STUDENT NOTES - 3

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Cleavages Religion Almost 90% Shia, 10% Sunni, around 1% either Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, or Baha’I Constitution of 1979 recognizes and respects the rights of religious minorities, though Jews, Christians, and Baha’i are often persecuted Constitution does not mention Sunnis

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Importance of Shiism Invaded by Arabs regularly from 7th through 16th centuries, bringing Islam to the region Religion became the “glue” holding Persians together Shia/Sunni Divide (7th Century) Muhammad died without designating an heir Sunnis wanted the caliph to succeed (Caliphs were heads of the designated leadership, called the Sunni) Shiites wanted a hereditary heir of Muhammad to succeed (Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali) Ali was killed, Shia became a minority, believing heirs of Ali (imams) were the true carriers of Islam 12th Decendent disappeared as a child, leading to the legend of a “Hidden Imam” – will return to establish Islamic rule again

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Cleavages Ethnicity 51% Persian, speaking Persian (Farsi) 24% Azeri, concentrated in the Northwest Shiia, but don’t speak Farsi (Khamenei is Azeri) Fear of Iranian government that they may want to unite with Azerbaijan 7% Kurdish, 3% Arab (both Sunnis)

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Turks believe that they are the original inhabitants of Iran Several Turkish dynasties have ruled Iran: Safavids, Qajars, Seljuk, and Ghaznavid Kurds and the Azeris seek independence and have frequently agitated for more cultural freedom and a greater degree of autonomy Both groups are concentrated in the north Muhammad Reza Shah and his father successfully thwarted any secessionist tendencies of both groups Now only a select few seek to still get independence from Iran

BAHAI PERSECUTION Baha’i’s have been persecuted because Shi’ites believe it to be an unholy offshoot of Islam Leaders have been killed, imprisoned, tortured, schools have closed and property taken by state Many have immigrated to Canada along with large groups of Jews and Armenian Christians Sunni Muslims are in a similar situation and rights are unclear

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE: CLEAVAGES

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Cleavages Social class Peasantry and lower middle class support the regime, having benefited from its programs Middle and upper class people tend to be secularized and critical of the clerics Reformers vs. Conservatives Reformers want secularization, democracy, open relations with the West Conservatives want to preserve the clerical and sharia regime

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Driven from above by state and below by social practices Above: education, media, military Seek to limit pluralism, promote nationalism, demonize the west, denounce dynasty/revere revolution, gender roles, Basij monitor activity Official Friday congregational prayers Social practice: family, neighborhood, social groups Tell THEIR version of Iranian history Tehran University center of secular opposition Trumping state efforts at obedience and conformity

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE: POLITICAL CULTURE Intense national pride Intense distrust of “the West” Do not trust government Highly conflictual – protest Pre-Revolution – people were dissatisfied with governments intrusion into private lives in civil society Post-Revolution – hasn’t changed much! Legitimacy issues: God, religious texts, Supreme Leader, elected institutions, people, revolution, elections

How have Iranian leaders democratized the political process? Liberalization of the press and other media. Currently, the press is independent, but heavily regulated by the government. Satellite dishes are illegal, but many Iranians have them anyway. Elections (regular; competitive) In 2003, however, the Council of Guardians chose not to vet candidates. Even avowed secularists were allowed to run. In 2005, many secular Iranians boycotted the elections as a form of protest to the disqualification of candidates. 2009 – Green Movement Allowing more political parties/ allowing more candidates to run. Broadened participation of women. “Islamic feminism” Relaxation of the dress codes (examples of civil liberties) Veiling is now enforced less strictly and partial covering of the head called “mal-veiling” has spread. Beginning in 1999, they have allowed for local/city elections. However, ultimate power rests with the unelected bodies so voting is seen as a futile exercise

How have they resisted democratization of the political process? Still, vetting of candidates. Shari’ah law governs election procedures The Basij morality police is a pro-regime volunteer organization that monitors and contends with the political activities of students and faculties. They often mobilize political activities of students for pro-regime activities on the campuses. Arresting professors/dissenter/demonstrations. Criticism of Supreme Leader forbidden. Guardian Council vetoes legislature. All are directly or indirectly appointed by the Leader. Blocking the Internet. Divorce laws are still degrading to women. According to Islamic law, marriage is a contract whose clauses have to be agreed upon freely by both husband and wife. A woman has the right to ask her marriage contract include a clause giving her the right to initiate divorce proceedings. This clause, in the past, has had to be added to the standard contract issued by the state, which was rarely allowed (meaning women did not have the right to ask for a divorce.)

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE CIVIL SOCIETY Pre-Revolution – people were dissatisfied with governments intrusion into private lives in civil society Post-Revolution – hasn’t changed much! Many professionals leave the country Exception – “Tehran Spring” under president Khatami (1997-2005) Cautious political liberalization, loosening of speech and press rights, friendlier stance to West Reversed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reinstituted by Hassan Rouhani Iran has a VERY young population! Regime encouraged large families in its first years Goods were rationed per capita, making it better to have more children

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Iran has a VERY young population! Regime encouraged large families in its first years Goods were rationed per capita, making it better to have more children Over 60 percent under 30 years old. represent one of the greatest long-term threats to the current form of theocratic rule. Many professionals leave the country biggest bloc involved in the region’s first sustained “people power” movement for democratic change, creating a new political dynamic in the Middle East.

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Unemployment: Even with a university degree, it takes about three years to find a job. And vast numbers of young people end up chronically underemployed, which has produced a widespread sense that their future prospects are bleak. Employment issues have contributed to other problems, including alcohol and drug abuse, prostitution and runaways, escape into marriages that end in early divorce, social unrest, and the flight of the educated class. Iran has one of the world’s highest rates of brain drain

Policies: The government widely distributed all kinds of birth control through state sanctioned condemn factories. Offered free sterilization to men and women Encourages reductions in family size (1989-present) State-controlled media campaigns to raise awareness. Mandatory marital sex counseling for men and women to provide education on how to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Increased education/employment opportunities for women, as more education for females leads to lower birth rates.

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE The Basij, or “mobilization of the oppressed,” is a quasi-volunteer paramilitary organization with branches in most mosques, universities, government offices, and public institutions

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Elections Suffrage for all over 18 to vote for president, Majles, and Assembly of Experts Majles is a first-past-the-post plurality system, no PR Presidential is a 2-round majority system Interest Groups Tough to draw the line between these and parties in Iran Labor is organized, but business is not, given that government controls 65-80% of the economy

GREEN MOVEMENT The 2009–10 Iranian election protests were a series of protests following the 2009 Iranian presidential election against the disputed victory of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi which occurred in major cities in Iran and around the world starting June 13th 2009.

2009 ELECTION The Green Movement 3 million peaceful demonstrators turned out on Tehran streets to protest official claims that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won the 2009 presidential election Their simple slogan was: “Where is my vote?” widely seen as a new non-violent, non-utopian and populist paradigm of revolution that infused twenty-first century Internet technology with people street power

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE The Prerevolutionary Legacy Limited competitive elections Suffrage for women Parties weak Postrevolutionary Parties Islamic Republican Party (IRP) Factionalism: ideological differences Conservatives Pragmatists Reformers 1990s: Khatami’s election, more parties appeared on scene, alliances are fluid

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Political Parties Constitution allows them, but government didn’t until 1997 Highly unstable party system, changes around personalities – coalitions form and break apart regularly - but in the last election: Moderation and Development Party – Hassan Rouhani’s reformist party, won 50.8% in first round Islamic Society of Engineers – formerly party of Ahmadinejad’s conservative party, but broke off in 2009. Supported Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in 2013 and won 16% of the vote Many other minor competitors in presidential and Majles elections

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Women and the Political System “The Veil” – required in public by regime, symbolizes oppression to westerners, but not so much to Iranian women 20th century Iranian women have had better access to education than other Mid-East countries About half of university students are women Law towards women is “equality with difference” sharia is interpreted to favor males in divorce and custody disputes cannot leave the country without the consent of male relatives Women are about 33% of the labor force Women rarely get elected to the Majles (4.1%)

CITIZENS, SOCIETY & STATE Mass Media 1981 Majles passed a law making it a crime to use “pen and speech” against the government Restrictions lifted from time to time, but reimposed when demonstrations pose a problem to the regime Government owns radio and television broadcasting, but newspapers and magazines are typically privately owned

Media in Iran is both privately and publicly owned. Both are subject to censorship by the government. The government engages in censorship programs to anything divergent from the country’s regulations. The majority of Iranians, around eighty-percent, receive their news from government-owned media. This helps reduce the assimilation of news into the public sphere that the government does not approve of. Many Iranian citizens use VPN networks to surpass the governments internet restrictions to use social media’s such as Twitter and Facebook.

POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT

How is Iran a Rentier State? Iran’s main export is oil, and because taxes do not guarantee much revenue, Iran is dependent on its income from oil. As a result, Iran’s economy will fluctuate due to the changes in the market. Resource curse—the concept that revenue derived from abundant natural resources, such as oil, often bring unforeseen ailments to countries.

Current Policy Challenges First decade of Islamic Republic: Some redistribution of wealth Leadership mostly from middle-class backgrounds Adopted populist policies, bettered poor Poverty, inequality, underemployment continue Constitution fiercely opposed to communism Job creation very inadequate Need to increase economic output: population grows 600,000 a year Dissatisfaction with status quo among ethnic minorities Corruption

Current Policy Challenges Foreign Policy Under Shah - US an ally Now – neither East nor West 1990s: national interest rather than exporting revolution dominated Third World desire to escape hegemony of West Regional trade in goods, services with Middle East Main issue confronting Iranian diplomacy is nuclear program International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring Sanctions