iran: the winds of change - contents -...

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Iran: The Winds of Change

CBC�s foreign correspondent Neil MacDonald recently had a unique insider�s view of this troubled and troubling nation, and his reports form the heart of this story. In this News in Review report we examine this complex society that few in the West understand to any great extent and we assess whether the country�s attempts to liberalize after years of clerical rule are successful. Archival and historical material shows the Canadian connection and the importance of Iran to international politics. Introduction Images of Transformation Understanding the Iranian Civilization Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules

Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes, independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain.

�Algeria: The Reign of Terror,� March 1998 �Senator Pinochet: The Face of Chile,� May 1998 �Indonesia: Falling to Pieces?� September 1998 �Kosovo: Repeating History?� November 1998 �Desert Fox: Degrading Saddam Hussein,� February 1999 �The Kosovo Special,� May 1999

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Introduction


On February 18, 2000, the people of Iran cast their ballots in a historic election. With a huge turnout of well over 80 per cent, Iranians voted massively for change as they chose their representatives to the Majlis (national parliament). After 21 years of rule by a religiously oriented regime, most Iranians indicated by their votes that they wanted a dramatic shift in their country�s social, political, and cultural direction. An umbrella movement campaigning for greater democracy, an easing of censorship, increased rights for women, and a reduction in Islamic religious influence over people�s everyday lives won an astounding 70 per cent of the seats in the Majlis. The reform group, known as the Iran Participation Front, was widely viewed as the favourite party of the country�s liberal-minded president, Mohammad Khatami, who had himself won a surprise election victory over a clerically supported candidate in 1997. For backers of the hardline Islamist forces that resisted reform, the election was a bitter and humiliating defeat. Former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of the reformers and one of the most powerful men in the country, barely won his seat in Tehran. At the same time, his reform-minded daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, was easily elected after running a campaign that featured posters of her posing defiantly, sporting a pair of bright red boots clearly visible under the folds of her black chador. The reformers� triumph in the parliamentary vote was the latest in a series of electoral victories that underscored the popular will for

change in Iran 21 years after the Islamic Revolution toppled Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and brought to power the rigid clerical regime of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khatami�s presidential win, coupled with a big pro-reform sweep in local elections in 1999 and now their parliamentary victory, appears to indicate that Iran is on the brink of major change. But clerical opponents of secular reforms in the nation�s social, political, and cultural institutions remain firmly ensconced in positions of power. It is important to understand that Iran is a theocracy, a country whose government is dominated by Islamic religious figures. Its non-elected spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Sayed Khamenei, who succeeded Khomeini after the latter�s death in 1989, retains great power, including the right to veto initiatives taken by the president or the Majlis. Conservatives in the government have made it clear that they will do whatever they can to thwart the reformers� drive for change. In April 2000, for example, they ordered the closing of 14 newspapers and magazines that championed the reform position, claiming that they were anti-Islamic. Clearly, the struggle between the forces of change and the defenders of the clerical status quo in Iran is far from being resolved. And it is a struggle that is significant not only for Iranians themselves, but for the country�s neighbours and the rest of the world.

Contents Introduction Images of Transformation Understanding the Iranian Civilization Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions






Beyond the Veil





Images of Transformation


This News in Review report actually deals with two stories about Iran. The first concerns the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the Shah and brought the religious regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini to power. A few months later, Iranian militant stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and seized 51 American hostages. Canada�s ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, was able to smuggle six Americans into the embassy and eventually spirit them out of the country. For doing this, Taylor became a hero in the West.

The second story focuses on the events that have taken place in Iran since that time and the recent ferment of social and political change sweeping the country. It looks at how many Iranians, especially the young, feel about their country�s Islamic government and the current challenges to its authority.

Two Views While watching this video, it is important to keep these two stories separate in your mind, but also to understand how they relate to each other. Iranian society, culture, and government were all transformed by the 1979 revolution, an event that had worldwide repercussions. But the Iran of 2000, although shaped by the revolution that continues to guide it, now appears poised on the brink of yet more dramatic changes. Exactly what shape these three forces will take is still not clear, but you may find hints of potential changes to come in the comments of individuals interviewed in the video.

First Impressions Watch the video, and while doing so, write down your impressions of Iran and the important events that have occurred there during the past 20 years. After viewing, form groups with your classmates to discuss your reactions to it. Organize your ideas under the following headings: (a) 1979 political protest, (b) religion, (c) life of Iranian young people, (d) 1999 and 2000 political events. What picture of Iran and the changes it has undergone over the past 20 years begins to appear from your impressions?

Detailed Viewing Watch the video again, this time answering the following questions:

1. What was the name of the leader Iranians overthrew in 1979? Why did they want him out? Who replaced him? What group was most active in leading the demonstrations? What was the driving force behind Iran�s revolution? 2. At what country were many Iranians angry? Why? How did they show their anger? 3. What role did Canada play in this event? Who was the main Canadian figure involved? What did he do? What was this event called? 4. What kind of government did Iran have after the 1979 revolution? 5. Who was elected president of Iran on May 24, 1997? Why was this a surprise to many Iranians? 6. What kind of changes in Iranian society do many young people want to see happen? To whom do they look for leadership in this? What groups oppose this demand for change? Why? 7. What was the main issue in the February 2000 parliamentary elections? What was the result? Implications and Ramifications Check your answers with the following and then, working in small groups, discuss reasons why it is important to know this information in order to put this news event into perspective.

1. The Shah (king) was overthrown, and Iranians wanted to sweep Iran clean of �corrupting� Western influences. The religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini replaced him, making Islam the dominant force in the nation. 2. The United States was the object of Iranian anger. They blamed the U.S. for supporting the Shah�s regime. In a dramatic protest, Iranian students occupied the American embassy, breaking international diplomatic rules, and took 51 people

hostage. 3. Canada provided asylum for six Americans in its embassy in Tehran. With help from the CIA, Ken Taylor, Canadian ambassador to Iran, gave the six Americans Canadian passports so they could leave the country, accomplishing what came to be known as the �Canadian Caper.� 4. The Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers imposed their version of Islamic law on Iran�s government and society. This meant that the country was governed according to their interpretation of the Koran, Islam�s holy book. It was a harsh, repressive government, and no dissent was tolerated. 5. Mohammed Khatami won the election, a surprise win because he promised greater freedom to Iranians after years of restrictions. 6. Many young people want to be able to socialize with each other in public, listen to Western rock music, and be allowed to wear Western fashions. They look to President Khatami to liberalize social and cultural policies in Iran so that they will have more individual freedom of expression. Religious leaders in control of the army, the secret police, and the justice system, along with the Basij, an Islamic youth movement, are opposed to these demands for change. They think that Western fashions and influences are undesirable and corrupting and contrary to the teachings of Islam. The revolution drove them out once in 1979, and they do not want them to come back into the country again. 7. Whether or not Iran would continue on the path to reform begun with the election of Khatami as president was the main issue. The pro-reform candidates won a big victory in the election.

Summation and Conclusion Now that you have studied this report, view the video a last time. Then in small groups formulate analytical and comprehensive responses to the following general issues of this story.

1. Why do you think the occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 was such an important event in terms of international politics? 2. How do you think people reacted to it in Iran, the United States, and Canada? Why are these reactions important in cultural terms? 3. �It has been 20 years since Iran traded one dictatorship for another; swept aside the despised and corrupt regime of the Shah for the harsh and absolute power of the Ayatollah.� To what extent do you think this comment from the video is an appropriate conclusion regarding the political situation in Iran today? In your opinion, is there any incongruity or contradiction

in the statement? 4. Why do you think there is such a strong difference of opinion among Iranians regarding the direction their country should take 20 years after the revolution? Why would foreign policy experts in the West be looking carefully at these divisions? 5. Why do you think young people in Iran are particularly eager for change in their country? What kind of changes do you think they would like to see occur? Why? What global phenomena does this suggest?







Beyond the Veil





Understanding the Iranian Civilization, Pt 1


Today�s Iranians are the inheritors of a long history, during which their distinctive civilization emerged as an important force in western Asia. Their country has also been the scene of great conflicts, as a series of rival empires and conquerors have swept over it from ancient to modern times. Iranians are proud of their long historical, cultural, and religious traditions, and regard their nation as one of the world�s greatest and oldest civilizations. Many resent the negative media stereotypes of their country as a land of shrill religious fanatics ruling over a people locked in a backward medieval lifestyle. They want the West to become more aware of their country�s rich cultural heritage, and what it has given to the world.

Here is a brief overview of Iran�s history from ancient times to the present. Many of the individuals, events, and topics referred to here could be researched in much more detail. As you read this information think about how the term civilization applies to Iran and the importance of this civilization to other societies around the globe.

THEME ONE: A Proud and Ancient Land Iran�s original name was Persia, and it is a country with a very long and dramatic history. In ancient times, the high plateau of Iran was home to many of the world�s earliest civilizations. After a tumultuous and frequently bloody period during which the rival Assyrian and Babylonian empires struggled for power, two native

groups, the Medes and Persians, rose to take control of the region. The Persian or Achaemenian empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BCE, dominated a huge area from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Indus River in India. From their majestic capital, Persepolis, great Persian rulers like Darius I and his son Xerxes presided over their vast empire, building roads and canals, and encouraging trade, commerce, and public works.

Unlike those in other ancient empires, the Persians did not require the people they conquered to adhere to their religion, Zoroastrianism. Following the defeat of the Persian forces by Alexander the Great�s Macedonian army in 330 BCE, the area briefly fell under the control of the Seleucid dynasty, founded by one of Alexander�s generals. It in turn was conquered by the Parthians, a Persian tribe that established a strong empire that lasted from the third century BCE to the third century CE and halted the advance of many invading Roman armies led by such famous generals as Marcus Licinius Crassus and Marc Anthony.

In 224 CE, Ardashir of Fars overthrew the Parthians and founded the Sassanian empire, which then ruled Persia for the next 400 years. During this period, art and architecture were revived, and the Zoroastrian religion was promoted. The military struggle against Rome continued, with Arshadir�s son Shapur capturing the Roman Emperor Valerian in 260. After a long struggle for supremacy in the area with the forces of the Byzantine or eastern Roman Empire, the Sassanian rulers were too weak to repel the onslaught of the Arab armies that swept into Persia in 650 bringing with them their new religion of Islam.

Pause For Analysis 1. After reading the passage on the previous page, explain why Iran was an important region from ancient times. 2. Make a chronological chart listing the ancient civilizations that emerged in what is now Iran. THEME TWO: The Impact of Islam in Iran Persia was just one of many areas that fell under Muslim control in the centuries after the Prophet Mohammed had proclaimed his new religion in what is now Saudi Arabia. Its Arab rulers respected their subjects� language and culture, and Persia soon regained virtual autonomy as a province of the Arab empire. During this time, a distinctive Islamic Persian civilization emerged, and cities like Isfahan, Tabriz, Qum, and Shiraz became important centres of learning and culture. Poets like Omar Khayyam and Hafeez composed their great works of literature during this Persian cultural renaissance. It was also in this time that Shi�ism established itself as a rival current to the

majority Sunni faction within the religion of Islam.

Shi�ite and Sunni Muslims differ over the legitimacy of the successors to the Prophet Mohammed, who died in 632. In addition, the Shi�ites hold a messianic belief similar to that of Jews and Christians that the 12th imam (holy man or religious leader), descended from the Prophet Ali, Mohammed�s son-in-law, will return to earth some day and establish a just and righteous state. Shi�ites worship Ali and his son, Hussein, who fell in battle with the Arab Sunnites in 681. While Sunni Islam is the mainstream denomination in the Arab world, Shi�ites form the vast majority of Iran�s population. The Islamic Revolution of 1979, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, was based on Shi�ite principles.

The Seljuk Turks invaded Persia in 1055, and were themselves overrun by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, who swooped into the area with fire and sword in 1219. The Mongols destroyed many of the great centres of Persian culture, but in the end fell under the influence of this superior civilization. More invasions followed, led by Genghis Khan�s son Hulagu, and later by Tamerlane, who established a short-lived empire stretching from Turkey to China. During this time of upheaval, a distinctively Iranian identity began to emerge in opposition to the waves of outsiders who were ravaging the land.

Taking advantage of rivalries among the various Mongol descendants of Genghis Khan, the Persian leader Ismail Shah and his grandson Abbas I were able to reunite the country and expel the foreign invaders. Their dynasty, known as the Safavids, ruled from 1501 to 1736, and it is during this period that Iran can be considered to have been founded as a national state. The subsequent dynasty, founded by the great Nadir Shah, established a huge Iranian empire from the Indus River to the Caucasus mountains. This ruler, nicknamed the �Napoleon of Iran,� was a ruthless military conqueror, who sacked Delhi, the Indian capital, seizing the legendary Koh-i-noor diamond and the peacock throne. Henceforth, all of Nadir Shah�s regal descendants up to the fall of the Iranian monarchy in 1979 would claim their place on the peacock throne.

Pause For Analysis 1. Explain why the religion of Islam has played such an important part in Iran�s history up to the present time. 2. What was the impact of the wave of foreign invasions that swept across Iran during this period? THEME THREE: Foreign Involvement and Consequences Nadir Shah�s dynasty was succeeded by the Kajars, who ruled

Iran from 1795 to 1926. But their control over the country was to be disputed by two European powers, Britain and Russia, for whom Iran represented an important strategic position in their struggle for domination of central Asia. These countries divided Iran into two spheres of influence in 1907 and stationed troops there to make sure the Iranians respected their strategic and economic interests. In response to growing foreign domination, Iranian nationalists staged what is known as the Constitutional Revolution between 1905 and 1911. Students, merchants, and religious leaders all demanded an elected parliament and constitutional limitations on the powers of the shah, or king.

In 1926, weakened by internal opposition and foreign pressure, the Kajar dynasty fell. Into the power vacuum this created stepped Reza Khan, a semiliterate army officer, who seized power in Tehran with Britain�s blessings and proclaimed himself the first Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty. Reza Khan modelled his regime somewhat after that of Mustapha Kemal Ataturk in Turkey and sought to introduce social and educational reforms, while curbing the power of the Shi�ite imams. However, his sympathies with Nazi Germany caused Britain and the Soviet Union to pressure him into giving up the peacock throne to his young son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who became the new Shah in 1941.

Iran was a key strategic point for the Allies during the Second World War because of its location and its vast oil reserves. After the war ended, both the United States and the Soviet Union tried to incorporate Iran into their rival spheres of influence as the Cold War began. For their part, Iranian nationalists wanted their country to remain neutral in the conflict between the two global superpowers. In 1951, their leader, Mohammad Mossadeq, became prime minister, and swiftly moved to reassert Iran�s control over its oil industry and curb the powers of the Shah. In response, Britain and the United States backed a military coup against Mossadeq�s government that restored the Shah (who had briefly been in exile) to the throne. This episode was regarded as an early victory for the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its efforts to remove governments that were unfriendly to U.S. economic interests. But to many Iranians, it was proof that the Western powers had no intention of allowing them to pursue their own national destiny.

Pause For Analysis 1. Why were foreign powers like Britain, Russia, and the United States interested in gaining influence in Iran? 2. How did the overthrow of the Mossadeq government in 1953 influence the course of Iran�s relations with the United States?

Part 2>>>>







Beyond the Veil





Understanding the Iranian Civilization, Pt 2


THEME FOUR: From the White to the Islamic Revolution Mohammad Reza Shah was an ambitious ruler who wanted to modernize Iran quickly along Western lines. In 1961, he proclaimed the White Revolution, his reform program that called for greater industrial development, the extension of educational rights to females, and progressive land reform. But his actions were regarded with great suspicion by the Muslim clergy, who feared that he was threatening their power and undermining the principles of Islam. In 1963, an imam in the holy city of Qum named Ayatollah Rudollah Khomeini called on Iranian Muslims to rise up and overthrow the Shah�s regime.

In place of the monarchy, Khomeini advocated what he called the Veleyat-e Faqih, or the �rule of the jurist.� By this he meant that Iran should become a theocracy, a system of government where clerical authorities assume positions of leadership and the Sharia, the Islamic legal code, becomes the law of the land. Khomeini�s message gained a hearing among many devout Muslims in Iran who feared the effects of Western culture, a culture that the Shah was encouraging Iranians to emulate. Many peasants in the countryside also felt left behind in the rush to modernization, and did not see many of the promised benefits of land reform trickling down to them. In 1964, the Shah acted against Khomeini, exiling him to neighbouring Iraq, where he established a government-in-exile in a largely Shi�ite region in the south of the country. From there, Khomeini made sure that

cassette tape recordings of his speeches were smuggled into Iran, where Shi�ite mullahs (clerics or religious authorities) played them to his many followers during Friday services at the country�s mosques.

The Shah cracked down hard on his opponents inside the country. These were of two kinds. Besides the religious groups critical of his regime, there were also many students, workers, and professionals who supported Western-style reforms but opposed his heavy-handed rule, and especially his close ties with the United States. These people never forgave the U.S. for its role in the overthrow of Mossadeq�s government in 1953, and regarded the Shah as nothing more than a U.S. puppet. The Shi�ite religious opposition shared their view on this point and agreed to join forces with secular nationalists to seek the overthrow of the Shah�s government.

In the fall of 1971, the Shah ordered a massive and costly public relations exercise to be held in the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis, ostensibly to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the empire�s founding by Cyrus the Great. In reality, the whole affair was designed to glorify the Shah and convince Iran and the rest of the world that his regime was solid and enjoyed widespread public support. But behind the pageantry and showmanship, the Shah�s secret police, the dreaded Savak, trained by the American CIA and Israel�s Mossad, were rounding up opponents, who were tortured and killed by the thousands. Many young Iranian students and professionals became refugees in the West, where they continued their political activities against the Shah from abroad. Meanwhile, inside the country, Khomeini�s agents among the Muslim clergy were solidifying their already considerable support among the illiterate peasants and poor city-dwellers.

By 1978, the Shah�s hold on power was beginning to slip. Under pressure from his government, Iraq ordered Khomeini deported to Paris, where he continued his political campaign. In February 1979, units of the royal army refused to shoot down protesters in the streets of Tehran. With his support crumbling, and the U.S. government of President Jimmy Carter unwilling to help him hold on to power, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi reluctantly abandoned the peacock throne and headed into exile. Shortly afterward, Khomeini returned to a tumultuous welcome in Tehran and proclaimed an end to the monarchy and the establishment of the first Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pause For Analysis

1. What were the major achievements of the Shah�s regime in Iran? Why did many people in the country eventually turn against him? 2. How did Ayatollah Khomeini strengthen his political influence over many Iranians during this time? What kind of government did he support for Iran? THEME FIVE: The Islamic Republic and Transformation In the 20 years since its founding in 1979, the Islamic Republic has transformed virtually every aspect of Iranian society and radically altered the international power balance in the Middle East. The regime established by the Ayatollah Khomeini announced that it would pursue a neutral course in its relations with other countries, proclaiming it �neither east nor west� in the Soviet-American global superpower rivalry. But after the United States granted asylum to the exiled Shah, militant university students took over the American embassy in Tehran and seized 51 hostages. This move met with Khomeini�s support, and the hostage drama lasted 444 days, until the Americans were finally released after the newly elected government of President Ronald Reagan agreed to a settlement of outstanding U.S.-Iranian financial claims.

By this time Khomeini and his clerical supporters had completely outmanoeuvred the secular nationalists who had fought with them to overthrow the Shah�s regime. Political groups like the pro-communist Tudeh (Workers) Party, the student radicals known as the Mojahedin-e Khalq, and the ethnic Kurdish forces struggling for local autonomy were ruthlessly crushed. After a bombing inspired by the Mojahedin (warriors) killed the country�s president, prime minister, and numerous cabinet ministers and members of parliament, Khomeini ordered a crackdown on all opposition. Within 18 months, an estimated 13 000 people were killed, and tens of thousands more imprisoned. The revolutionary groups opposed to clerical rule were completely destroyed, and their leadership forced into exile.

Taking advantage of what he viewed as an unstable regime in Tehran, in September 1980 Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sent his army to invade Iran. This touched off a bloody, eight-year war between these two rivals for Middle East supremacy and control of the vital Shatt-al-Arab waterway, a major oil transport corridor. This was a bloody war in which more than a million soldiers and civilians on each side were killed or wounded. It was the longest conventional war between two countries in the 20th century. The Western powers armed and aided Iraq, regarding Iran�s militant Islamic revolution as a threat to the stability of the region. Eventually, after eight years of mutual slaughter and military stalemate, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire that restored

their pre-war boundaries.

Domestically, Iran�s new rulers tried to channel the revenues from their country�s vast oil reserves into economic and social development of the rural areas, where half the population lives. They did less to deal with the problems of the big cities like Tehran, which has grown dramatically and is now one of the largest cities in Asia. The gap in living standards between prosperous residents of the northern part of the capital and their impoverished neighbours in the southern suburbs is obvious to any visitor. The regime has encouraged education and literacy, especially for girls and young women, in stark contrast to the fundamentalist Taliban government in neighbouring Afghanistan. Enforcement of strict codes of morality, including the mandatory wearing of the chador (a long black garment Iranian women are required to wear in public) by women and restrictions on Western music and culture, are especially resented by middle-class city-dwellers. However, these policies of the Islamic government meet with far less opposition in more traditional, rural areas of the country.

In 1989, Khomeini outraged Western opinion by proclaiming a fatwa (death sentence) on the Indian-born author Salman Rushdie, whom he accused of defaming Islam in his book The Satanic Verses. Although the fatwa has not been carried out, it still stands, despite strong pressures from Western countries for it to be lifted. Later that year, Khomeini died, and was succeeded by Ali Khamenei, who vowed to continue his predecessor�s fundamentalist policies. Pause For Analysis 1. In what ways did the Islamic Revolution change Iran�s social and political system? 2. What do you think are the major achievements and failures of the revolution 20 years after it occurred? THEME SIX: Looking Ahead In Iran During the years following Khomeini�s death, some cautious steps toward reform were initiated by the government of President Rafsanjani, in power from 1993 to 1997. However, any serious effort to question the religious foundations of the regime were consistently blocked by Khamenei and his clerical supporters. Meanwhile, unrest and discontent continued to grow among many groups in Iranian society. Students and young people resented the repressive policies of the Basij (morality police), and middle-class women chafed at the restrictions imposed on them. More serious for Iran�s rulers, however, was the deepening economic and social crisis the country faced. Today Iran faces a serious unemployment problem, and more

than half its population lives below the poverty line. Cities like Tehran are trying to deal with terrible problems of overcrowding, slums, and pollution. The country�s foreign debt is very high, and the economy continues to suffer from the blockade imposed on it by the United States.

The situation Iran�s leaders face at the beginning of the new century is very similar to that confronted by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union over a decade ago. A regime based on a revolutionary ideology now finds itself at a dead end, economically, socially, and politically. There are increasing demands for reform on a number of fronts. President Khatami has been compared to Gorbachev because of his support for greater political freedom and a loosening of religious controls on people�s lives. So far, he has tried to move carefully on these issues, so as to avoid a confrontation with conservative elements that remain powerful in the government. But now that he has won a big vote of confidence for his reform program in the February 2000 parliamentary elections, he may be in a stronger position to advance his agenda. Whether he and his supporters will succeed in this effort, or, like Gorbachev, unleash forces that result in the collapse of the entire Islamic regime, remains to be seen.

Final Reflections 1. Who is Mohammed Khatami and what kind of changes is he trying to introduce into Iranian politics and society? 2. Why do you think Khatami has been compared to Mikhail Gorbachev? Do you think he will fail, like Gorbachev, to transform his country�s political and social system without breaking it apart? 3. The expression �history repeating itself� is a common aphorism. To what extent do you think this applies to Iran? 4. Iran, like many countries in the Middle East, is largely unknown to many Canadians except for the significant news events that have occurred there that have involved Canada. What do you think Canadians should know about Iran?

<<<< Part 1






Beyond the Veil





Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions


1. Using an atlas, encyclopedia, or almanac, make a chart or storyboard on Iran today, giving the following information about the country: (a) Geography: area, location, coastline, climate, neighbouring countries, landforms, capital and major cities, (b) People: population, ethnic groups, languages, religions, birth and death rates, infant mortality and life expectancy, (c) Government: leaders, type of government, national holiday, (d) Economy: overview, GDP, inflation, major industries, labour force, unemployment, agriculture, natural resources, (e) Finance and Trade: currency, gold reserves, defence expenditures, education expenditures, exports and imports, (f) Communication and Transportation: newspapers, televisions, radios, telephones, Internet access, motor vehicles, roads, railways, air traffic, airports. More information on Iran can be obtained by contacting the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 245 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, ON K2P 2K2, tel: (613) 235-4276, fax: (613) 232-5712. 2. View one of the following Iranian films that deal with the experiences of children growing up in the country today, The White Balloon, Abbas Kiarostami, director, 1994 and Children of Heaven, Mashid Mashidi, director, 1999. What can you learn about present-day Iranian society from watching films like these? 3. Find out more about the impact of the American Embassy hostage drama in Tehran that lasted from November 1979 to January 1981. How was this incident made into a media event by television networks like CNN, which had just started broadcasting in the United States at this time? See the CBC

video series The Dawn of the Eye, Episode 5: The Electronic Battalions (1975-1988) for more information on this topic. 4. Read one of the following books about Iran, and prepare a report on it: The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran, by Robin Wright; The Iranians: Persia, Islam, and the Soul of a Nation, by Sandra Mackey; Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Adventure, by Alison Wearing; Reconstructed Lives: Women and Iran�s Islamic Revolution, by Haleh Esfandiari; Theology of Discontent: The Ideological Foundations of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, by Hamid Dabashi. 5. Find out more about the controversy surrounding the fatwa the Ayatollah Khomeini issued against author Salman Rushdie in 1989 after the publication of his book The Satanic Verses. Why were many orthodox Muslims angry about this book? What issues does this case raise about freedom of expression and the right to have one�s religion respected? 6. Using newspaper and magazine articles and relevant Web sites, research and prepare a report on the political background and ideas of Iran�s President Mohammed Khatami. Why is he such an important figure in that country�s political life?







Beyond the Veil





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