Iran

Ayatollah khomeini

Islamic religious leader who led a fundamentalist revolution in Iran in 1979. Ruled until 1989. A supreme religious leader of the Shiite group, and leader of Iran from 1979 to his death in 1989. The last decade of his life was filled with turmoil, notable the hostage crisis at the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the Iran-Iraq War. Iranian religious leader of the Shiites; when Shah Pahlavi's regime fell he established a new constitution giving himself supreme powers (1900-1989)

Qanun

It can refer to laws promulgated by Muslim sovereigns in contrast to shari'a, the body of law elaborated by Muslim jurists. no sacred basis; body of statutes made by legislative bodies; passed by the Majles; law made by the people's elected representatives

Hezbollahis

Literally "partisans of God." In Iran, the term is used to describe religious vigilantes. In Lebanon, it is used to describe the Shi'i militia.

Shi'ism

One of the two main branches of Islam. Shiites recognize Ali, the fourth caliph, and his descendants as rightful rulers of the Islamic world; practiced in the Safavid empire

Supreme Leader

The country's most powerful political figure, who has the authority to overrule or dismiss the president, appoints members of the Guardian Council, and has personal representatives in the army, universities, etc.

pasdaran

Persian term for guards, used to refer to the army of Revolutionary Guards formed during Iran's Islamic Revolution.

Green Revolution Iran

Refers to a political movement that arose after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, in which protesters demanded the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office. Green was initially used as the symbol of Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign, but after the election it became the symbol of unity and hope for those asking for annulment of what they regarded as a fraudulent election. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are recognized as political leaders of the Green Movement.[1] Hossein-Ali Montazeri was also mentioned as spiritual leader of the movement.[2] The Green Movement protests were a major event in Iran's modern political history and observers claimed that protests were the largest since the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979.[3][4][5]

Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

Shah of Iran, (26 October 1919, Tehran - 27 July 1980, Cairo), was the emperor of Iran from 16 September 1941, until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979. He was the second and last monarch of the House of Pahlavi of the Iranian monarchy. Implementer of the White Revolution under which suffrage was extended to women. Ousted by the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was the Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, after his father, Reza Shah. Muhammad wanted Iran to be democratized and modernized "from above". He established SAVAK and the White Revolution.

causes of the islamic revolution

1. Shah (leader of Iran) Muhammad Reza was separating religion and government by reducing powers of Islamic teachers and scholars -People want Church and State combined corruption of government (urban middle class angry), foreign dominance seen as oppressive, desire for traditional Islamic law

Constitutional Revolution

1906-1911; oil concession made Iranians mad--> secret societies formed--> 1905 protests against shah became public--> protestors demanded new constitution and a parlaiment--> new parlaiment elected in 1905 and wrote constitution-->constitution introduced new legal and political practies and changed authority and defined the rights of Iranians who became citizens Court had to assume an active role, which required close review not of congress but of the laws of state legislatures and decisions of state courts to apply single 14th amendment standard to the rights and liberties of all citizens.

Khomeini

Spiritual leader of world's Shi'ite muslims until 1989. Was exiled after ordering Iran to rise up against western modernization. He believed that the purpose of the government was to apply God. Leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution Shi'ite philospher-cleric; became the voice and symbolic leader of the opposition of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran; overthrew the shah in 1979 and replaced it with the Islamic Republic of Iran; saw the U.S. as a "Great Satan" opposed to Islam; helped foster Islamic revolutionary movements elsewhere, which threatened the U.S. and Israel

Khatami

Swept 1997 Iranian elections on a platform of reform and openness; appealed to a very young Iran, which began to revolt after 2 years of waiting for promised reform; still advocated greater tolerance and held more constructive diplomatic relations reformer pres in 1997-wants to reform the econ, and make a freer civil society. wants: 1. to allow interest groups 2. allow a freer press 3. allow minority rights 4. women's rights 5. meet w/ US to improve relations 6. starts app. to the WTO to make Iran part of the national economy- can't get any of this passed b/c of the sup. leader

jurist's guardianship

Term for the principle that leaders have authority over all the people. Khomeini claimed that clerics have authority over the entire community khomeinis concept that the iranian clergy should rule on the grounds that they are the divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people. he developed this concept in the 1970s

mosque

A Muslim place of worship

Guardian Council

A clerically dominated council that determines who can run in elections and decides whether laws passed by the parliament are compatible with Islam

civil society

A complex network of voluntary associations, economic groups, religious organizations, and many other kinds of groups that exist independently from the government

theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

jihad

A holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal

dual society

A society and economy that are sharply divided into a traditional, usually poorer, and a modern, usually richer, sector.

coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group

OPEC

An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum.

maslahat

Arabic term for expediency, prudence, or advisability; now used in Iran to refer to reasons of state or what is best for the Islamic Republic

shari'a

Body of Islamic law that includes interpretation of the Quran and applies Islamic principles to everyday life

Qur'an

Book composed of divine revelations made to the Prophet Muhammad between ca. 610 and his death in 632; the sacred text of the religion of Islam.

Reza Shah Pahlavi

Established himself as Shah, or King, of Iran, in 1925. Tried to copy reforms of Ataturk. Introduced reforms to strenghten and modernize the government, the military and the economy. Did not try to destroy the power of Islam beliefs. Move closer to Nazi Germany during World War 2. Established the modern state of Iran in 1935.

Khamenei

He was the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 and succeeded Ayatollah Khomeini after his death in 1989 as the Supreme Leader of Iran. the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, 1990 and a Shia Marja'. He had also served as the President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Holding absolute power in his country, he has been described as one of only three people having "important influence" during the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

In 1979, Iranian fundamentalists seized the American embassy in Tehran and held fifty-three American diplomats hostage for over a year. The Iranian hostage crisis weaked the Carter presidency; the hostages were finally released on January 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan became president.

Farsi

Iran's Language

Majles

Iran's unicameral parliament, consisting of 290 elected representatives

Retribution law

a "penal code" based on a reading of the shari'a, which permitted injured families to demand blood money on the biblical and Qur'anic principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life"; mandated the death penalty for a long list of "moral transgressions" (homosexuality, adultery, apostasy, habitual drinking etc), sanctioned stoning, live burials, finger amputation; unequal separation of Muslims/non-Muslims and women/men

Foundation of the Oppressed

a clerically controlled foundation in Iran set up after the revolution there

rentier state

a country that obtains a hefty income by exporting raw materials or leasing out natural resources to foreign companies

Expediency Council

administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader. It's supposed to resolve conflicts between the Majlis and the Council of Guardians. It's also a consultative council to the Supreme Leader

White Revolution

in 1962, the Shah's attempt to quiet the people from rebelling for economic and and political reform: creates land reform, profit, sharing, literacy corp instead of army and women's right to vote Policy of reforms enacted by Reza Shah, beginning in 1963, to rapidly modernize and Westernize Iran.

hojjat al-Islam

literally, "the proof of Islam." In Iran, it means a medium-ranking cleric.

bazaars

markets

Imam Jum'ehs

prayer leaders in major urban mosques. Appointed by supreme leader

fundamentalism islamic

purify" Islam; return to original Islam based on Qur'an and Hadith alone

People of the Book

the name for Jews and Christians for whom the Muslims had religious tolerance; called this because each religion had a holy book with teachings similar to that of the Qur'an

Assembly of Religious Experts

this organization is a menifestation of the hold that Islam has on Iran. It is chaired by clerics with the equivalent of a masters degree in religion; reserves the right to dismiss a leader if he is incapable of filling his duties which are implied to be religious in context 86 man assembly of clerics elected directly by the people; broad constitutional interpretation responsibility; selects the Supreme Leader; has the right to dismiss Supreme Leader; must have a seminary degree nominates the Supreme Leader and can replace him. Elected by the general electorate but almost all its members are clerics

Mossaddeq

The prime minister of Iran who led nationalists in overthrowing Pahlavi. They were upset with Iran's westernization and separation from traditional Islamic values. The U.S feared he would turn to the soviets for support so they had him arrested and restored the shah to power. Became prime minister after WWII (1945) He nationalized foreign oil companies but was overthrown in a military coup led by the American CIA in 1953.

SAVAK

The secret police, domestic security and intelligence service established by Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi by recommendation of the UK government and with the help of the US' Central Intelligence Agency and Israel's Mossad. It was one of the main reasons that the government after the fall of the Shah so greatly opposed the US and held the embassy hostage for over a year

Iran-Iraq War

The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on September 22 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution.