AP Comparative Government: Iran Vocabulary

Tudeh Party

Iranian communist party. Imp because challenged Shah and gained lots of attention.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Iranian religious leader of the Shiites; when Shah Pahlavi's regime fell Khomeini established a new constitution giving himself supreme powers. Shi'ite philosopher and cleric who led the overthrow of the shah of Iran in 1979 and created an Islamic republic.

jurist's guardianship (velayat-e-faqih)

Khomeini's concept that the Iranian clergy should rule on the grounds that they are the divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people.

cultural revolution

Launched by Shia leaders, similar to Mao's goals in China, aimed to purify from secular values and behaviors, liberals cleared away from universities. during 1980s.

Islamic Society of Engineers

Members of the Islamic conservative alliance, and their most famous member is current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who won in 2005 and 2009. However, the society did not support him for their candidate...Instead they chose Ali Larijani, who lost in the first round in 2004.

People of the Book

Monotheistic people who subjected their lives to holy books similar to the Qur'an

fundamentalism

The interpretation of every word in the sacred texts as literal truth. Can lead to factions over the interpretation of texts.

Baha'i

The largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran. It is not recognized. Important because it is an example of the religious cleavage that exists in Iran.

bonyads

Parastatal foundations made in part form assets nationalized after the Iranian revolution The objectives of them were to help the disadvantaged, such as war veterans and the poor. Over time however, they have become major economic players and often monopolies, controlling substantial assets and industries while operating independently of government oversight or taxation.

National Front

Political party led by Muhammad Mosadeq - drew support from middle-class people who emphasized Iranian nationalism.

Supreme Leader

Position at top was meant to be filled by Ayatollah Khomeini, seen as the imam of he whole community, represents the pinnacle of theocratic principles of the state, changed constitution to still have one.

Axis of Evil

President George Bush asserted that Iran, Iraq, and North Korea represented an Axis of Evil. After US invasion of Iraq, this was seen as a threat and provocation by the Iranian regime, and fueled further anti-American rhetoric. It undercut reform president Khatami's efforts to forge more stable relations with the US.

Akbar Hasemi Rafsanjani

President of Iran from 1989 to 1997. Was Chairman of various councils, and tried in vain to gain a third Presidential term in 2005. Centrist, pragmatic conservative, free market; credited with much of Iran's reconstruction after the Iran-Iraq war.

Mir-Hossain Mousavi

Reformist president candidate in 2009 and his loss/the fraudulent election caused large protests; aka leader of the green movement

Reza Shah

Ruler of Iran, He worked for modernization and education. He worked on social legislation, ousted by British during WWII, Majles lost power, authoritarian rule was reestablished

Qom

Shia capital where Khomeini began to denounce the Shah. Imp because the legitimacy of the modern Iranian theocracy has its roots here.

imams

Shiite belief that the true heirs of Islam were the descendants of Ali (son-in-law of Muhammad)

Safavid Empire

1501-1722. Converted Iranians to Shiism. Tolerated people of the book. Imp because 90% of Iranians are Shiites today.

para-statals

State-owned, or at least state-controlled, corporations, created to undertake a broad range of activities. Ex; bonyads.

Zoroastrianism

State-sponsored religion of ancient Persia that gave the leaders legitimacy

faqih

Supreme Religious leader. Upholds valet-e-faqih.

Hidden Imam

9th century, the 12th descendant disappeared as a child, only to be known as the "Hidden Imam". The belief is that one day the Hidden Imam will re-emerge. Until then, the leaders of Iran represent the true heirs of Islam.

Assembly of Religious Experts

A theocratic government institution chosen democratically every 8 years. 86-man house. Selects the Supreme Leader and has the right to dismiss him.

Pahlavis

Authoritarian leaders - Pahlavi Shahs (king of kings) - attempted to secularize state but were undone by Khomeini

Muhammad Reza Shah

Became Shah of Iran in 1941. Supported the overthrow of Mosaddeq in the 1953 coup. Was a strong proponent of Western based economic and social reform, announcing the White Revolution reforms in 1963. He was viewed as a vehicle for Western influence and in 1975 he ended the two-party system and instituted a one-party authoritarian state

constitutional revolution of 1905-1909

Began with business owners and bankers demonstrating against Qajars' move to hand over customs collections to Europeans, merchants demanded CONSTITUTION like British had, British encouraged shah to concede, sparked debate about separation of religion from government, did very little to help economic woes

Hassan Rouhani

Current head of Gov./Prez. of Iran. Seen as a moderate more willing to engage the West,

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Current head of state and supreme leader. replaced Khamenei in 1989. very hard for young people of Iran to relate to Khamenei and Khomeini.

Majlles

Directly elected legislative body of government. Enact and change laws, interpret legislature, appoint 6 of 12 members of the Guardian Council, remove cabinet members, etc.

The Executive of Construction Party

Free-market conservative. Led by Rafsanjani cabinet; leads Assembly of Experts and Expediency Council

Majles Election of 2004, 2008

Guardian Council banned thousands of candidates from running, mainly from reformist parties, Islamic Iran Participation Front hard hit, 2008 conservatives held on to 70% of seats

presidential election of 2005, 2009

Guardian Council disqualified many candidates. In 2009, close race between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, Supreme Leader sanctioned recount, showed Ahmadinejad still won, protests outside inauguration.

Muhammad Khatami

He was a cleric, but also a reform candidate. He attempted to intiate substantantial reform, but was blocked along the way. Won 1997 Iranian elections on a platform of reform and openness; president until 2005.

Worker's House

Interest group organization for factory workers; own newspapers, rallies, protests of the government; has a lot of grievances against the regime

Muhammed Mosaddeq

Iranian Prime Minister removed by American and British engineered coup d'etat in 1953 (desire to nationalize Iranian oil).

rentier state

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

Basij

a loosely organized military that is formally part of the Revolutionary Guard, and it gained international attention in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election of 2009, when opposition candidate, Mir-Hussein Moussavi, accused the Basij of brutality as it contained the demonstrations and admissed dissidents; means "mass mobilization" in Persian, and it dates back to the Iran-Iraq War

Pahlavi Foundation

a patronage system that controlled large companies that fed the pocketbooks of the shah and his supporters

Khordad Front

a political alliance formed by groups including the Iranian Militant Clerics Society and the Islamic Iran Participation Front to support Khatami's re-election as president in 2000. The second Khordad Front did not survive the Guardian Council's banning of reformist parties in 2004, when 70% of the seats went to conservative candidates.

import substitution industrialization

based on the belief that governments in poorer countries must create more positive conditions for the development of local industries. The goal is to increase demand for domestic products to lessen dependence on imports. The Shah attempted with limited success to do this because oil had been the source of income for the regime, and diversifying the economy typically reflects more stability.

secularization

belief that religion and government should be separated.

Shiism

branch of Islam that regards Ali as legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs

Sunni Muslims

branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad

Revolutionary Guards

created as a parallel force with own budgets, supreme leader is commander-in-chief. Protects the Republic.

Resurgence Party

created by Muhammud Reza Shah in 1975; declared Iran to be a one-party state with him as the head; replaced the Islamic calendar with a new one and gave himself a new title; created Religious Corps, whose duty was to teach Iranian peasants "true Islam"

"economics is for donkeys"

disdains the importance of economics for policymakers and affirming the superiority of religious, rather than secular leaders. Said by Khomeini

theocracy

government controlled by religious leaders

sharia

islamic law

Revolution of 1979

led by Ayatollah Khomeini, event that transformed the legitimacy of the state, anchoring it in the principles of Shiism

Iranian Militant Clerics Society

left wing pro-reform party led by Muhammad Khatami, president of the Republic from 1997-2005.

constitution of 1979

most important document that legitimizes the state today; written during the last months of Ayatollah Khomeini's life; forty amendments; highly complex mixture of theocracy and democracy; preamble reflects the importance of religion for the legitimacy of the state, affirming faith in God, Divine Justice, the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammud, the Twelve Imams, and the eventual return of the Hidden Imam

qanun

no sacred basis; body of statutes made by legislative bodies; passed by the Majles; law made by the people's elected representatives

equality-with-difference

policy towards women; divorce and custody laws now follow Islamic standards that favor males; women must wear scarves and long coats in public, and they cannot leave the country without the consent of male relatives; stoning of women; women are allowed education and entrance into some occupations

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

president in 2005-2013. During his presidency, the government closed down newspapers, banned and censored books, etc. More radical than Khatami.

Islamic Iran Participation Front

reformist party led by Muhammad Khatami's brother, Muhammad Reza Khatami. The party was founded in 1998 with the motto, "Iran for all Iranians." Party did well in the 2000 Majles elections, but The Guardian Council barred most of its candidates from running in 2004.

White Revolution

reforms by the Shah focused on land-reform. In order to "fight red communist influences".

revolution of rising expectations

revolutions are most likely to occur when people are doing better than they once were, but some type of setback happens

Qajar Empire

ruled Iran from 1794-1925. Retained Shiism but didn't have hereditary claim. Imp because influenced foundations of secularization.

head of state, head of government

state- Khamenei gov.- Rouhani

statist v. free-marketers

statists believe government should take active role in controlling the economy v. free-marketers to remove price controls, lower taxes, encourage private enterprise

white coup

the bloodless coup of reformists of Ahmadinejad

reformers v. conservatives

the debate about the merits of theocracy v. democracy, conservatives want to keep regime under sharia law, reformers want secularization and democracy, most reformers do not want to do away with basic principles of Islamic state

Guardian Council

Theocratic government institution. Consists of 12 male clerics. They review bills in order to make sure they adhere to sharia, decide who can compete in elections.