The Iranian Revolution: Islamic Fundamentalism Confronts Modern Secularism
The Conflict
Iran is an Islamic fundamentalist state that has repressed dissent for the last twenty years. There have been recent attempts at secularization—attempts to offer dissenting views and liberalize lifestyles.
Political
- Iranians have supported reform party candidates, and seem to want a country with meaningful political choices and participation, including multiple views and lifestyles.
- Many younger Iranians—who were not born when the Shah ruled Iran—are not as threatened by and hostile toward the West.
- Iran's leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has warned against reformers and reforms and has threatened to nullify elections if reform candidates win.
Religious
• Some Islamic leaders believe that they must have an Islamic state, where all law is based on the Qor'an (also spelled Koran), in order to be moral and holy.
In 1997 the citizens of Iran elected Hojjatoleslam Mohammed Khatami president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite his long association with the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his support of the Islamic Revolution of 1979, most Westerners heralded his election as a move away from the strict Islamic regime of Khomeini and past presidents. This remarkable reception was due in large part to Khatami's own political journey, which moved him from Khomeini's camp toward a broader perception of Iran's role in world affairs.
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