Iran

Modified from Mr. Caroddo’s Education Website at http://caroddoapclasses.com/id4.html

ISLAM

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Declaration of Faith (“There is no God but God [Allah] and Muhammad is his messenger”)

Prayer (5 times a day)

Alms to the poor

Pilgrimage to Mecca (once in one’s lifetime)

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

1953 Coup

In 1953, the Shah, with the support of the CIA, overthrew the democratically elected prime minister, Mossadegh

Pahlavi – “White Revolution”

“White” to counter influence of “red” communists

Land reform – government bought land from large absentee owners and sold it to farmers at affordable prices

Encourage agricultural entrepreneurship with irrigation canals, dams, & tractors

Women’s rights (secularization) Suffrage Restricting Polygamy Women allowed to work outside the home

Pahlavi - OIL & the Rent-seeking state

Iran transformed into rent-seeking state under Pahlavi’s because of increasing income from oil Rentier Economy: heavily supported by state expenditure,

while the state receives “rents” from other countriesIran received increasing revenue from exporting oil

and leasing oil fields to foreign countriesAlthough shah promoted import substitution

policies by 1979 oil & associated industries provided 97% of foreign exchange and majority of Iran’s GNP

Oil revenue became so great government did not have to rely on internal taxes to generate income, paid expenses from oil profits The people become unnecessary to the government in a

rentier state

OIL

Abandoned gas pumps in a U.S. city 1973 Line at gas station in the U.S. 1979

OIL

Highway in Tehran Oil Refinery in Tehran

SOURCE OF U.S. OIL IMPORTS

Oil Production 2004Million Barrels per Day

Former Soviet Union 9.1 Saudi Arabia 8.8 United States 5.4 Iran 3.9 Mexico 3.8 China 3.3 Norway 2.9 Venezuela 2.7 Iraq 1.5

Khomeini, Fundamentalism, & Revolution

Islamic Fundamentalism Literal interpretation of Islamic texts Social conservatism Political traditionalism

Resentment towards elites, US, and the Western world US was the “Great Satan”

Velayat-e faqih (jurist’s guardianship) Senior clergy given authority over entire Shi’ia

community

Khomeini & the Islamic Republic

Clerics consolidate powerPopular support for regime high

World oil prices rise again, allowing for social programs, improvements in medicine & housing

Iraq invades Iran, people rally around the government Charisma of Khomeini inspired faith in the government

Khomeini dies in 1989, constitution amended Ali Khamenei succeeds Khomeini, does not have the same

political charisma as the Ayatollah Iran/Iraq war ends in 1988, country war-torn Oil prices drop in 1990’s Population begins to question authoritarian rule of the

clerics

IRAN-IRAQ WAR(1980-1988)

Iraqi PresidentSaddam Hussein

OIL

Khuzestan Province – Iran-Iraq War1980-1988

Iraq’s Invasion of Kuwait – Gulf War1991

Constitution of 1979

Document & 40 Amendments (Some added in 1989)

Mixture of theocracy and democracyPreamble reflects importance of religionVelayat-e faqih (Jurist’s guardianship)Gave broad authority to Khomeini and the

clerics

Constitutional Amendments of 1989

On April 24, 1989, while on his death bed, Khomeini appointed a 25-member Reform Council (first Assembly of Religious Experts) to appoint his successor and amend the constitution

Khomeini died in June 1989 The council named Ali Khamenei as Khomeini’s successor and

made several amendments to the constitution

Amendments of 1989

They eliminated the need for the Supreme Leader to be a marja, or senior cleric, Khamenei was not a marja

Eliminated the post of Prime Minister Created the Supreme National Security Council Increased the size of the Assembly of Religious Experts

to 86 members Gave Assembly of Religious Experts authority to meet

once a year & determine if Supreme Leader was “mentally & physically” capable of carrying out their duties

Made the Expediency Council a permanent institution Constitution amendments approved by Iranian

voters in national referendum with 97% yes vote on July 28, 1989

Religion

89% of Iranians are Shi’a Muslims

10% are Sunni Muslim The constitution does not mention Sunnis and their legal

status is therefore unknown1% are combination of Jews, Christians,

Zoroastrians, and Baha’i Constitution recognizes rights of religious minorities, many

religious minorities have left country since Islamic Revolution

Baha’i considered unholy offshoot of Islam and they have been persecuted by Shi’ite governments.

Baha’i leaders have been executed, imprisoned, tortured, their schools closed and property confiscated

Political Culture

Authoritarianism (not totalitarianism) – leaders claim to be all powerful, but do not interfere with every aspect of the citizens lives

Union of political & religious authorityShi’ism & Sharia – key components of everyday life

Escape from European Colonialism and Western influence

Influence of Ancient Persia

Women & the Political System

“Equality-with-difference” policy – instituted by the Islamic Republic slants law favorably towards men on issues such as divorce and custody Women must wear scarves and long coats in public Women can not leave country without consent of male relatives Women can be stoned for committing adultery

Women allowed to get education in Iran and entrance into some occupations Expectations for better jobs and increased political rights among

educated women Half of college students in Iran are women Women make up 27% of the labor force

WOMEN IN IRAN

ISLAMIC DRESS CODES

Hijab (Head Scarf)Worn in the West and Iran

ChadorIran

AbayaSaudi Arabia

BurqaAfghanistan

JilbabIndonesia

Political Parties

Islamic Coalition Party- conservativeAlliance of Builders of Islamic Iran – member of

the conservative alliance, party of current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who secured office in presidential election of 2005

Islamic Society of Engineers-conservativeExecutives of Construction

Party-centrist/reformist

Elections

Citizens over 15 allowed to vote until 2007In 2007, eligibility age for voting changed

to 18National elections held for the following:

Assembly of Religious Experts Representatives to the Majlis President

Elections to Majlis and President are by plurality, winner-take all Elections are done over two rounds First round narrows field down to 2 candidates

Iranian Presidential Election - 2009

Only 4 candidates out of 476 men & women who applied were approved by Guardian Council

Election held on June 12, 2009 with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers:

Mir-Hossein Mousavi Mohsen Rezaee Mehdi Karroubi

Turnout was unexpectedly high, well over 50% and polls had to be kept open until midnight

Ahmadinejad announced as winner the next morning with 62% of vote to Mousavi’s 34%

Protest immediately erupted (the Green Revolution) in favor of Mousavi and claiming election fraud

Election of 2009

Iranian Presidential Election

June 14, Mousavi files formal appeal of results with Guardian Council

June 15, Supreme Leader Khamenei announces investigation of electoral results

June 16, Guardian Council announces it will recount votes, however, Mousavi states that 14 million ballots were missing, allowing for a chance to manipulate the results

June 29, Iran’s electoral board completes partial recount, and concludes that Ahmadinejad won the election – this leads to more protests

Interest Groups

Islamic Association of Women Green Coalition Workers’ House

Interest group for factory workers, have a political party as well, Islamic Labor Party

Hold a May Day rally every year, turned into protest in 1999 against conservative policies to water-down labor laws

Velayat-e faqih (Jurist’s guardianship)

The principle instituted by Khomeini of overarching authority for different government institutions: Supreme Leader Guardian Council Assembly of Religious Experts Expediency Council

This authority is all-encompassing and is over whole community based on their ability to understand shari’a and their commitment to champion the rights of the people

Supreme Leader

Position created for Khomeini, currently held by Ali Khamenei

Powers of Supreme Leader: Elimination of presidential candidates Dismissal of the president Command armed forces Declares war & peace Appointment and removal of major administrators and judges Nominates six members of Guardian Council Appoints many non-governmental directors, such as radio/TV and semi-

public foundations

Responsibilities of Supreme Leader: faqih – he is the leading Islamic jurist to interpret shari’a and religious

documents Links three branches of government together “Determining the interests of Islam”

IRAN’S GOVERNMENT

PRESIDENTSSUPREMELEADERS

Ayatollah Khomeini(r. 1980-1989)

Mohammed Khatami (r. 1997-2005)

Ayatollah Khamenei(r. 1989-present)

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(r. 2005-present)

GRAND AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI

(Supreme Leader 1989-present)

Guardian Council

12 members All Male 6 members appointed by Supreme Leader 6 members nominated by chief judge, approved by Majlis Serve 6-year terms

Responsibilities They represent theocratic principles within the government Review bills passed by Majlis to ensure they conform with

shari’a Guardian Council and Supreme Leader together exercise principle

of jurist’s guardianship (Make sure all democratic bodies adhere to Islamic laws & beliefs)

Power to decide who can compete in elections

Assembly of Religious Experts

Expanded in 1989 to an 86 man houseDirectly elected by the people8 year termsMembers originally required to have seminary

degree equivalent to a master’s, 1998 revision now allows non-clerics to stand for Assembly – candidates still subject to approval by Council of Guardians

Responsibilities Broad constitutional interpretation Elected Khomeini’s successor (Khamenei) Reserve right to remove supreme leader

Expediency Council

Created by Khomeini Main purpose to “referee” disputes between the Guardian

Council and the Majlis Exerts authority over executive, legislative, & judicial

branches of gov’t 1989, Expediency Council passes some bills, and is

institutionalized by constitutional amendments Currently consists of 40 permanent members It may originate its own legislation Not all members are clerics Appointed by Supreme Leader for five-year terms Collectively most powerful men in Iran

President & the Cabinet

Iran is not a presidential system, therefore the executive branch does not have the same authority as presidents in presidential systems such as U.S., Mexico, and Nigeria

President does represent highest official representing democratic principles in Iran

Chief executive, highest state official after Supreme Leader Directly elected every 4 years for a maximum of two terms Constitution still requires the president to be a Shi’ite and

uphold Islamic principles There have been six presidents of the Islamic Republic since the

Revolution, three have been clerics.

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD

(President 2005-present)

President’s Power

Devising the BudgetSupervising economic mattersProposing legislation to the MajlisExecuting policiesSigning of treaties, laws, and agreementsChairing the National Security CouncilSelecting deputies and cabinet ministersAppointing provincial governors, town

mayors, and ambassadors

Semipublic Institutions

Usually called “foundations” (bonyads), an Islamic charity organization

Foundation of the Oppressed Martyrs Foundation Foundation for the Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works

Foundations are tax exempt Reputed to have a great deal of wealth Most property they supervise was confiscated from

pre-1979 elite

Legislature: MAJLIS

Unicameral legislatureCreated by Constitution of 1906, however

Constitution of 1979 and 1989 amendments weakened the Majlis power

290 seatsAll directly elected through single member

districts by citizens over 18 years old

Majlis Authority

Powers of the Majlis Enacting or Changing Laws, qanun (with approval of

Guardian Council) The constitution uses the term qanun (statutes) rather than sha

r ’ia (divine law) to avoid the question of whether laws come from God or the people

It accepts the rationale that God formulates divine law (shar’ia), but elected representatives can draw up statutes (qanun)

Interpretation of legislation (as long as it does not contradict judicial authorities)

Appointment of 6 of 12 Guardian Council members from list made by chief judge

Investigation of the cabinet ministers and public complaints against the executive and judiciary

Removal of cabinet ministers, but not the president Approval of budget, cabinet appointments, treaties, & loans

Majlis elections

Election of 2000 (6th Majlis) Reformists fill seats

through coalition of reformist parties (Khordad Front)

Reformists win 80% of the vote, most secular voters whose parties were banned supported the reformists.

Participation was over 70% of the electorate

Election of 2004 (7th Majlis) Guardian Council bans

thousands of reformist candidates

Overwhelming victory for conservatives

Control of the Majlis flips from the reformists to the conservative faction

Many Iranians were disappointed in failure of Khordad Front to initiate reforms

Participation of the electorate dropped to around 50%

2008 Majlis Elections

The 2008 elections for the 8th Majlis turned into a repeat performance of 2004

The Guardian Council, assisted by the Interior Ministry, disqualified more than 3,000 potential candidates, including some of the leading reformers who held seats in the 7th Majlis

The conservatives, led by Ahmadinejad’s Principalist’s Party, took 190 seats, although many were critical of Ahmadinejad’s populist rhetoric

The reformers, mostly supported by Khatami’s Islamic Iran Participation Front and Rafsanjani’s Servants of Reconstruction, took 40 seats

Judiciary

Distinction between two types of law: sharia & qanun

Judicial review does not exist in IranPrinciple of jurist’s guardianship means that the

Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council, and the Assembly of Religious Experts have final say regarding interpretation of law

Ultimate legal authority does not rest in the constitution, but in sharia law itself

Because interpreting shari’a is difficult it has been applied in different ways at various times

Because of Ayatollah Khomeini’s approach, interpretation of shari’a came to be the standard that would influence all succeeding Iranian leaders

Islamic Republic Islamicized the judiciary code to interpret shari’a

strictly Retribution Law

Permitted families to demand “blood money” – compensation to the victim’s family from those responsible for someone’s death

Mandated the death penalty for actions such as adultery, homosexuality, drug dealing and alcoholism

Set up unequal treatment between men & women, and Muslims & non-Muslims

Banned interest rates on loans, viewed as usury, which means lenders take advantage of people seeking loans

Judiciary

Law & Justice

Khomeini realized that despite the influence of sharia judges, the regime did need a centralized judicial system to tend to matters of justice in an orderly manner

The interpretation of sharia was broadened so that the harsh penalties of the Retribution Law are rarely carried out

Modern methods of punishment are more common than harsh public retribution

Regime retained the shah’s court structure Appeals system Hierarchy of state courts Central government’s right to appoint and dismiss judges

Military

Revolutionary Guard – established by Khomeini after the revolution, a parallel military force to the shah’s traditional armed forces that were the 5th largest at the time

Commanders of the Revolutionary Guard are appointed by the Supreme Leader

According to the constitution, the regular army defends the borders, the Revolutionary Guard protects the republic

Both were greatly strained during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980’s

Basij – volunteer militia of those to young to serve created during Iran-Iraq War. Martyred by Khomeini against the invading Iraqi troops After the war they became the Supreme Leader’s private militia Currently serve as the Islamic Republic’s “morality police” (Comparable to Hitler Nazi

Youth)

Iran’s armed forces currently have over 500,000 active troops making it the 8th largest military in the world

Theocratic & Democratic Elements of Iran’s Government Structure

StructureStructure

•Supreme LeaderSupreme Leader

Theocratic Theocratic CharacteristicsCharacteristics•Jurist guardianship; Jurist guardianship; ultimate interpreter of ultimate interpreter of sharishari’’a; appointed for a; appointed for lifelife

Democratic Democratic CharacteristicsCharacteristics

•Guardian CouncilGuardian Council •Jurist guardianship; Jurist guardianship; interpreter of shariinterpreter of shari’’a; a; six members selected six members selected by the Supreme by the Supreme LeaderLeader

•Six members Six members selected by the Majlis; selected by the Majlis; which is popularly which is popularly elected, indirect elected, indirect democratic tiedemocratic tie

•Assembly of Assembly of Religious ExpertsReligious Experts

•Jurist guardianship; Jurist guardianship; interpreter of shariinterpreter of shari’’aa

•Directly elected by Directly elected by the peoplethe people

Theocratic & Democratic Elements of Iran’s Government Structure

StructureStructure

•Expediency CouncilExpediency Council

Theocratic Theocratic CharacteristicsCharacteristics•Appointed by the Appointed by the Supreme Leader; Supreme Leader; most members are most members are clericsclerics

Democratic Democratic CharacteristicsCharacteristics•Some members are Some members are not clericsnot clerics

•MajlisMajlis •Responsibility to Responsibility to uphold shariuphold shari’’aa

•Directly elected by Directly elected by the people; pass non the people; pass non religious lawsreligious laws

•JudiciaryJudiciary •Courts held to shariCourts held to shari’’a a law; subject to the law; subject to the judicial judgments of judicial judgments of the Supreme Leader, the Supreme Leader, Guardian CouncilGuardian Council

•Court structure Court structure similar to those in similar to those in democracies; democracies; ““modernmodern”” penalties, penalties, such as fines and such as fines and imprisonmentimprisonment

Public Policy:Policy-Making Factions

Conservatives Created by often

contradictory influences of theocracy & democracy

Conservatives uphold principles of regime established in 1979

Against modernization because it threatens Shi’ism

Wary of western influence Political & religious

decisions should be one in the same

Support right of clerics to run the political system

Reformists Believe political system

needs reform (but disagree on what reforms)

Advocate some degree of international involvement with western countries

Believe Shi’ism is important basis of Iranian society

Support idea that political leaders do not have to be clerics

Public Policy:Policy-Making Factions

Statists Government should take

active role in the economy

Not necessarily communists

Policy goals include: Redistribute land Redistribute wealth Eliminate unemployment Finance Social Welfare

Programs Price restrictions on

Consumer goods

Free-marketers Similar market principles

to the US, but in a theocratic/democratic state

Liberal Economic Policies Remove price controls Lower business taxes Encourage private

enterprise Balance the budget

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

NUCLEAR POWER:Peaceful or Aggressive Intentions?

Energy

Demand for energy outpacing supply

Reserve of oil for export

Technical developments

Permitted according to terms of the NPT

Weapons

Iran has enough natural gas

Aggressive rhetoric of Iran’s President, Ahmadinejad

Secret construction of nuclear power plants

Relations with terrorist organizations

FUTURE

Iran’s government may be losing legitimacy

Iranians are Muslim, support religious rule.

Tension with the West continue.