1. Section 5: Iran
Hailey, Jared, Maya, Austin

2. • 2009: President Ahmadinejad is re-elected.
• Opposition claimed the election was rigged.
• = Mass demonstrations in the streets.
• Protesters beaten, tear gassed, shot and killed.
• Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters clashed with
Pro-Ahmadinejad supporters.

3. “Largest Protests since the 1979 Iranian Revolution”
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_det
ailpage&v=OznZcNb7ZVM
• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5091194
n
• http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_d
isputed_election.html
Iran Stepping Up Effort to Quell Election Protest: Article

4. • Ahmadinejad received 62%
of the popular vote, Mousavi
received 33%.
• Largest turnout every: 85% of
eligible voters, 39 million
voters.
• 500 candidates filed for the
election, 4 selected to run.

5. • Along with middle east uprisings,
Iranians felt it was there time to
push again for democracy.
• Result=Protests, clashes, Iranians
killed.
• Millions flooded streets all across
Iran during 2010 and 2011.
• Social Media i.e. twitter; Internet
and cellphones limited by
government.
• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7350112n
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/iran-protests-
2011-videos_n_823162.html#s240183&title=Iran_14_Feb

6. • Internal & External
• Internal= how to combine theocracy with democracy
and clerical authority with mass participation?
– Conservatives gained upper hand but limited
democracy.
– Question: can Iran become a dominant world
power without human rights abuses, rigged
elections, and unregulated militant entities?

7. • Ways to take on internal challenge:
– Flexibility
– Liberalization
– Greater scope of civil society
– Public Participation= competitive elections
*Strengthen the democracy not the theocracy.

8. • Internal & External
• External= the United States
– Bush: “Axis of Evil”
– Challenge b/c American economic sanctions, lack
of diplomatic relations, and ex-member of WTO.
U.S. accuses Iran of helping terrorists (Hamas &
Hezbollah).
Questions over Weapons of Mass Destruction.

9. • Obama admin. accepted Iran’s
right to enrich uranium.
• Iran began to enrich uranium
using new and faster methods;
saying its for energy.
– In 2011, IAEA report = Iran
testing nuclear technologies.
*2012 inspectors schedule to
inspect Iran nuclear facility,
however never allowed into
country.

10. • U.S. uses economic
sanctions: = made Iran
more determined to get
weapons.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJsxmvv0zqw
• Iran continues to develop
(or has developed?) a
nuclear weapon.
• Israel threatens to
attack/bomb Iran facilities
with or without U.S.

11. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzX62F0JfI
• http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57414223/iran-western-
powers-hail-latest-nuclear-talks/
• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/magazine/will-israel-attack-
iran.html?pagewanted=all

12. • Iran was never formally colonized by the European
imperial powers and has always been independent.
• Iran gov. connects with its society through religion.
– Shi’ism= national identity, “social and cultural cement”
– Collective identity “strained by other internal fault lines”
• Economy is largely undeveloped.
• Development of democracy “constricted” by
theocracy.

13. • Politics in Iran divided by question of how to
govern an economy.
• Economic problems, i.e. sharp rise in oil
prices, could crash Iranian economy.
• The themes and implications that brought the
regime into power in 1979 have eroded and
there is growing discontent and push for
democracy.

14. • Iran= theocracy (clerics)/democracy;
Islamic Republic of Iran
• Executive=president Ahmadinejad,
elected 4 yr. terms.
Treaties/laws/agreements.
• Legislature=Majles, unicameral, elected 4
yr. terms. Draft leg., ratify treaties,
budget.
• Supreme Leader=true ruler Ayatollah
Khamenei. War, nominate off., bridge
between branches of government.

15. • Assembly of Experts= 86, elected 8
yr. terms, oversee Supreme Leader.
• Guardian Council=12, interpret
const. resolve conflict.
• Persian heritage. Farsi off. language.
• 1979 Revolution, Hostage Crisis.
• Iran=rentier state, economy=oil,
mostly gov. controlled.
• Protests= 1979, student, election,
green movement.

16. • Cleavages= religion,
inequalities, theocracy over
democracy, market diversity,
“Axis of Evil” and nuclear
weapons, international
relations, human rights.