Iran: Citizens, Society, and the State AP Comparative Government

While Iranians have had little experience with democracy, they have a thriving civil society Sharia sets strict rules for behavior, but individuals still have a great deal of freedom in their daily lives The Constitution of 1906 created an elected legislature called the Majles ,but the government being so weak was unable to solve the country’s problems This weakness is what helps to establishe authoritarian rule in Iran throughout much of the 20th century Society

Cleavages Religion Ethnicity Almost 89% of Iranians are Shia Muslims About 10% are Sunni Muslims 1% of people are a combination of Jews, Christians, Zoroastrian, and Baha’I Many of these minority religious groups have left Iran since the founding of the Republic in 1970 as a result of religious persecution Leaders of the Baha’i have been executed, imprisoned, tortured, schools have been closed, and their property taken away Other minorities have left due to uncertain rights This is all despite the fact that the Constitution guarantees the rights of religious minorities Ethnicity Ethnicity is closely tied to religion 51% of citizens are considered Persian, 24% Azeri, 9% are Gilaki and Mazandarani, 7% are Kurds, 3% are Arabic The remaining percentages are a mixture of groups There is fear that the concentration of Azeri will lead to that group of people taking territory from Iran to start an independent state Cleavages

Cleavages Social Class Reformers v conservatives The peasantry and lower middle class are sources of support for the regime These groups support the regime largely because of the social programs that provide them with the resources needed to survive The upper-middle and upper classes are largely secular and are highly critical of the clerics Many middle-class people have not fared well economically and blame the republic for their ills Reformers v conservatives A fundamental cleavage in Iranian political culture stems from the debate between theocracy and democracy The conservatives support a government based on the teachings of the clerics and sharia law Reformers would like to see more secularization and democracy Even with this, reformers do not want to completely remove the basic principles of an Islamic state Cleavages

Cleavages Pragmatic conservatives v radical clerics Pragmatic conservatives are clergy that favor liberal economic policies that encourage foreign trade, free markets, and direct foreign investment Conservatives argue that private property and economic inequality are protected under Islamic law They are generally willing to turn over economic management to liberal technocrats Radicals call for measures to enhance social justice, especially in terms of welfare Radicals generally endorse state-sponsored wealth redistribution Cleavages

Under the rule of the Pahlavi shahs, the government intruded in the private lives of citizens Civil society was greatly controlled until Muhammad Khatami (1997- 2005) took office The Tehran spring was a cautious movement toward political liberalization that centered on a increased freedom of speech and press, a more open economy, and a friendlier stance towards the outside world Due to limited power of the President, these were limited reforms Civil Society

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president, the government closed down newspapers, banned and censored books and websites, and no longer tolerated the peaceful demonstrations and protests of the Khatami era Political activists were either silenced or arrested The young, which now equal the elderly, are drawn to western pop culture and political ideas This has resulted in some women being arrested for showing to much hair or for wearing makeup Civil Society

Political Participation Despite civil rights and liberties being a part of the 1979 Constitution, Iran is not very protective of those rights Due process is often ignored Demonstrations and public meetings have been banned In the early 2000’s protests dotted the country after the universities were privatized, newspapers were closed, prominent dissidents were arrested While Ahmadinejad’s regime cracked down on demonstrations, his re-election was met with large demonstrations The opposition to Ahmadinejad believed he had lost and the military had to be deployed to end the demonstrations Political Participation

Women and the Political System Women traditionally stay at home and have very little education or opportunity to work outside the home This has changed some in the 20th century with access to better education and some jobs Today more than half of college students are women The Islamic Republic calls the policy “equality-with-difference” Divorce laws favor males Women must wear scarves and long coats in public, and cannot leave the country without the consent of male relatives Women must wear scarves and long coats in public and they cannot leave the country without consent of male relatives Stoning's for adultery have also happened in the past Women and the Political System