Where is Iran?

2. Where is Iran? There….is Iran! 

3. Where is Iran?

7. Iran's landscape is dominated by rugged mountain ranges that separate various basins or plateaus from one another. The populous western part is the most mountainous, with ranges such as the Zagros and Alborz Mountains, the latter of which also contains Iran's highest point, the Damavand at 5,671 m (18,606 ft). The eastern half consists mostly of uninhabited desert basins with the occasional salt lake. The only large plains are found along the coast of the Caspian Sea and at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, where Iran borders on the mouth of the Arvand river (Shatt al-Arab). smaller, discontinuous plains are found along the remaining coast of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. The Iranian climate is mostly arid or semiarid, though subtropical along the Caspian coast. Iran is considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity".

8. Why does Iran hate the United States? Two reasons 1. Religion 2. Politics…cold war

9. Ok, let’s talks about religion. Iran is Muslim. A Muslim is someone who follows Islam. Both words are used interchangeably. Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only one God. The Arabic word for God is Allah.

10. Islam at a glance The word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia. According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets of God. They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad. Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Qur'an, and the Sunnah. Muslims believe the Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad and that there are five basic Pillars of Islam.

11. What are the Five Pillars of Faith? These pillars are the 1. declaration of faith 2. praying five times a day 3. giving money to charity 4. fasting 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once).

13. Are there different groups or divisions within Islam? Like the divisions in Christianity? Are there divisions in Christianity? What are the big ones? Catholic Eastern Orthodox Protestant You didn’t answer the question about Islam, are there divisions? Yes. What are they? Sunni and Shiite

14. Well, then what is the difference between Sunni and Shiite? What’s the difference….really nothing….the real question is WHY? Ok Ludwick, WHY the difference! Leadership claims!!!!!!!! When Mohammed died, two groups fought over who should take charge. Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should have been the Prophet's successor have come to be known as Sunni Muslims. Those who believe Ali should have been the Prophet's successor are now known as Shiite Muslims. That’s it!!?? Yeah, just like Christianity!

15. Where do Sunni live? Where do Shiite live? Which side has the most? Sunni, with about 90% of all Muslims part of the Sunni branch.

16. By the year 1500, Persia was a seat of Sunni Islamic learning, but all that was about to change with the arrival of Azeri conquerors. They established the Safavid dynasty in Persia — modern-day Iran — and made it Shiite. "That dynasty actually came out of what's now eastern Turkey," says Gregory Gause. "They were a Turkic dynasty, one of the leftovers of the Mongol invasions that had disrupted the Middle East for a couple of centuries. The Safavid dynasty made it its political project to convert Iran into a Shia country.“ Shiism gradually became the glue that held Persia together and distinguished it from the Ottoman Empire to its west, which was Sunni, and the Mughal Muslims to the east in India, also Sunni. This was the geography of Shiite Islam, and it would prevail into the 20th century.

18. Ok, the next couple of ideas has nothing to do with why Iran hates the US Persian, Iranian architecture. It is very distinct and worthy of a couple of minutes of your time. What are the elements of Persian architecture? The elements are tied into Islamic beliefs.

19. 1. Arabesque: This is the repeating of geometric forms usually in mosaic. Symbolizes infinity.

20. 2. Domes: Usually on a Mosque but also on shrines.

21. 3. Pointed Arch- Can be seen in almost any Islamic architecture: doorways, bridges, and ornamental detail

22. 4. Minarets or Towers: At times minarets had lit torches are were used as watch towers. Mostly seen on Mosques today and an be used to issue the call to prayer.

23. 5. water in the form of fountains and basins in gardens is important. It represents ablution and purification in Islam.

24. Ok, you have, just maybe, learned something But do you remember the two reasons Iranians hate the US? Religion and ____________ Politics Now for the politics It is hard for us to wrap our brains around this, but for most Muslims, religion and politics are NOT separate. In the US, we expect them to be separate, so its hard Ok, back to the politics.

25. Introduction Iran's revolution began with a popular democratic movement and ended with the establishment of the world's first Islamic state. The revolution turned Iranian society upside down and became one of the defining moments of the 20th Century.

26. The Shah Before the revolution Iran was ruled by Shah Reza Pahlavi. Power was clustered among a close network of the Shah's relations and friends. During the 1970s the gap between Iran's rich and poor grew. Distrust of the Shah's economic policy and resentment of his autocratic style fuelled dissent against his regime. In addition, the Shah tried to Westernize Iran. The conservative Shiite Muslims hated this!

27. In 1953 there was a communist Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammed Mossadegh. The Americans and British had large oil claims in Iran and did not trust the Prime Minister. So the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paired with the British Intelligence Agency(MI6) preformed Operation Ajax which removed the Iranian Prime Minister and his communist allies. The problem with this was that Mossadegh was very popular with the people so his removal from office increased Anti-American sentiments. Another main cause of the Hostage Crisis was the Iranian Revolution of 1979. This was the violent overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi who America was on good terms with.

28. Voice of opposition Opposition voices rallied round Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a shia cleric living in exile in Paris. Promising social and economic reform, the ayatollah prescribed a return to traditional religious values, which struck a chord with many Iranians.

29. Gathering storm As the 1970s drew to a close, a series of large-scale, increasingly violent anti-Shah protests swept Iran. Instability, including a wave of general strikes, continued throughout the year, crippling the country's economy.

30. Fallen leader In January 1979, the Shah left Tehran for an "extended vacation". He was never to return. All over Iran statues of the Shah were torn down by Khomeini supporters.

31. Final straw In his final act before fleeing, the Shah appointed Prime Minister Shahpur Bakhtiar as head of a regency council to run the country in his absence. Mr Bakhtiar tried to stave off the growing tide of opposition. He refused to allow Ayatollah Khomeini to form a new government.

32. Violence erupts On 1 February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini made a dramatic return from exile. Political and social instability increased. Street battles raged in towns and provinces between pro-Khomeini demonstrators and police and security officers, and supporters of the imperial regime.

33. The revolution On the 11 February, tanks rumbled through the streets of Tehran amid rumors of an impending military coup. However as the day wore on it became apparent that the army had little appetite for seizing power. Revolutionaries stormed Tehran's main radio station and declared: "This is the voice of the revolution of the Iranian people!"

34. New era begins Prime Minister Bakhtiar resigned. Two months later Ayatollah Khomeini won a landslide victory in a national referendum. He declared an Islamic republic, and was appointed Iran's political and religious leader for life. He was replaced by the radical, Anti-American government of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who called America “ The Great Satan”. ¨The propaganda spread by the Iranian government led the Iranian citizens to believe that “The Great Satan" would soon come and remove Khomeini from office and put Pahlavi back in charge.

35. So, of the two reasons for hatred and distrust, which on is most important….do you think

36. The History of Modern Iran: The Islamic Revolution npr slide show