Iran: Citizens, Society,
and State
Heather Fitzer
Audrey Hu
Katie Irvine
Cleavages in Iran
I. Religion
II. Ethnicity
III. Social class
IV. Reformers vs. Conservatives
V. Pragmatic Conservatives vs. Radical Clerics
Religion
• 89% Shi’a Muslims
• 10% Sunni Muslims
• Other 1% consists of
Jews, Christians,
Zoroastrian, and Bahai
• Constitution recognizes
minorities and
guarantees rights
Ethnicity
•
•
•
•
•
•
51% Persian
24% Azeri
8% Gilaki and Mazandarani, 7%
Kurds, and 3% Arabi
Remaining percentage are a
combinations of different groups
Constitution requires minority
languages to be taught in schools
but not all schools follow this
Minorities are often denied
government jobs
Social Class
• Peasants and lower middle class support the regime
• Middle and upper-middle are largely secularized
• Middle-class has not done well economically since the
founding of the Republic and have become discontent
with the regime
Reformers vs. Conservatives
• Existed since the founding of the Republic
• Debate about theocracy vs. democracy
• Conservatives want to keep the regime under
control of clerics and Sharia law
• Reformers want to secularize and democratize
Pragmatic Conservatives vs.
Radical Clerics
• Divisions among the clergy that have led to
disagreements in policymaking
• Pragmatic conservatives favor liberal economic
policies
• Conservatives say that private property and
economic inequality are protected under
Islamic law
Iran’s Civil Society:
Although not fully restored under the current
regime, it is alive and well.
Civil Society under
Muhammad Khatami
1997-2005
• Tehran Spring
- political and global liberalization
- more open economy
Civil Society
under
Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad
2005 - now
• Decrease in civil society
• Arrest of prominent
scholars including
Esfandiari and Panahi
Arrested Scholars
• Haleh Esfandiari
•
Jafar Panahi
Arrests against
Western Dress
Under the Ahmadinejad regime
Political Participation
Although the Constitution of 1979 guarantees civil liberties, the
Islamic Republic has never followed through with such rights.
• Newspapers, labor unions, private organizations, and political parties
were banned from the start.
• Many political reformers have fled the country, or been executed
•
Protests and Demonstrations
1999: Many protests erupted in universities across the nation
when the government shut down a reformist newspaper
2002: Similar demonstrations broke out among students when
the courts ruled a death sentence for a reformist academic
2003: Mass student protests over privatization of the university
system escalated
Protestors called for the overthrow and death of Iran’s religious
and political leaders.
Factory workers tend to participate in many rallies against the
government because of high unemployment rates, low wages, and
unsatisfactory labor laws
2005: Ahmadinejad renewed strict laws on protests and
demonstrations with severe punishments.
The Green Movement
The Green Movement: Biggest upheaval since 1979 Revolution,
Ahmadinejad was elected president again in 2009. Won with 63% of
the vote against Mir Hossein Mousavi
• Opposition wanted election to be annulled and people from
both sides raided the streets
• Lasted 7 days and many were arrested
• Government sent tens of thousands of Revolutionary Guards
and voluntary militiamen (basij) and the state controlled media
said 20 were killed.
• Eary 2011, the Green Movement, freedom seeking protestors
marched led my Mousavi
• Tear gas and clubs were used by police and the basij militiamen
to subdue the crowds
• Obama called on Iran to let people express their civil liberties
and opinions
Women
One of the most frequently stated criticisms of
Iran from westerners is the nation’s treatment of
women.
Women in Iran
• Cultural traditions are seen as signs of oppression more so
by westerners than by Iranian women themselves.
• Traditionally, Iranian women have worn veils (predating
the birth of Islam), stayed home, and have received little
education or opportunity outside of home.
• As the 20th century rolled around, women have had a
better access to education.
• More than half of college students today are women.
• Education has caused women to harbor resentment toward
the Islamic/Sharia regime
• They expect better job
opportunities and more political
rights than they are granted.
• The Islamic Republic calls its policy
toward women “equality with
difference”: the divorce and
custody laws now follow Islamic
standards that favor males.
• Women must wear scarves and long
coats in public, and they cannot
leave the country without the
consent of a male relative.
• Women now constitute 33% of the
labor force.
• Only 2.8% of women are
represented in the Lower House of
the National Assembly.