1. Iran: Citizens, Society, & the State
AP Comparative Government

2. Social Cleavages
Religious
Ethnic
Social Class
Ideological

3. Religious Cleavages 90% Shia Muslims Almost 10% Sunni Muslims
1% Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Baha’I
Constitution recognizes religious minorities and guarantees basics rights but many have fled country since 1979 to escape persecution

4. Baha’I Monotheistic Emphasizes spiritual unity of humankind
Three core tenants:
There is one Gad, creator of all things
Unity of religion – all religions have same spiritual source
Unity of humanity – all humans are created equal regardless of race, culture, gender, etc. (differentiation of race & culture are celebrated)

5. 1st house of worship: Ishqábád, Turkmenistan (1908)
Kampala, Uganda (1961)
Wilmette, Illinois (1912)
1st house of worship: Ishqábád, Turkmenistan (1908)
Baha’I Houses of Worship
Sydney, Australia (1961)

6. Langenhain, Germany (1964) Tiapapata, Samoa (1984)
Panama City
New Dehli, India (1986)

7. Planned Construction
Tehran, Iran
Santiago, Chile
Haifa, Israel

8. Baha’i 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

9. Ethnic Cleavages Official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi).
Most important ethnic groups with specific history, culture, customs, and language are:

10. Ethnic Cleavages

11. Ethnic Cleavages
Many Azeris live in the NW close to Azerbaijan, creating a worry that they will want to form a larger state by taking territory from Iran
BUT, they are strongly Shiite and Supreme Leader is Azeri
Ethnic minorities are regularly sentenced to death by hanging
Kurds and Arabs tend to be Sunni Muslim, so the religious cleavage is reinforced by ethnicity

12. Ethnic Cleavages
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

13. Social Class
Peasantry & Lower Middle class: support the regime (mostly because they have benefitted from gov’t social programs – electricity & paved roads)
Middle & Upper Class: largely secularized and critical of clerics; many middle class have not faired well economically since Revolution – consistent discontent with regime

15. Ideological Cleavages
Reformers vs. Conservatives
Pragmatic conservative cleric vs. radical clerics

16. Conservatives Adhere to Sharia law Majority in Parliament
Generally want things to remain the same (stability)
2012 Elections: 59.7% popular vote

17. Reformers Promote Secularization Value stronger democratic ideals
2012 Elections: 35.5% popular vote
Hassan Rouhani – current President
NOTE: Most reformers do not want to do away with the basic principles of an Islamic state, but they display a wide array of opinions about how much and where secularization and democracy should be infused into the system.

18. Pragmatic Conservative Clerics
Favor economic liberalization
Encourage foreign trade and investment
Strong ties to middle class and rural landowners
Believe private property and social inequality are protected under Islamic law

19. Radical Clerics
Endorse state-sponsored wealth redistribution and price controls
Numerous among younger and more militant clerics

20. AP Comparative Government
Iranian Protests
AP Comparative Government

21. 2009–10 Iranian election protests
a series of protests following the 2009 Iranian presidential election against the disputed victory of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
occurred in major cities in Iran and around the world
Aka: Green Revolution; Sea of Green; Green Wave (Mousavi’s campaign color)
John Green, why 2009 election was fraudulent:

22. Timeline of Events Jun 12, 2009- Election results announced
Jun 13, first day of protest
Jun 14, Basji paramilitary invades Tehran University
Jun 20, First Casualty, video on Facebook and YouTube
Jun 26, million demonstrate in Tehran
Dec 7, University students’ rally turns into protest, marks aniversary of Shah’s killing of 3 students in 1953
Dec 21, funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, cleroc who was critical of Ahmadinejad, hundreds of thousands attend
Dec 28, martial Law is declared in Najaf Abad

23. Economic Protest October 2012 Demonstration over failing currency
First outbreak of public anger over economy
Police violently clamped down on black-market money changers, hundreds of marching citizens, and merchants closing their shops

24. AP Comparative Government
Women in Politics
AP Comparative Government

25. Women’s Rights Granted the right to vote in 1963 (White Revolution)
First admitted into Iranian universities in 1937
Now account for over half of Iran's university students
Although they have been given more rights, in some areas their rights are still in question. For example, it is under debate whether or not women should be allowed to smoke hookah

26. Women’s Rights Nine women out of 290 in Majles
Women can run for seats in Majles, but are constitutionally barred for the presidency
Well represented in some areas: doctors and government employees
Very difficult to get hired – represent 33% of labor force

27. Restrictions on Women Must wear hijab Includes chador, and veil
“bad hijab” is the exposure of any body part except for the hands or face
Punishable by either 70 lashes or 60 days in prison
Marriage
Women are now allowed to initiate divorce, divide assets, claim joint custody of children, and receive child support IF the groom signs a pre-marital contract agreeing to these things
Temporary marriages (re-implemented under Ahmadinejad) allowed
Abortion is legal in first 4 months

31. Iranian Political Parties
AP Comparative Government

32. Overview
Constitution guarantees right for citizens to organize political parties , but government did not allow them until Muhammad Khatami’s election as president in 1997
Only parties that do not challenge the Islamic regime can actively participate

33. Party System Party system reflects factionalism Four main coalitions
Splintering of political elites on points of view and personalities
Parties are unstable and likely to change
Form coalitions before elections
Four main coalitions
Conservatives
Reformists
Independents
Religious minorities
Red - Conservatives (182)
Green - Reformists (75)
Yellow - Independents (19)
Gray - Religious minorities (14)

34. Major Parties Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (Abadgaran)
Alliance of conservative parties
Party of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Prominent in Majles elections

35. Major Parties Iranian Reform Movement (Reforms Front)
Alliance of reform parties
Party of Muhammad Khatami and Mir-Hossein Mousavi (favorite in rigged Election of 2009, lost)
Included in alliance are Iranian Militant Clerics Society and the Islamic Iran Participation Front

36. Major Parties Etemad-e Melli Party (National Trust Party)
“Pragmatic reformists”
Moderate with a rural base of support
Formed by Mehdi Karroubi, former chairman of Maljis and two-time presidential candidate

37. Party System
There are a total of 64 political parties in Iran which can be divided into these categories, but only top three have real influence:
Communists
Socialist and Social Democrats
Ethnic nationalist
Muslim Democrats
Liberal Democrats
Anti-Islamic Nationalist

38. Major Opposition Parties
Any real political opposition has been exiled
The Liberation Movement
Formed by Iran's first prime minister but he resigned months after students took over the US embassy
moderate Islamic party but supports the separation of church and state.
The National Front
Committed to nationalism (esp oil)
Supports secularism
Banned because the clergy felt threatened by their potential appeal

39. Major Opposition Parties
The Mojahedin
Formed as a guerrilla organization to fight the Shah
They believed in Marxism and Islam.
The Fedayin
Modeled its self after the Marxist guerrilla movements taking place in Latin America in the 1970’s.
During their fight with the Shah they lost more fighters than any other group and this earned them a lot of popular support among citizens.
The Tudeh
formerly supportive of the Soviet communist party
Strongly anti-imperialist
most of its leaders have been executed
was blamed for the attempted assassination Shah Mohammed Reza (1949) – the leaders were executed and party was forever banned.
Rastakhiz Party – dominant party until 1979
banned; viewed as Iranian Monarchist Party

40. Iranian Interest Groups
AP Comparative Government

41. Interest Groups
Difficult to differentiate between political parties and interest groups
A large number of IRs are registered with the government
Few are business related because government controls between 65 – 80% of the economy (agriculture, internal trade and distribution are only areas that are mostly private)

42. Workers’ House
Operates with help of affiliated newspaper, Kar va Kargar (World and Worker)
Political party affiliate is Islamic Labor Party
Hold May Day Rally every year to protest watered down labor laws – government had to shut it down in 2007

43. Islamic Association of Women
Goals are
Introduce “genuine Islamic Culture”
Support the rights of the oppressed
Prevent superpowers from imposing culture and racism
Enhance women’s scientific, intellectual, and cultural capabilities
Increase women’s rights and participation in civil society
“One Million Signatures Campaign”

44. AP Comparative Government
Mass Media
AP Comparative Government

46. Mass Media
Foreign and Non-State controlled media is illegal and strictly controlled by the government
The largest media organization, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), is entirely controlled by the government with the president being appointed by the Supreme Leader every 5 years

47. Islamic Revolutionary Court
has the right to monitor, suspend publication, and revoke the licenses of publications it finds guilty of “antireligious material, slander, or information detrimental to the national interest”

48. Level of Press Freedom has varied with faction in power
Khatami – issued permits to dozens of new publications to create independent press
After 2000 Majles elections when many reformists were elected, outgoing Majles approved a press control law, which the Council of Guardians said could not be overturned by new legislature

49. Level of Press Freedom Must follow Islamic beliefs
Must have a publishing license (act of publication against Islam is not permitted and can be punished by the revoking of a publication license)
Anything anti-government can be considered anti-Islamic
Non Islamic books are subject to confiscation
Publishers and authors that publish and write non-Islamic books are held responsible for attempting to offend public morals or Islam

50. Level of Press Freedom
In 1987, all papers and magazines in circulation were set up to support the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Virtually no new works of contemporary fiction have appeared in print.
Several banned broadcasting groups broadcast in countries such as Iraq.
Despite the ban on Google applications, including Gmail and YouTube, Iranians often turn to illegal satellite receivers to as alternative sources of information

51. Social Media
Completely blocked in Iran except for use by certain government officials