Shia cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian revolution,[11] first came to political prominence in 1963 when he led opposition to the Shah and his program of reforms known as the "White Revolution", which aimed to break up landholdings owned by some Shia clergy, allow women to vote and religious minorities to hold office, and finally grant women legal equality in marital issues. Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran who decides on the foreign policy, has repeatedly referred to the Holocaust as a distorted historical event and he is still in power. They were the same as the shah," he said, referring to the Muslim leaders who seized power after the shah's ouster in 1979. Curious Inventions By The Shahs of The Iran Empire? "[53], Another historian noted the revolution was "unique in the annals of modern world history in that it brought to power not a new social group equipped with political parties and secular ideologies, but a traditional clergy armed with mosque pulpits and claiming the divine right to supervise all temporal authorities, even the country's highest elected representatives."[54]. Darius the Great created the first taxation system as a way to generate revenue for his infrastructure projects. Carter blundered because of . The following year, Muslim extremists assassinated him under circumstances remaining controversial. It was clearly for this reason that General Huyser had come to Teheran.. Does this explain the sudden attitude change toward Iran expressed by Henry Kissinger, beginning in the mid-seventies? New York: Greenwood Press, Inc., 1989. p. 52, Amjad, Mohammed. After two days, the military intervened to quash the uprising, which had been the largest public protest since 1963. The Shah recalled: Whenever I met Sullivan and asked him to confirm these official statements [of American support], he promised he would. More Iranians were killed during Khomeinis first month in power than in the Shahs 37-year reign. After his release he continued his agitation against the Shah, condemning the regimes's close cooperation with Israel (it gave Islamic diplomatic recognition, in addition to covert assistance) and its "capitulations" the extension of diplomatic immunity to all American government personnel in Iran. The Combatant Clergy Association comprised Morteza Motahhari, Mohammad Beheshti, Mohammad-Javad Bahonar, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Mofatteh, who later became the major leaders of the Islamic Republic. His debriefings exposed so many communist agents that he was honored by a resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives. Iran refugee statistics for 2020 was 800,025.00, a 18.32% decline from 2019. Mossadeq was arrested, served three years in prison, and died under house arrest in 1967. Britain dropped its support for the Shah before the 1979 revolution, seeking to ingratiate itself with Iranian opposition . The Shah himself was very interested in involving the United States in Iran's efforts to reorganize the army and boost the economy with US assistance. This proved to be the tipping point for the Shah, whose countrys economy was supported almost entirely by oil. 1979: Iran and America. Mossadegh is remembered in Iran for having been voted into power through a democratic election. Statues of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi were pulled to the ground in Tehran, and some Iranians cut his portrait out of banknotes. He built an Olympic sports complex and applied to host the 1988 Olympics (an honor eventually assigned Seoul), an achievement unthinkable for other Middle East nations. Some of the issues we must address at present include: 1. Concise answer: Presumably, since those some individuals were/are profited or were supported by the dictator (the Shah)! The eldest son of the last shah of Iran has urged Western governments to support popular efforts to topple the regime in Tehran. Carter envisioned a post-Vietnam American foreign policy that exercised power in a more benevolent way -- keeping a distance from dictators and tyrants; (for example see Operation Condor). Air Force Commander Amir-Hossein Rabi'i quoted in Arjomand, Said Amir, a survey of which found the leading explanation for the Iranian revolution to be foreign plots, [Hakimfar, Bahram Bob `The Downfall of Late King Muhammad Reza Pahlavi: View of the Iranian Community in Southern California` Ph. This process caused three upheavals to occur in 40-day cycles. Iranians sought to end the repressive dictatorship of the Shah, who was seen as both corrupt and beholden to extravagant Western governments. Many Iranians were upset by the Shahs administration because, even in the wake of a national oil boom, wealth was unequally distributed. Skocpols studies on prior modern social revolutions had falsified this popular but simplistic theory. [citation needed] Despite the negative impact of the Shahs hectic modernization on traditional urban life, it caused more people, displaced villagers and farmers especially, to come into contact with members of traditional urban communities such as bazaaris and artisans, who were also disgruntled with the Shahs reign. In December Mr. George Ball, an instant authority on Iran, was sent as a follow-up with the same message. The dynasty that the revolution overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty was known for its autocracy, its focus on modernization and Westernization as well as its disregard for religious[4] and democratic measures in Iran's constitution. A critical mass of Iranians reached the conclusion that a full revolution was the only answer. The regime made economic reforms to cut inflation. Some Iranian students were caught up in it. [119] However, Tocqeuevilles other idea that "when a people which has put up with an oppressive rule over a long period without protest suddenly finds the government relaxing its pressure, it takes up arms against it"[72] would seem to solve this anomaly. Qums 4,000 theology students, in the meantime, initiated street protests but were quickly shut down by the police, who killed two students in the clash. In an interview with CBS . [18] Such rule would protect Islam from deviation from traditional sharia law, and in so doing eliminate poverty, injustice, and the "plundering" of Muslim land by foreign unbelievers. Why, for example, did the West seek inroads to the Islamists instead of supporting the legal alternative to the shah: the reign of the empress together with the regency council until the U.S.-educated crown prince reached the legal age to become the new shah. This is explained by the potential role of the Shia beliefs and clerical organization in the Iranian society. Strikers brought bazaars, schools, government ministries, and the oil industry virtually to a standstill. The other key player du Berrier named, George Ball, was a quintessential establishment man: CFR member, Bilderberger, and banker with Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb. Washington severs ties with Tehran . Some of the findings: Despite a vast United States intelligence network in Iran, American Government officials did not learn of the Shah's cancer until just a few days before he left Mexico to . When employees of Tehrans electrical system and water system stopped working, they shut down the city. The shah, dying from cancer, fled Iran in February 1979, paving the way for its Islamic Revolution. Du Berrier noted: Air Force General Robert Huyser, deputy commander of U.S. forces in Europe, was sent to pressure Irans generals into giving in without a fight. Huyser directly threatened the military with a break in diplomatic relations and a cutoff of arms if they moved to support their monarch., It was therefore necessary, the Shah wrote, to neutralize the Iranian army. The students also targeted U.S. President Nixon because of his military support of the Shah; they dribbled basketballs on the path of the Nixon-Shah motorcade, an allusion to a popular photograph circulating of Fidel Castro playing basketball. Mossadegh was deposed in a military coup d'tat organized by an American CIA operative and aided by the British MI6. On August 19, 1791, the accomplished American mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker pens a letter to then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. It became not only the only party Iranians were permitted to belong to, but one the "whole adult population" was required to belong and pay dues to. At this point, the Shah left the country for medical reasons. While British intelligence backed away from the debacle, the CIA continued its covert operations in Iran. The Shah became one of Americas most trusted Cold War allies, and U.S. economic and military aid poured into Iran during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Bashiriyeh, Hossein. Seen as a proxy for the Russian menace in the north, Marxists groups were illegal and ruthlessly suppressed by SAVAK internal security apparatus. Moderate religious leaders such as Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari called for calm and a stay-at-home strike, which prevented more casualties to commemorate 40 days later. Failure of his overly ambitious 1974 economic program to meet expectations raised by the oil revenue windfall. Speeches by the leaders of these groups were placed on audio cassettes to be smuggled into Iran. In March, during a three-day crisis that followed a commemorative religious service in Yazd, police killed over a 100 protesters. Numerous of his opponents were executed, usually without due process, and often after brutal torture. I had just arrived at the university, after a long . Lindsay Dolan, 05/06/2009; revised by Aden Tedla, 02/9/2011, Included Participation by More Than One Social Class, 003. Working with pro-Shah forces and, most importantly, the Iranian military, the CIA cajoled, threatened, and bribed its way into influence and helped to organize another coup attempt against Mossadeq. His desire for military supremacy over his neighbors and his distrust of the Soviets . [2], Shi'a clergy (or Ulema) have historically had a significant influence in Iran. Explanations advanced for why the revolution happened and took the form it did include policies and actions of the Shah, in addition to the mistakes and successes of a myriad different political forces: Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union long competed with each other for the domination of Iran. A Muslim cleric walks past a portrait of the late Ayatollah Khomeini on June 3, 2014, in Qom, Iran. The feast passed without repression, although 5,000 students staged a sit-in, 700 oil workers went on strike, and countless more Iranians protested in the street. New York: Greenwood Press, Inc., 1989.p.74-79, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 05:27, invasion of allied British and Soviet troops, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist, Organization of Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, Political slogans of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamic Values and World View: Farhang Khomeyni on Man, the State and International Politics, Volume XIII, "Imam Khomeini (and clerics) leadership, Islamic Revolution", The Last Great Revolution Turmoil and Transformation in Iran, Velayat-e faqih (book by Khomeini)#Importance of Islamic Government, "Staying the Course: the "Lebanonization" of Hizbullah - Lebanon - Al Mashriq", Hokumat-e Islami: Velayat-e faqih (book by Khomeini)#Why Islamic Government has not been established, "Ideology, Culture, and Ambiguity: The Revolutionary Process in Iran", "Iran's tide of history: counter-revolution and after", "Rentier state and Shi'a Islam in the Iranian Revolution", The Persian Sphinx: Amir Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution, Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution: The Pahlavis' Triumph and Tragedy, America's secret engagement with Khomeini, US had extensive contact with Ayatollah Khomeini before Iran revolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Background_and_causes_of_the_Iranian_Revolution&oldid=1142041372, Unpopular disregard for Islamic tradition exemplified in his 1976 change from an Islamic calendar to an Imperial calendar, marking the beginning of the reign of, Extravagance, corruption and elitism (both real and perceived) of the Shah's policies and of his. An equally vicious campaign occurred when the Shah and his wife, Empress Farah, came for a state visit to America in November 1977. Through the late spring, summer and autumn, liberal opposition formed organizations and issued open letters denouncing the regime. Many Iranians were upset by the Shah's administration because, even in the wake of a national oil boom, wealth was unequally distributed. Indeed, the Shah dismissed Mossadeq in mid-1952, but massive public riots condemning the action forced the Shah to reinstate Mossadeq a short time later. Amini's government was very distrusted by the people because of his infamous backing of the Consortium Agreement (re-privatizing Iranian oil in 1954) and was widely criticized by the Tudeh Party as spreading anti-communist propaganda; as a result he was widely perceived as being an American puppet. The 1960s rioting linked to him was financed, in part, by Eastern Bloc intelligence services. This embarrassed Jimmy Carter, who had done so much to destroy the Shah and support Khomeini. Alexis de Tocqueville's idea that "steadily increasing prosperity, far from tranquilizing the population, everywhere promoted a spirit of unrest", has been offered by several observers as an explanation for the 197879 revolt. Merchants were angered and politicized. Declarations by organizations and institutions, 060. This was not enough; the campaigners forced the Shah to leave Iran in mid-January. Russia-Ukraine war: The top official of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), on Sunday, expressed grave concern over the increasing proximity between Russia and Iran. The Shah commented that the more I liberalized, the worse the situation in Iran became. Prior to execution later by Khomeini, General Amir Hossein Rabbi, commander-in-chief of the Iranian Air Force, stated: General Huyser threw the Shah out of the country like a dead mouse.. The next year the Rastakhiz political party was created. Although Iran, also called Persia, was the worlds oldest empire, dating back 2,500 years, by 1900 it was floundering. Although it was very undesirable for the Shah to introduce another round of liberalization policies, the first round being in the early 1960s, he had no other choice but to do so. His actions brought him into conflict with the pro-Western elites of Iran and the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. His father died in a car accident before he was born, and young Bill later took the last name of his stepfather, Roger Clinton. The clergy first showed themselves to be a powerful political force in opposition to Iran's monarch with the 1891 tobacco Protest boycott that effectively destroyed an unpopular concession granted by the shah giving a British company a monopoly over buying and selling Tobacco in Iran. Workers organized demonstrations in Ifsahan, where the government declared martial law and shot down the demonstrators. Strikers expanded their articulated goals to encompass political turnover, the abolition of SAVAK, the return of Khomeini, and the end of martial law. The first major demonstrations to overthrow Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi began in January 1978. Senator Ted Kennedy, whose role Nahavandi recalled in a 1981 interview: But we must not forget the venom with which Teddy Kennedy ranted against the Shah, nor that on December 7, 1977, the Kennedy family financed a so-called committee for the defense of liberties and rights of man in Teheran, which was nothing but a headquarters for revolution. Some wanted more privatization and others wanted. Before listening to war drums, let us remember: It was the CFR clique the same establishment entrenched in the Bush and Obama administrations that ousted the Shah, resulting in todays Iran. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser, The Ethiopian victory at adwa graduated Ethiopia, 16. Why Iranians are lapping up Shah memorabilia In Tehran, memories of the Shah's brutality are fading and selling imperial wares is becoming less dangerous. However, about 50 protestors waved hammer-and-sickle red flags. Huyser, of course, had no authority to interfere with a foreign nations sovereign affairs. Some of it is less obvious, as in their support of extreme groups all over the region, and their work to de-stabilise existing Arab States. All faith, he wrote, imposes respect upon the beholder. The Shah also brought Iran into the 20th century by granting women equal rights. In the first phase of the revolution, much of the nonviolent resistance arose from the creativity of the students. Rather, a knowledgeable observer would probably have noted that this mourning cycle had been put to protest purposes only once in Iranian history, in 1963, and that movement had come to naught.[117]. Iranians sought to end the repressive dictatorship of the Shah, who was seen as both corrupt and beholden to extravagant Western governments. The Global NonviolentAction Database is aproject of Swarthmore College, including the Peace and Conflict Studies Program, the Peace Collection, and the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. The more religiously affiliated cleric Shariatmadari called on the country to mourn the students killed in the traditional Islamic manner: forgoing work and attending mosque services on the fortieth day anniversary.