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Iran

Iran. Islamic Fundamentalism. Map: The Persian Cat. Iranian Oil Resources. History of Iran. In 1921, an Iranian military officer took power claimed the old Persian title of “Shah”, or king.

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Iran

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  1. Iran Islamic Fundamentalism

  2. Map: The Persian Cat

  3. Iranian Oil Resources

  4. History of Iran • In 1921, an Iranian military officer took power claimed the old Persian title of “Shah”, or king. • In 1941 the Shah’s son took control who was an ally to the United States and Britain. He also wanted to modernize Iran.

  5. Iran and the Cold War • During WWII, Iran was an ally of the Nazis. • So the USSR and Britain invaded the country in 1942 in order to secure oil fields. • Following WWII, the Soviet Union refused to leave Iran • Until 1946, when the United States threatened to invade Iran and remove the Soviets by force.

  6. Pahlavi Dynasty (1925-1979) • Ruled Iran from the crowning of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 to the overthrow of Reza Shah Pahlavi's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. • By the mid-1930s Reza Shah's dictatorial style of rule caused dissatisfaction among some groups • Dynasty collapsed following widespread uprisings in 1978 and 1979. • Its collapse marks a break in the ancient tradition of Iranian monarchy.

  7. 1953 American Coup in Iran

  8. 1953: “Operation AJAX” In 1953 the CIA staged a coup d’etat in Iran, overthrowing the constitutionally elected government of the Iranian Prime Minister, Dr. Mossadegh. See Mark Gasiorowski, 1987, “The 1953 Coup D’ Etat in Iran,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 19, 261-86. James Risen, “Secrets of History:The CIA in Iran,” The New York Times, Sunday April 16, 2000. Stephen Kinzer, All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, 2003. Sasan Fayazmanesh, “In Memory of August 19, 1953: What Kermit Roosevelt Didn’t Say,” CounterPunch, August 18, 2003. Mossadegh at the UN, 1951

  9. Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh,(There are two spellings of his last name…)Prime Minister of Iran • Became Prime Minister in 1951. • Nationalized the foreign oil companies. • Got rid of corrupt military officials. • Was toppled in a coup aided by the America CIA in 1953. • The Shah of Iran returns to power. Q4

  10. EVENT: 1953 CIA coup overthrew Mossadeq • CIA and British intelligence (MI6) worked together to overthrow the popularly elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq

  11. CAUSES: 1953 CIA coup overthrew Mossadeq • Mossadeq nationalized (government controlling) the Iranian oil industry, shutting out the British oil companies who previously profited from it. • When Britain boycotted (refused to buy) Iranian oil, Iran sold oil to the Soviet Union • These moves made Mossadeq look like a Communist to American President Eisenhower (COLD WAR!) • The CIA and MI6 (British Intelligence) plotted to overthrow Mossadeq • (watch video)

  12. EFFECTS: 1953 CIA coup overthrew Mossadeq • Shah given more power in Iran, but became increasingly paranoid • Shah began a program of modernization and westernization • Shah was allied with the US, and the US supported the Shah • Britain regained access to Iranian oil

  13. The Coup • 1953-Prime Min Mohammed Mossadeq was overthrown by CIA organized coup • Iranians argue the 1953 coup and US support for the shah were responsible for the shah's arbitrary rule -Led to the deeply anti-American character of the 1979 revolution • “We like to forget the history, Iranians don't. In 1953, The United States and Britain overthrew the parliamentary government of Iran and installed a brutal dictator. In 1979, the population overthrew the dictator. And since then the United States has been essentially torturing Iran: First tried the military coup and then supported Saddam Hussein during Iraq’s invasion of Iran which killed hundreds of thousands of people and after that United States started imposing harsh sanctions on Iran. -Noam Chomsky, The Real News (November 2007)

  14. With the help of British agents, the CIA brought back the self-exiled Mohamed Reza Shah.

  15. What followed was a cozy and symbiotic relationship between the US and the Shah for a quarter of a century.

  16. For the US, the relationship meant: • Economically, the Shah maintained the interests of the US corporations, particularly the oil companies, aerospace industry, and financial institutions. • This included recycling petro-dollars into purchasing military goods and Eurodollar deposits (by the mid 1970s, the Shah was the largest buyer of US military goods).

  17. It should be noted that in the 1970s, the US told the Shah to expand Iran’s non-oil energy base by building a number of nuclear power plants. One such plant, which started to be built in the mid 1970s is in Bushehr:

  18. On your Left Side, examine this picture and answer the question. Here’s a picture of the Shah having a drink with American President Carter. Think about this image.  What would a devout Muslim in Iran think about it? Why?

  19. On your Left Side, answer: • What do you think about the United States and CIA involvement in Iran? Why?

  20. Iran under Shah Reza Pahlavi (1953-1979)

  21. Shah Reza Pahlavi(r. 1941 – 1977) • Institutes Western reforms & ties with the West . • But, the majority of his people live in poverty. • Brutal suppression of dissidents  SAVAK Q5

  22. Politically, the Shah acted as the gangster of the Persian Gulf, stifling any aspiration for independence or democracy (e.g., he put down the revolutionary movement in Dhofar in 1973-76). “His Majesty” Sultan Qaboos http://www.nwnet.co.uk/qalhat/yaqub/his_majesty.htm

  23. For the Shah, the relationship meant maintaining an absolute monarchy combined with a theater of the absurd.

  24. For the Iranian populace, the relationship meant: • An uneven economic development, characterized by corruption, waste, skewed income distribution, and ultimately high rates of unemployment and inflation by the late 1970s. • A dictatorship characterized by: • Lack of the most basic freedoms, including the freedom of expression, speech, and organization, • The existence of massive secret police (SAVAK) trained and maintained mostly by the CIA & Israeli Mossad, • Jails overflowing with political prisoners, • Disappearances, torture, and executions.

  25. The Shah & His Wife, Farah Iranian elite/upper- and intellectual classes: very pro-Western.

  26. “The White Revolution”The Shah’s Reform Program (1963) • Land reform – 90% of Iran’s peasants became land owners. • Massive government-financed heavy industry projects. • Granted women more political power – the right to vote. • Poured government money into education – especially in rural areas where illiteracy was very high. • Profit-sharing for industrial workers. • Nationalization of forests and pasture lands.

  27. The Shah at George Washington’s Home, 1950s

  28. The Shah with Several American Presidents

  29. Note that the US had no problem with the lack of basic human rights in Iran. Even as late as 1978, on the eve of the Iranian Revolution, President Carter, the champion of “human rights,” traveled to Iran and said:

  30. “Iran is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world. This is a great tribute to you, Your Majesty, and to your leadership and to the respect, admiration and love which your people give to you. There is no leader in the world for whom I feel such deep gratitude and personal friendship as the Shah.” The New York Times, January 1, 1978.

  31. The Shah with President Jimmy Carter

  32. On your Left Side, answer: • What aspects of the Shah’s rule violated the beliefs and practices of Islam? • Why would these actions lead to the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran?

  33. The Iranian Revolution

  34. An “island of stability,” Iran was not! In 1979, Iran exploded in revolutionary turmoil. Masses of people, from every segment of society, poured into the streets to end the rule of the Shah.

  35. Iran: Iranian Revolution • Unfortunately for Shah Reza Pahlavi, the modernization programs were unpopular. • In 1979, he was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution.

  36. Reasons for the Fall of the Shah • The Shah spent the oil profits for top of the line American military hardware. • Little money to reinvest back into the Iranian economy. • Religious leaders angry with the Shah for too much “Westernization.” • Government corruption. • The Shah’s constitutional violations of the basic human rights of his citizens.

  37. CAUSES:1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran • The Shah used violence, torture, and the SAVAK (secret police) to remain in power • The economy worsened • Many Iranians wanted to return to a democratic government • The Shah’s reforms insulted devout Muslims • Ayatollah Khomeini preached revolution in mosques (the “Cassette Revolution”)

  38. Anti-Shah Protests

  39. Shah’s dictatorial rule had managed to eradicate effectively every organized opposition to his rule except one—the clergy whose lives were intertwined with the fabric of the society.

  40. Thus, when in 1979 Iran exploded, one organized force managed to come out on top—the clergy, led by one exiled grand Ayatollah, Khomeini.

  41. Opponents of the Shah • Oil field workers • Students and other intellectuals • Middle class businessmen • Iranian nationalists • Muslim clerics (Cleric is a member of the clergy or religious figure in Islam; like a priest for Catholics or a rabbi for Jews.) • On your Left Side, • Why do you think each of these groups had issues with the Shah’s reign? • Explain and give examples.

  42. Anti-American Pin(1960s) • On your Left Side, answer: • What cause of the Iranian Revolution does this political button address?

  43. Iranian Students Protest in Beverley Hills

  44. Anarchy & Revolution The Shah leaves Iran on 1/16/79. Facing likely execution should he return to Iran, he died in exile in Egypt, whose President, Anwar Sadat, had granted him asylum

  45. In the showdown between the Shah and Khomeini, the former lost. He went into exile once again and after traveling about for a while, he arrived in the US for “medical care.”

  46. Ayatollah Khomeini(r. 1979-1989) • 1902 – 1989. • Became an Islamic scholar (studied in Qom). • Began to speak out against the Shah in the 1960s. • Arrested and imprisoned several times by the Shah. • Deported in 1978 & went to France.

  47. Ayatollah KhomeiniLeads the Revolution Khomeini returns to Iran on February 11, 1979. Q7

  48. Islamic Fundamentalism and Theocracy in Iran

  49. Islamic Revolution (1979) • Transformed Iran from a monarchy under Pahlavi dynasty to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic. • It has been called the third great revolution in history • Helped make Islamic fundamentalism a political force • Constitution based on rule by Islamic jurists • Khomeini—Supreme leader (lifetime appointment) • President—Head of the Government • Cabinet • Supreme Court • Legislation

  50. EFFECTS:1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran • Shah fled Iran, took his money with him! • Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran • Iran became an Islamic theocracy, ruled by Sharia Law • The new government was anti-American (“The Great Satan”) and anti-Israeli • Hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq War

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