Iran: generational changes Flashcards
When did the Shah flee Iran?
January 1979
Where was Khomeini exiled before the revolution?
France
When did Khomeini return from exile?
11th February 1979
What event after the revolution consolidated the regime and their power to imprison those who opposed it?
The Iran-Iraq war, the state would imprison people who opposed the regime on the basis of national security concerns
Khomeini swore to right the social wrongs of the Shah - such as..
redistributing wealth, eliminating poverty, shantytowns, unemployment and morally corrupt behaviour
What does abaqeh-e pāyin mean?
lower class
What does tabaqeh-e bālā mean?
upper class
What was fetneh?
Sedition - referred to when talking about the Green Movement
When was the Green Movement?
2009
When did the Islamic revolution begin?
1977
What does mostaz’afin mean? explain the context
I means the members of the dispossessed masses, they had indigenous organizing networks in the mosques and neighborhoods - which helped recruiting soldiers to the war effort
Who started the war between Iran and Iraq?
Iraq invaded in 1980
What type of warfare was used in the Iran-Iraq war that had not been used since WW1
trench warfare
How did the Iran-Iraq end?
Signed a UN cease-fire in 1988, there were no territorial changes
What is the komiteh-ye markazi?
Islamic Republic’s Central Committee
What was the initial goal of the IRCC?
defend the revolution against counter revolutionaries and a coup internally and externally
outlined by Article 150 in the constitution
Why was the IRCC necessary?
Because Khomeini did not trust the Artesh because they were loyal to the Shah
What is the Artesh?
Artesh is the army of Iran - which safeguard the territory and nations
12 000 Artesh personnel were killed or imprisoned between…
1979 and 1980
Recruitment of the IRCC was based on recruits…
ideological and political commitment
Recruits of the IRCC had to pass which test?
Test on the Quran (Nahj al Balagheh) by Imam Ali,
the Hukumat-e Islami (Islamic government) by Khomeini
Military and strategic tests
What was the main difference between the IRCC and other military groups in the region ?
Unlike the Military in ex Syria, the IRCC was not controlled by a family or tribe - but by people who remain loyal to the republic
What was the Basij?
Volunteer paramilitary group launched in 1980 by Khomeini
What is Sāzmān-e Basij-e
Mostaz’afin?
the full name of the Basij, it means the mobilization of the oppressed
How did the Basij recruit members?
focus on neighborhood recruitment and, one could sign up in his or hers local neighbourhood Basij center
What does barg-e e’zam mean?
official permission for deployment
What is pādegāh-e āmuzeshi?
Basij training center
Explain the training of Basij members?
sent to pādegāh-e āmuzeshi, were they endured a 45 day program involving shooting practice, strength training and strategic training.
after the 45 days they were given specialities
What were the requirements of joining the Basij?
All ages could join, even women were members
Minor could also join with the signature of a parent
How does the Iranians remember the relationship between the IRCC and Basij?
Brotherly and equal - IRCC would wear the same uniforms as the Basij and did not want to differentiate themselves from the Basij despite their higher ranking
Referred to each other as “barādar” (Brother)
What does barādar mean?
Brother
The veterans said they had joined the Basij because…
they wanted to defend their nation and the revolution
What does nāmus mean?
Honor
What event changed the Iranians positive perception on the Basij?
The Green Movement in 2009
Who are the first generation members of the Basij?
those who fought in the Iran-Iraq war
Who are the second generation members of the Basij?
Those who joined in the 1990s - they were instrumental in the post war efforts of the organization
Who are the third generation members of the Basij?
Those who joined the Basij around 2005, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president
Hashemi Rafsanjani was president in what time period?
1989-1997
Ali Khamenei appointed members of the IRCC to political positions because…
He lacked the support of Khomeini, and appointing IRCC members to high ranking political positions helped to consolidate his power
When was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad president?
2005 to 2013
Under which President did the IRCC come to play a large role in politics?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
What is the Majles
Parliament
In postwar Iran, Basij members are divided in to 3 categories:
- regular 2. active and 3. special
What does jang-e narm mean?
soft war
What does vāksineh kardan mean? Explain the context
It mean to vaccinate society against soft war of the West
What is Radio Farda?
a persian branch of the US funded Radio Free Europe
Name some important media for the Iranian diaspora?
Radio Farda, Voice of America Persian service, BBC Persian
Which classes makes up the majority of the Basij?
lower middle class
How does the first and second generation of Basij members view the third?
as kids who joined the Basij without culture. Blindly ideological and incapable
who does the third generation of Basij members view the first and second
The are appreciative of their war efforts, bu they have become corrupted by money and obsessed with making themselves elite
What does tond-ro means?
hard-line
What does the author argue is main factor that differentiates the first and second generation from the younger third generation?
Parenting
