Iran

Question 1

When was modern Iran founded?

Answer 1

In 1501 by the Safavid Dynasty

Question 2

What is the name of the current government in Iran?

Answer 2

Velayat-e Faqui (persion) or Wilayat al-Faquih (arabic). It means Guardianship of the Islamic Juris.

Question 3

what can you question and what can you not question in Iran?

Answer 3

You can question the government, the Velayat-e Faqui, but you cannot question the regime, the Nezam.

Question 4

Which different schools of Shi’ism fight for the monopoly of truth in Iran in the 19th century?

Answer 4

• Akhbari
• Shaykhism

-usuli

Question 5

Which school of Shi’ism wins the monopoly of truth in Iran in the 19th century

Answer 5

Usuli

Question 6

From which scool of Shi’ism do the Ayatollahs of Iran originate?

Answer 6

Usuli

Question 7

Three important places in Shi’ism

Answer 7

Nayaf, Kerbala, Qom

Question 8

Why is Nayaf a holy place?

Answer 8

This is where Ali died

Question 9

Why is Kerbala a holy place?

Answer 9

Hussein, the second sun of Ali, dies here when he militarly confronts the Umayyad, Mu’awiya.

Question 10

Who are the three first imams according to Shi’ism?

Answer 10

Ali, Hassan and Hussein

Question 11

Who is Sayyid Ali ali-Sistani?

Answer 11

An Iranian born Ayatollah that lives in Nayaf. Does not have anything to do with the Velayat-e Faquih, but is very powerful. He wanted Iraq to have a democracy and released the order to fight back Daesh

Question 12

Why did the US help kick out the democratically elected Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1950 and insert Reza Pahlavi?

Answer 12

He wanted to socialize the oil using the Scandinavian model

Question 13

Was the Iranian revolution in 1978/79 religious?

Answer 13

No. It concerned getting rid of the Shah out as he was very isolated from reality and had security forces shooting at Iranians

Question 14

How did the Ulama come to govern Iran after the Revolution?

Answer 14

It was better organised than a group of Marxists, liberalists etc that came together to create a constitution

Question 15

Who are the Sepah?

Answer 15

The Revolutionary guard in Iran created by Khomeini as he did not trust the Iranian military

Question 16

What does the Ansar-e Hezbollah mean?

Answer 16

Means the Helpers of Gods party and are the young members of the Basiji

Question 17

What is the Nezam?

Answer 17

The regime

Question 18

What is the relation between the young and old generation of Sepah/Basij?

Answer 18

The older generation is not able to talk to the younger more doctrinal Iranians that are less flexible

Question 19

What is the origin of the Basij?

Answer 19

It was created in 1979 as a volunteer paramilitary group at order of Ayatollah Khomeini and consisted of young volunteers that wanted to fight in the Iran-Iraq war

Question 20

How did Khamenei change policies regarding the Sepah?

Answer 20

He let them have a political role and to become the main contractor for rebuilding infrastructure after the Iran-Iraq war. This is how the Sepah turned into the wealthiest independent institution in the Islamic Republic

Question 21

Where is the Basij focus directed today?

Answer 21

To fight a soft war against US and European culture

Question 22

What do the black and white turbans symbolize?

Answer 22

The black turban shows that the person wearing it is a descendant of Muhammed. The white turban is just standard as this was the most common color worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad’s lifetime

Question 23

Who is the Quds force?

Answer 23

It is one of the five branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards corps that is in charge of extraterrestrial operations. It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence. It supports many non-state actors such as Hezbollah and Hamas

Question 24

When did the Green movement start and what was it protesting?

Answer 24

It started in 2009 and protested the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President