age of 15 or older may vote

Opposition to the Revolution

Iranian Dissent and Its Suppression:

• Senior generals were executed and then a couple of months later 200 of the Shah’s senior civilian officials were executed after the revolution; those who escaped Iran were not immune
  


• Several dozen newspaper criticized Khomeini’s idea of Islamic government and they soon were all shut down
  


• Opposition Muslim People's Republican Party being suppressed – the Grand Ayatollah Shariatmadari placed under house arrest

• March 1980 the "Cultural Revolution" began universities began to close to cleanse from the opponents of theocratic rule
  


• Khomeini used takfir against his opponents sometimes
  


• People's Mujahideen Organization – a guerilla group armed and familiar to using violence
  


• Hezbollah toughs began on the meeting places, bookstores, newsstands of Mujahideen and other leftists
  

• June 28, 1981 – People’s Mujahideen reacted with a campaign of assassination at the Islamic Republican Party headquarters
  
  
• Measures to execute the Shah was unsuccessful and his death in Egypt did not end the conflict
  
  
• Instead the focus was turned to the American embassy – accused of having spies
  
  
• Ended in 1981; helped radicalize the government but greatly weaken Iran’s economy caused by the economic sanctions

Consolidation of Power by Khomeini

• The Khomeini-appointed Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan worked to establish a reformist democratic government



• Ultimate decision-making power was in the revolutionary bodies



• Tensions grew between the government and the revolutionary bodies though both were appointed by Khomeini
  
  
  

• In June the Freedom Movement release its draft constitution
  


• Stated Iran as a Islamic Republic and included a Guardian Council to veto unIslamic legislation, but had no guardian jurist ruler
  


• Khomeini and originally declared it “correct” but rejected it saying the Iran government had to be 100% based on Islam
  


• A new constitution written up by the Assembly of Experts – which was dominated by Khomeini allies – gave almost all the power to Khomeini
  
  

Khomeini, The Thief of Iranian Revolution:

• A short comedy film about Ayatollah Khomeini in Farsi/Persian
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17RrTQ5rL2U
  

Foundation of the Islamic Republic

Revolutionary Council:

• January 12, 1979 – formed to manage revolution
  
  
• Temporary government to Khomeini
  
  
• Turned to a legislator council until the formation of the first parliament on August 12, 1980
  
  
• Laws were legitimate in the Islamic Republic of Iran
  
  
  

The Provisional Revolutionary Government:

• The Interim Government of Iran was the first government after the Iranian Revolution
  
  
• February 4, 1979 formed under the order of Khomeini
  
  
• Mehdi Bazargan was the interim Prime Minister of the interim government
  
  
• Had a 7-member cabinet
  
  

The Committees of Islamic Revolution:

• On February 12 the committees of the Iranian Revolution was formed
  
  
• The Komiteh, or committees, were to gather weapons and organize the armed revolutionaries
  
  
• 1990 – merged with the Police of Iran
  
  
  

• Formed May 1979
  
  
• Largest military organization of the Islamic Republic
  
  
• The force's main role is national security, internal and border security, law enforcement and missile forces
  
  
  

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC):

• Began as a force loyal to Khomeini
  
  
• Later on became a full military force alongside the army in the Iran-Iraq War
  
  
• Later made up the Islamic Resistance and were known as the Jihad movement
  
  
  

Oppressed Mobilization:

• Khomeini commanded the finding of oppressed mobilization (Basij Mostaz'afin) in 1981
  
  
• Mobilized many skills to help the police and army
  
  
• Purpose was also to attack opposition demonstrators and ransack opposition newspaper offices
  
  
  

Hezbollah:

• Hezbollah – the “strong-arm thugs”
  
  
• Attacked demonstrators and newspaper offices critical of Khomeini
  
  
• Early in the revolution, Khomeiniists denied connection to Hezbollah
  
  
• In reality Hezbollah was supervised by “a young protégée of Khomeini”
  
  

Establishment of Islamic Republic Government:

• March 30 and 31 - Iranian voted on whether Iran should become an “Islamic Republic”
  
  
• Khomeini declared the vote a landslide victory in favor of the Islamic Republic
  
  
• Several groups however, boycotted the voting
  
  

Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line:

• Iranian militant group
  
  
• Occupied the U.S. Embassy in Tehran after the Islamic Revolution (Iran Hostage Crisis)
  
  
• The name refers to Imam meaning leader (Khomeini)
  
  
• Khomeini was not informed or aware of the occupation but later on supported the advance into the embassy
  
  

The Establishment of the Islamic Republic

Khomeini Takes Power:

• Dozens of religious, liberal, secularist, Marxist, and Communist, revolutionary factions — in opposition to the Shah
  
  
• Ayatollah Khomeini and his supporters, Khomeiniists, prevailed the strongest



• Had overwhelming ideological, political, and organization domination because he had been out of Iran for more than a decade and told the public “"the religious dignitaries do not want to rule“
  


• Gave many the impression of a spiritual guide than a power holder
  
  
  
• Khomeini eliminated both adversaries and unwanted allies from power
  


• Then implemented his wilayat al-faqih design for an Islamic Republic with him as Supreme Leader
  

The Shah Leaves and the Revolution Succeeds

• January 16, 1979 the Shah and the empress left Iran at the demand of prime minister Dr. Shapour Bakhtiar
  
  
• Bakhtiar dissolved SAVAK, freed political prisoners, ordered the army to allow mass demonstrations, promised free elections and invited Khomeinists and other revolutionaries into a government of "national unity"
  
  
• Bakhtiar he allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran
  

Khomeini Returns and the Monarchy Falls:

• Feb. 1 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran
  
  
• He was greeted by several million Iranians
  
  
• On the day of his arrival Khomeini made clear his rejection of Bakhtiar's government in a speech promising ‘I shall kick their teeth in.’
  

• He appointed his own competing interim prime minister Mehdi Bazargan on February 4
  
  
• Revolutionaries and rebel soldiers gained the upper hand and began to take over police stations and military installations, distributing arms to the public
  
  
• The final collapse of the non-Islamist government came February 11
  
  
• TV and Radio stations, palaces of Pahlavi dynasty, and government buildings were then occupied by revolutionaries

• This period, from February 1 to 11, known as the "Decade of Fajr," is celebrated every year in Iran
  


• February 11 is "Islamic Revolution's Victory Day", a national holiday with demonstrations in every city
  

Outbreak of the Revolution

Ayatollah Kazem Shariatmadari

• First major demonstration was when the press had run a story attacking Khomeini and angry students
  
  
• Religious leaders protested against the claims in the city of Qom
  
  
• The army was sent in, breaking up the demonstrations and killing several students (2 according to the government, 70 according to the opposition)
  
  

• Leading cleric and political moderate Ayatollah Kazem Shariatmadari joins the opposition
  
  
• Shah appealed to the United States for support
  
  

• Over 400 people died in the Cinema Rex Fire arson attack in Abadan
  
  
• Movie theaters had been a common target of Islamist supporters
  
  
• Public believed SAVAK had set the fire in an attempt to frame the opposition
  
  

• The Shah introduced martial law, and banned all protests
  
  
• On Friday, September 8, a massive protest broke out in Tehran, and in what became known as Black Friday
  
  
  
  

• December 2, during the Islamic month of Muharram, over two million people filled the streets of Tehran's Azadi Square to demand the removal of the Shah and return of Khomeini
  
  

Crisis in Iran:

• This is a clip from a documentary titled "Crisis in Iran" by the History Channel with Mike Wallace
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY0ixG94cHE