Ali Shari'ati

Question 1

What was the problem with Muhammad Reza Shah

Answer 1

He ruled with a stronger hand than his father. He was backed by the Americans and relied on them for his political power and this was unpopular amongst the religious Iranians. Felt that he stood for capitalism and imperialism.

Question 2

Who were the Savak?

Answer 2

Secret police of the Shah - eliminated secular opposition to his reign.

Question 3

How did Muslims oppose the Shah?

Answer 3

Demonstrations against the Shah took place, led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Acted out the martyrdom of Hussayn, showing they didn’t want the secular rule of the Shah.

Question 4

What was the National front movement?

Answer 4

1965, carried out terrorist attacks. Interpreted their ideas in Marxist terms, hoping to create a Tawhidi society. Interpreting Tawhid to mean a classless society as well as worship of One God.

Question 5

Why did Shariati criticise the Shah’s regime?

Answer 5

He disliked the Shah’s regime and all that it stood for i.e. Capitalism and imperialism. He says that the Shah was influenced by “Westoxication”

Question 6

Why did Shariati criticise the Iranian clerics?

Answer 6

He believed that the clerics should be guiding people into a just socio-political order but they were not

Question 7

Why was Shariati arrested in 1957?

Answer 7

For his involvement in the National Resistance movement against the Shah’s regime

Question 8

Why was Shariati arrested in 1964?

Answer 8

For engaging in subversive political activities whilst in France (against the Shah)

Question 9

Why was Shariati arrested in 1975?

Answer 9

Began to speak about an armed revolution and criticised the clergy further.

Question 10

How did Shariati use Ali and Hussayn to support his struggle for justice?

Answer 10

They became symbols for the struggle for justice and there was a strong feeling for the oppressed, the people of Iran - the mustazafin (Qur’anic term for oppressed)

Question 11

Who did Shariati consider to be the true enlightened thinkers?

Answer 11

Not the ‘alim or the university educated intellectual but the committed activist

Question 12

How did Shariati use the Qur’an to support his cause?

Answer 12

When the Qur’an talks of social matters the people become synonymous with “God” so the phrase or idea that “Rule belongs to God” becomes “Rule belongs to the people”

Question 13

What phrase did Shariati popularise?

Answer 13

“Everywhere is Karbala and everywhere is Ashura”, became a popular revolutionary phrase because it symbolised the return to Islamic ideas and away from western imperialism.

Question 14

For Shariati, how was Islam compatible with modern concepts?

Answer 14

Reason and religion were one and the same and he sought to prove this based on the tradition of the Prophet. Islam is based on democracy, majority vote and rule and the concept of Showra in the Qur’an is clearly evident, democratic rule.

Question 15

For Shariati, how is individual liberty supported in Islam?

Answer 15

He quoted Ali - “do not be the subject of another since God has freed you”. Shariati also claimed that freedom of religion was necessary and supported by the Qur’an: “There is no compulsion in religion”

Question 16

What did Shariati say about universal equality?

Answer 16

Important and is a natural principle of Islam as all are created equally by Allah. This is part of the belief in Tawhid. Unlike Marx who designated a particular class behind social reform, Shariati thought the people caused this.

Question 17

For Marx, how did the bourgeoise use the poorer classes? How did Shariati support this?

Answer 17

Used them for their own ends. Kept the proletariat subordinate and under their control. Shariati believed that the poor people of Iran were also used and were under the power of the Iranian clergy.

Question 18

What did Marx mean by the term, “a class of itself”?

Answer 18

This means that the lower classes could be independent of the middle classes and not exploited by them - this could happen through the product of transformation in the political and social world.

Question 19

What did Shariati mean by the term “a class of itself”?

Answer 19

Poorer economic classes had to be transformed into a politically conscious class. The ruling clerics of Iran should not have power over the people politically.

Question 20

What did Marx mean by the phrase “Religion was the opium of the people”?

Answer 20

He meant that religion kept the poor happy and in their place

Question 21

What did Shariati mean by the phrase “Religion was the opium of the people”?

Answer 21

Reference to the Muslim people caught in the “grip” of the official clergy. The political power was only in the hands of the imams, who ran the country in Iran and religion was in their hands and they used it to show their superiority over the common people.

Question 22

How did Marx and Shariati view religion differently?

Answer 22

Shariati believed that the idea behind monotheism was a classless, free and equal society, which would come about through the destruction of the triad of “wealth, political power and religion”. Marx failed to see how religion could bring about this change.

Question 23

Unlike Marx, Shariati believed Will Power was important, why?

Answer 23

With willpower people could create change. A “conscious and alert individual” could “grab history by the collar”

Question 24

What did Marx mean by thesis, antithesis and synthesis?

Answer 24

Two opposing ideas which are symthasised to form something great.

Question 25

How does Shariati apply thesis, antithesis and synthesis to religion?

Answer 25

That man is loving and forgiving and full of consciousness and knowledge and yet, on the other hand, the stinking mud from which man was made was representative of stagnation and laziness. This was the struggle faced by all humans which could be overcome by religion. The synthesis was a God like creature who could use his free will to contruct a paradise on earth.