Iranian Revolution: Unexpected Consequences
Fahad Akhtar
Digital Media Assignment
Professor Ezzeldin
15 December 2016
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was gruesome by any standard. It began as a political movement to bring the Iranian clergy to power so they could protect the rights of their nation’s people from the whims of the Shah, but it ended as a mass murder of all opposition on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini. Many who could, fled Iran during this period. Others were less fortunate. Socialists and secularists were first thrown in prison. Then they were asked to proclaim their loyalty to the state and Islam. If that worked, they would next be asked about their willingness to wage war against their former comrades who were still fighting the regime. If they refused, they would be killed. Bodies of these traitors were on display around the country. Members of the former government were shot and hung. Some less notable foes were slaughtered in secret. Despite the deaths, many Iranians lived to tell the story of this period.
And so, that narrative, the one describing the revolution and its aftermath is well formed. Some individual perspectives have however been lost. That’s why I decided to speak with Dr. Haghani. An Iranian-American professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. She has a unique perspective on the changes that the revolution wrought, and her regular travel to Iran and contacts there give greater context to the story she tells.
Our conversation began with a discussion of her view on the revolution, and a question about whether she thought anything positive came of it. Immediately we moved from 1979 to more recently. She told me about her trips to Iran, and the changing perspective there. Years ago, Professor Haghani found ways to see positive consequences of the Revolution, but the people she spoke with derided her as an outsider. But more recently, with the political upheaval in the United States and Europe, more Iranians have begun to empathize with her perspective.
Iran is less free than it was before 1979, but it is also a relative success story when compared to its neighbors. Surrounded by Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and one of the most volatile regions of Pakistan, Iran’s stability is a surprise. To be sure, Iran has seen political movements in the last decade, and those have led to repression, but it is still comparatively calm. Perhaps the population has been threatened enough to prevent serious challenges to the reigning order, but that assessment misses the Iranian peoples’ willingness to peacefully protest through non-traditional means.
In Iran, simple things: music, friendship, and even comedy are ways to rebel. And many people find ways to integrate the aforementioned into their lives. So, there is a political undercurrent in Iran, and it isn’t quiescent.
That though isn’t the only interesting fact about Iran. It turns out Iran is more like the rest of the world than most would think. It’s not filled with people wearing black religious garbs and funny headwear. Although proper covering is required, there are ways to rebel legally, and many do. But that isn’t what makes Iran similar to America—the taxi-ride hailing and restaurant reservation mobile applications do.
Surprisingly enough, Iran has a growing technology sector, and young innovators and entrepreneurs are taking what they learn in international schools back to the Islamic Republic. And given the already advanced internet infrastructure in the country, it is only a matter of time before Iranian made virtual products begin rivaling those on world markets.
15 December 2016
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was gruesome by any standard. It began as a political movement to bring the Iranian clergy to power so they could protect the rights of their nation’s people from the whims of the Shah, but it ended as a mass murder of all opposition on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini. Many who could, fled Iran during this period. Others were less fortunate. Socialists and secularists were first thrown in prison. Then they were asked to proclaim their loyalty to the state and Islam. If that worked, they would next be asked about their willingness to wage war against their former comrades who were still fighting the regime. If they refused, they would be killed. Bodies of these traitors were on display around the country. Members of the former government were shot and hung. Some less notable foes were slaughtered in secret. Despite the deaths, many Iranians lived to tell the story of this period.
And so, that narrative, the one describing the revolution and its aftermath is well formed. Some individual perspectives have however been lost. That’s why I decided to speak with Dr. Haghani. An Iranian-American professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. She has a unique perspective on the changes that the revolution wrought, and her regular travel to Iran and contacts there give greater context to the story she tells.
Our conversation began with a discussion of her view on the revolution, and a question about whether she thought anything positive came of it. Immediately we moved from 1979 to more recently. She told me about her trips to Iran, and the changing perspective there. Years ago, Professor Haghani found ways to see positive consequences of the Revolution, but the people she spoke with derided her as an outsider. But more recently, with the political upheaval in the United States and Europe, more Iranians have begun to empathize with her perspective.
Iran is less free than it was before 1979, but it is also a relative success story when compared to its neighbors. Surrounded by Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and one of the most volatile regions of Pakistan, Iran’s stability is a surprise. To be sure, Iran has seen political movements in the last decade, and those have led to repression, but it is still comparatively calm. Perhaps the population has been threatened enough to prevent serious challenges to the reigning order, but that assessment misses the Iranian peoples’ willingness to peacefully protest through non-traditional means.
In Iran, simple things: music, friendship, and even comedy are ways to rebel. And many people find ways to integrate the aforementioned into their lives. So, there is a political undercurrent in Iran, and it isn’t quiescent.
That though isn’t the only interesting fact about Iran. It turns out Iran is more like the rest of the world than most would think. It’s not filled with people wearing black religious garbs and funny headwear. Although proper covering is required, there are ways to rebel legally, and many do. But that isn’t what makes Iran similar to America—the taxi-ride hailing and restaurant reservation mobile applications do.
Surprisingly enough, Iran has a growing technology sector, and young innovators and entrepreneurs are taking what they learn in international schools back to the Islamic Republic. And given the already advanced internet infrastructure in the country, it is only a matter of time before Iranian made virtual products begin rivaling those on world markets.
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