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IranIran (Persia): a history

• 1925: Army officer 1925: Army officer Reza KhanReza Khan seized power and declared himself seized power and declared himself Shah- KingShah- King– Constitutional Monarchy

• Corrupt!– Began to modernize (Westernize)

• 1941 (WWII): His son, 1941 (WWII): His son, Reza PahlaviReza Pahlavi took over took over– US Backed!– Iranians resented the Monarchy

• Islamic Sharia Law?• Or just a democracy?

• 1979: Iranian (Islamic) Revolution1979: Iranian (Islamic) Revolution– Slideshow of the revolution– Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Supreme Leader)– Islamic Republic (See chart)

• Supreme Leader (religious, life term)/ President (elected, terms)• Shah Flees to USA, USA will not return him to Iran (executed if goes back)

• Nov 4Nov 4thth, 1979- Iranian Hostage Crisis , 1979- Iranian Hostage Crisis (See Diary)(See Diary)– US Embassy in Tehran- 63 hostages were taken: 52 people held for 444 days– Pres Carter tried to rescue, failed. Khomeini resented that Carter saved the Shah– Released after Reagan was elected

• US & Iran– Interactive timeline

US + Pahlavi =

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY

Timeline of LeadersTimeline of Leaders

1997-2005: Mohammad Khatami

•(More Liberal)

8/3/2005: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

•(Conservative… See Reading)

•Re-elected June 2009

1979- 1989: Ayatollah Khomeini

1989-??: Ayatollah Ali Hoseini Khamenei

Amadinejad in the News…

Election ‘09Election ‘09

• How Iran is ruled• Iran Crisis Overall• In Pictures

Election: June 12th, 2009

Challenger: Mir Hossein Mousavi

Votes?: Ahmadinejad 63%

Mousavi 34%

FRAUD?

Q & AQ & A

• The president is elected for four years and can serve no more than two consecutive terms. • President Ahmadinejad: elected in 2005• The constitution describes him as the second-highest ranking official in the country. He is head of the

executive branch of power and is responsible for ensuring the constitution is implemented. • In practice, however, presidential powers are circumscribed by the clerics and conservatives in Iran's

power structure, and by the authority of the Supreme Leader. It is the Supreme Leader, not the president, who controls the armed forces and makes decisions on security, defence and major foreign policy issues.

• All presidential candidates are vetted by the Guardian Council, which banned hundreds of hopefuls from standing in the 2005 elections.

• Conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in 2005 after he defeated former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a second round run-off poll. Mr Ahmadinejad is Iran's first president since 1981 who is not a cleric.

• Mr Ahmadinejad replaced reformist Mohammad Khatami who was elected president in May 1997 with nearly 70% of the vote. He failed to get key reforms through the Guardian Council and was hampered further after conservatives won back a majority in parliament in elections in 2004.

Persepolis 2.0• Since the Revolution in 1979, Iranians have coped Since the Revolution in 1979, Iranians have coped

with an increasingly repressive regime. Attempts with an increasingly repressive regime. Attempts for greater social and political freedoms have for greater social and political freedoms have resulted in brutal crackdowns by the hardline resulted in brutal crackdowns by the hardline government. The ensuing apathy and significant government. The ensuing apathy and significant boycott of the 2005 presidential elections led to boycott of the 2005 presidential elections led to the election of the ultraconservative mayor of the election of the ultraconservative mayor of Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

• Four years later Iran has become increasingly Four years later Iran has become increasingly alienated and its people more polarized than ever alienated and its people more polarized than ever before. The campaign of former Prime Minister before. The campaign of former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Moussavi galvanized voters hoping Mir Hussein Moussavi galvanized voters hoping for change, especially among the youth – two for change, especially among the youth – two thirds of Iran’s population is younger than 32. On thirds of Iran’s population is younger than 32. On June 12th 85% of eligible voters cast their ballots June 12th 85% of eligible voters cast their ballots and what happened next changed Iran forever…and what happened next changed Iran forever…

FATWAH: Death Sentence.

• Salman Rushdie- The Satanic Verses

سلمان أحمد رشدی