Iranian VexilologyThe old Persian flag

Stylized script for AllahTulipDouble powered sword

Allah akbar is the stylized script on the flag which appears 11 Times inside the green stripe and 11 times inside the red stripe.11/22 was the date of the 1979 Revolution

Overview67% of population lives in the Caspian provinces

2nd larges oil producer in the gulf;4th largest in the world

Indo-Europeans in the distant pastGave the country its name (Land ofAryans)

Persian (Farsi) is the language

Iranians are NOT Arabs

Overview67% of population lives in the Caspian provinces

2nd larges oil producer in the gulf;4th largest in the world

Indo-Europeans in the distant pastGave the country its name (Land ofAryans)

Persian (Farsi) is the language

Iranians are NOT Arabs

GDP = $987 Billion

GDP growth = -1.7%

GDP/capita = $12,800

Debt = 19% of GDP

Poverty = 18.7%

Infant mortality = 39/1000

Life expectancy = 71

Iran: Religions

Iran: Ethnic Groups

Languages

Iranian Currency (IRR)

Exchange rate: $1 = 10,308

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989)Supreme Leader 1979-1989

Islam

1 billion + adherents (2nd largest)

Means “submission to God”

Five Pillars:

1. “There is only one God, and Muhammad is is his prophet” 2. Give to charity 3. Pray every day facing Mecca 4. Pilgrimage to Mecca 5. Fast during Ramadan (when God revealed the Qur’an to Mohammed)

Islam

Sunni Shi’ite

“Followers of tradition”

Majority of Muslims worldwide

Sunnis recognized the early Dynasties that ruled the IslamicEmpire after Muhammed (d. 632)

“Partisans of Ali”

Less than 10% of Muslims worldwide

Iran is the Shi’a epicenter

Shi’ia believe that after the Prophet died, hisAuthority should have been passed on toImam Ali

In the absence of the messiah (Mahdi) theAuthority to interpret shari’a should be in theHands of the senior clerical scholarsPolitics, more than religion, has

Caused the schism

Eliminating a ton of detailFrom Iran

Modern Iran traces back to the Safavid dynasty(1501-1722). They installed Shi’ism

Leaders called Shah (King)

Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925) gained control afterA series of civil wars.

Qajar mis-rule during and indebtedness to the West led to a 1906 constitution that includedElections, separation of powers, a Majles (parliament),A limited shah, and Shi’ism

Checkmate – from the Persian shah mat – “the king is left helpless”

Political OrganizationPolitical System: - Mixture of democracy and theocracy - headed by cleric with title of Leader

Executive

Elections held every 4 yearsChooses cabinet members w/ approval ofMajles

Can be overruled andDismissed by chief cleric

Legislature:

- unicameral - 290 seats; elected every 4 years - bills passed by Majles only become law w/ approval of Council of Guardians

Council of Guardians

Judiciary:

- Chief Judge and a Supreme Court independent of executive and legislature - Appointed by Leader

Me again!

The Pahlavi Dynasty(1925-1979)

Post-WWII, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi becameThe Shah in a constitutional (limited) monarchy

Brits were still heavily involved through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company

1953 Coup

Democratically elected parliament nationalized the Oil industry

CIA & Britain financed a coup that returned the Shah to lead an authoritarian state.

- 1953 coup is the origin of Iran’s distrust of the West - The West retained their oil interests in Iran - US said they were stopping spread of communism

Pahlavi AuthoritarianismArmed forces: - 5th largest military in world and largest navy in Persian Gulf - SAVAK – Secret Police

Government Control - Electoral supervisors rigged Majles elections to give the shah a rubber stamp body - Shari’a supplanted by a European-style of civil code - Secularized Islam further by decreeing a Family Protection Law that conflicted with shar’a law - Controlled the media, National Iranian Oil Co., Banks

White Revolution (to forestall a Red Rev) - Land distribution, Literacy drives, etc.

Patron-Client Loyalty Pyramids - The Pahlavi’s disbursed benefits (pay-offs) to groups in return for loyalty

Strong Pahlavi State – Shallow Roots

Khomeini tapped deeplyInto Iranian Society

• Secularization, centralization, industrialization, and Social development won favor from urban wealthyPatrons, but few others

• Disregard for the Constitution and stiffling of any Opposition created strong resentment among the Clergy, intelligentsia, and urban masses

• Pahlavi state hovered over, rather than embeddedInto society

Resurgence PartyMegalomania

Let’s get rid of your outdated Islamic calendar. On my new royal calendar, we’re living in the year

2535.

In 1975, the Shah announced the Formation of the Resurgence Party.Iran was now a one-party state. JoiningWas compulsory…..or else.

Ayatollah Khomeini

• Cleric in Iraq as exile

• Formulated Shi’a populism/political Islam - Populism = championing the rights of thePeople over the privileged elite.

• Used Islam to articulate resentment Against the Shah and the “Great Satan”

Jurist’s Guardianship

• Khomeini injected new meaning into the Shi’a term jurist’s guardianshipWhich argued that the senior clergy should have all encompassing authorityOver society

• Only senior clerics had the sole competence to interpret shari’a

• The clergy can best determine what’s best for the people

Pssst. You don’t have to follow your ideology to the letter of the law. Alter what you need to in

order to be successful. It’s the pragmatic thing to do.

(Velayat-e faqih)Divinely appointed guardians of Both law and the people

1979 Revolution

New constitution drawn up by Assembly of Experts

- 86 elected members - Hezbollahis = “Partisans of God” - virtually all 86 were pro-Kohmeini

Drafted a theocratic constitution granting wide authority toKohmeini and clergy in general

Prime Minister Bazargan proposed a French-style Presidential Republic - Khomeini’s response

Effect of oil prices and Iran-Iraq War

ShahOil Inc.• Oil enabled the shah’s ostentatious-ness but it alsoFunded socio-economic development

- 1960-1977 GDP grew 9.6%/year - Land Reform & the White Revolution; attempt to win support of peasantry - Infrastructure improvements - Health & Education improvements

a. Heath reforms tend to lower infant mortality rates and promote population explosions b. What happens when there’s a thousand (young) people in the streets, signin songs, and carryin signs?

ShahOil Inc.TRICKLE DOWN REFORM

• Benefits stuck at the top of society and no trickle

• Land reform yes, but thousands who received no land or enough to be productive

• Mid-70s Iran became one of the most unequal countries in the world in terms of distribution

Created a Dual Society:

a. Modern Sector: headed by elites connected to the oil industry

b. Traditional Sector: clergy, middle class, and rural masses

Rentier (rahn-tee-eh)

Rentier State

An economy that putsAll its eggs in one

basket

RENTIER STATE

A state that obtainsa lucrative incomeby exporting rawmaterials or leasingout natural resourcesto foreign companies

Rentier StatesCan ignore their taxbase – with littletaxation comes littlerepresentation

RENTIER STATE• Soon after the Revolution…. - Iran’s GDP dropped ½ - Population rate doubled - War with Iraq - Per capita income declined 45% - Inflation 20-30% - Real income dropped 80% - Unemployment 20% - Shantytowns developed

• Recent boom in oil prices has helped Iranian government embark on social & economic infrastructure development

RENTIER STATE

• 2nd largest producer in OPEC• 4th largest oil producer in the world• 85% of Iran’s exports, 40-50% of

government income• Parastatal – National Iranian Oil

Company

Iran is short on oil!• Employment in the loss-making state- supported firms of this welfare state is essential to theregime’s political survival

• Another threat to exports is the growth in domestic demand. Iranian oil demand is not justgrowing, it is exploding, driven by subsidized gasolineprice of 9 cents a liter. This has created a 6% growthin demand, the highest in the world

First Law of Petropolitics

Guide to IranianInstitutions

Khomeini was named Supreme LeaderFor life in the Constitution

Khamenei was in Khomeini’s Loyalty pyramid. For his Loyalty He was appointedHead of the Revolutionary Guard and Served as President of Iran

After Khomeini’s death, heWas elevated to SupremeLeader even though he Wasn’t a top-level cleric.Many top-level clericsDidn’t approve of Khomeini& Khamanei’s interpretationsOf the Koran

Supreme Leader – Ali Khamenei (1989-present)

Titles - “most just, pious, informed,Brave, and enterprising” of The grand ayatollahs

- Leader of the Revolution - Founder of the Islamic Republic - Imam of the whole community

Serves for life unless the AssemblyOf Religious Experts finds him“mentally incapable”

Fills many government posts givingHim vast patronage power

• Mediator b/w branchesOf government

• “determine the interestsOf Islam”

• “supervise theImplementation of policy”

• “set political guidelines”• Eliminate candidatesAnd dismiss the president• Commander in Chief• Nominate and removeJudges• Nominates 6 clerics toGuardian Council

President

Bureaucracy• Huge (like in most authoritarian States)

- Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance - Intelligence - clergy dominate - Many are technocrats but religious credentials are more important

Foundation of the OppressedAnd Disabled

• Charitable bonyad, or foundation• 2nd largest commercial enterprise in Iran behind state-owned National Iranian Oil• 200,000 employees, it owns and operates 350 subsidiary and affiliate companies and numerous industries including agriculture, industry, transportation, and tourism• Operates tax-free• Supposedly autonomous, but directors are clerics appointed by Supreme Leader• Run businesses and use $ for welfare services

Military CommanderIn Chief

Regular army protects the borders from external enemies

Revolutionary Guard Protects Iran from internal enemies

ChaplainsTo overseeofficers

Expediency Council

• To break deadlock b/w Majles and Guardian Council Khomeini createdThe Expediency Council to resolve conflicts b/w Majles and Guardian Council - Dominated by clerics - Leader names its members and determines their tenure - Meetings now secret - Can create new laws

• Khomeini introduced into Shi’ism the Sunni concept of maslahat - Truly Islamic state could safeguard public interest by suspending important religious rulings

Membership: President, Chief Judge, Speaker of the Majles, top cabinet members, top generals, jurists from Guardian Council, Directors of State-controlled TV, radio, and newspapers, heads of the bonyads

Religion dictatesWe go

This way

This way isBest for Iran

Khomeini borrowed the pragmatic concept of Maslahat from Sunni Islam. An Islamic state could safeguard public interestBy suspending important religious rulings and obligations.

After the Revolution, government familyPlanning efforts were banned (an ungodlyWestern import). When Iran’s population boomedIt was pragmatically reinstated.

Have a baby and the government pay you $950 and put $95 per year into your child’s

bank account until he/she turns 18.

Elections

Candidates 1st Round % 2nd round %

Akbar Hashemi Rafsaniani 6,159,453 21.01 10,046,701 35.9Mahmoud Ahmadineiad 5,710,354 19.48 17,284,782 61.6Mehdi Karroubi 5,086,316 17.28 - -Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 4,075,189 13.90 - -Mostafa Moeen 4,054,304 13.83 - -Ali Larijani 1,740,163 5.94 - -Mohsen Mehralizadeh 1,289,323 4.40 - -

Blank or invalid votes 1,221,940 4.17 663,770 2.37

Total (turnout 62.6% and 59.6%)

2005 Presidential Election

Are these parties or factions?

Interior Ministry issuesLicenses to political parties

2009 Presidential Election

Political Parties• There are many factions and they tend to formCoalitions for the purpose of elections.

- A faction of Ahmadinejad supporters called the “Sweet Scent of Service” were part of a larger coalition called the United Principalists Front

• The names of the coalitions change from election to election

• Party ID is much less important than if you are considered a reformer or conservative

Only 1 roundWas needed

Iran held its first everPresidential debates. Voter interest in

election was high

Voting Irregularities

• Mousavi’s campaign office was torched• Assassination attempt against Khatami• Mobile phones were interrupted in Tehran on election day• BBC (Baha’I Broadcasting Co.) jammed• Facebook blocked\• Election observers barred from polling places• Missing ballots

The Guardian Council Filter

• 2,000 candidates were banned in the 2008 Majles elections (includingAyatollah Khomeini’s grandson!)

• 1,600 were disqualified in 2012

• In addition to vetting candidates, they can veto Legislation passed by the Majles

Majles Elections• In Iran, districts can be represented by

1-6 people• Citizens get to vote for any many

candidates as There are seats• In Iran, candidates are required to win

25% of the vote.If no candidate wins a qualified plurality in the first round,There is a runoff election a few weeks later.

Majles District 123

Vote for up to 3 candidates

AkbaniMuhammedHosseiniAlladinSalehiTehraniJasmine

Guardian Council

Veto Power

2004 Majles Elections

Orientation of Candidates Seats

Conservatives 156

Reformists 39

Independents 31

Elected in second round 59

Religious minorities (Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians 5

Total (turnout around 50%) 290

2012 Majles Election

The 2012 legislative electionsWere largely viewed as a contest

Between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad(although neither were candidates for

The Majles).Both are conservatives, but

Lead different factions(loyalty pyramids)

2012 Majles Election

The 2012 legislative electionsWere largely viewed as a contest

Between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad(although neither were candidates for

The Majles).Both are conservatives, but

Lead different factions(loyalty pyramids)

2012 Majles Elections

Conservatives (182)Reformists (75)Independents (19)Religious Minorities (14)

Society and the EconomyUpper Class:

Pahlavi Family; Court-connected entrepreneurs;Senior Civil Servants; Military Officers

Traditional

ClericsBazaaris

Small Factory OwnersCommercial Farmers

Modern

ProfessionalsCivil Servants

Officer employeesCollege Students

Middle Class

Rural

Landed PeasantsNear landless peasants

Landless peasantsunemployed

Urban

Industrial workersWage-earners in factories

PeddlersUnemployed

Lower Class

Subnational GovernmentHighly centralized; unitary state

Provinces = Governor-generals

Districts = Governors

Subdistricts = Lt. GovernorsTowns = Mayors

Villages = Headmen

Political Culture, Citizenship, Identity

Constitution:

- extends rights to religious minorities (Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians); have 5 seats in the Majles

- rights to non-Persian speakers

- most of these are in theory only

- Constitution is silent on Sunnis and Baha’is (considered heretics)