Iran and the World: What Kind of Future?
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WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh Community Service Project of Rotary International and World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh Iran and the World: What Kind of Future? A BACKGROUND PAPER FOR STUDENT DELEGATES TO THE THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL W ORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA NOVEMBER 10, 2005 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF PITTSBURGH • 501 GRANT STREET, SUITE 1175 • PITTSBURGH, PA 15219-4406 412-281-7970 • FAX 412-281-1795 E-MAIL: [email protected] • WWW.WORLDAFFAIRSPITTSBURGH.ORG © 2005 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF PITTSBURGH IRAN AND THE WORLD: WHAT KIND OF FUTURE? INTRODUCTION results, and there is pressure to take the matter to the United Nations Security Council to impose political and “The history of Iran is full of failed political enterprises; its economic sanctions. Most analysts tend to discount the culture is far more enduring,“ says Iranian-American possibility of war with Iran because of American military author Afshin Molari in his recent book, The Soul of Iran. commitments elsewhere, but military action is still seen Iran’s rich cultural traditions and diverse people continue to as a last resort. intrigue the world. In landmass, Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East, just behind Saudi Arabia. It is The issues are not confined to only nuclear weapons. also in a vital geopolitical location, sharing borders with Iran’s role in the region and the character of its own Iraq and Turkey to the west, Afghanistan and Pakistan to government are also topics of American and international the east, the Caspian Sea and former Soviet republics to concern. Presidential elections of June 2005 in Iran the north, and across the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. provided a setback to moderate political elements, A country of nearly 70 million people, Iran’s official installing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a man known for his language is Farsi, not Arabic. The Islamic Republic of Iran more radical views. is, historically and currently, of major interest to American American knowledge of Iran is very limited. The U.S. has foreign policy makers and political leaders, as well as not had formal diplomatic relations with Iran for over many others of the international community. twenty-five years and has since imposed economic Despite political struggles between reform and sanctions on the country. However, we must understand conservative views, Iranians are unified in their pride of what is going on inside Iran to understand how Iranians their unique history and identity. In a speech at McGill see their security issues and their regional and global University, Iran’s first Nobel Peace Prize winner, human roles. If the U.S. and its allies are going to influence the rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, expressed that sentiment: choices that Iran makes, we need to have a better “Iran is not only a place on the globe; Iran lives in the understanding of the country, its culture, its history, and soul and heart of every Iranian. Iran will live with its its place in the world. This paper is meant to serve as a culture and preservation of its national traditions, its background of Iran’s historical experiences, domestic literature, its music, and its art. So Iran exists only with politics, economics, and social concerns, as well as all these things. It is our responsibility to pass this relations with the United States and the world. tradition to future generations, as it was passed from the previous generations to us.” HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Iranian government is a complex blend of theocracy The civilization of Persia, the former name of modern and democracy. Power is concentrated in a small group Iran, was an ancient great power. In 559 BCE, Cyrus the of Shi’ite clerics who represent the country’s dominant Great created the first world empire, establishing the sect of Islam, but Iran also has a popularly elected Achaemenian Dynasty in Persia. The Persian Empire president and legislative branch. Economically, Iran is reached its pinnacle during the reign of Darius the Great dependent on revenues from its large energy sector, (486-522 BCE). The Empire survived for nearly a consisting primarily of oil and natural gas res erves. On thousand years until its demise in 642 CE. The collapse the global front, Iranian leaders claim that they want of the great empire coincided with the introduction of a access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes only; new but growing religion: Islam. Transported from the however, Iran has been secretly expanding its nuclear Arabian Peninsula—the birthplace of Islam—to Persia by capabilities over the past two decades. nomadic tribesman, the religion took root in Persia and transformed the ancient civilization. Since then, the As a proud and ancient civilization, Iran clearly wants to Iranian civilization has maintained a unique fusion of assert its influence on the world stage, and in an era of Persian culture, music, art, and poetry with the tenets globalization, its influence becomes all the more and practices required of Muslims. important. In the midst of a global war on terror, continued conflict in Iraq, and tensions with a nearly Although the adoption of Islam connected Persia to other nuclear North Korea, Iran’s potential development of a emerging powers in the Middle East, the nation that nuclear weapons program is a major foreign policy became Iran adheres to a minority sect of the religion concern for both the United States and the world. known as Shi’ism. Shi’ism emerged as a unique sect of Concerns about Iran have been highlighted in American Islam after a conflict over succession in the years and international press and foreign policy experts have following the Islamic Prophet Muhammad’s death. focused on what may be the possible repercussions of a Shi’ites believe that Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law, is the new nuclear weapons state in the Middle East region. only proper successor to Muhammad. In contrast, the Sunnis, the majority sect of Islam, believe the rightful line Over the past several months, the U.S. has worked with of succession in Islam is not dependent on relation to the key European allies to encourage Iran to abandon Prophet but rather on individual faith and leadership. ambitions for a nuclear weapons program. As of this Therefore, Sunnis supported the rise of Abu Bakr, a close writing, negotiations have failed to produce desired companion of the Prophet Muhammad who was one of © 2005 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF PITTSBURGH the first converts to Islam. This battle over succession reaching his followers through tape-recorded speeches. rights in the 7th century created a schism in Islam that is In 1978, an article published by a state newspaper still evident today. As a result, Shi’ism has its own criticized Khomeini, unleashing demonstrations and holidays, heroes, and traditions and is more rooted in a violence in the Shi’ite holy city of Qom. Police shot and hierachical structure of Islam than its Sunni counterpart. killed several students. Adhering to Shi’ite customs, the Shi’ism, long present in Persia, became the official growing protest movement observed a forty-day mourning religion of the civilization in 1501 when Shah Ismail I period for the dead. On the forty-first day, they launched unified Persian groups under its teachings. another demonstration, beginning a cycle of forty-day Consequently, Shi’ite religious traditions were and remain observances followed by demonstrations. In September a mainstay in Iran. Indeed, until recent elections in Iraq 1978, the Shah declared martial law, but the upheaval gave the majority Shi’ites a prominent role, Iran was the continued. In January, after offering only moderate only Shi’ite-governed state in the region. reforms, the Shah was forced to flee the country and Fast forward to the twentieth century. With the Industrial Ayatollah Khomeini returned as the victorious leader of a Revolution and the skyrocketing world demand for revolution. He would later write a new Iranian constitution petroleum, Persia came under the heavy influence of that provided the foundation for the Islamic Republic and British and Russian interests. The oil sector was named him as the Supreme Leader of the country. particularly profitable for British business interests, and The Iranian Revolution galvanized American attention. the ruling monarchy (a series of “Shahs”) gained The United States had been the Shah’s most powerful considerable wealth from foreign investors. The majority supporter and had relied on his regime for security of Iranians did not share in the benefits of Iran’s rich interests in the Middle East. Consequently, not only were energy resources. Despite the growing economic and the Americans enraged by Khomeini’s movement, but the political frustrations of the Iranian people, the Shahs revolutionaries in Iran demonized the U.S., calling it the remained the undisputed rulers of Iran until 1951 with the “Great Satan” for backing the authoritarian Shah. On emergence of a charismatic nationalist named November 4, 1979, Iranian students loyal to Khomeini Mohammed Mossadeq. seized the American Embassy in Tehran, taking a total of Mohammed Mossadeq became Prime Minister of Iran in 66 Americans hostage, 53 of whom were held for 444 1951 after the assassination of the pro-Western Prime days. The hostage crisis claimed headlines in the United Minister, Ali Razmara. An increasingly popular Prime States for over a year, dominating as well a presidential Minister, Mossadeq nationalized the Iranian oil industry. election and creating a lasting image of Iran as evil and This move was wildly popular among the Iranian public dangerous in American minds. The United States has not but not favored by Western governments, especially the had formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the United States and Britain who profited from their embassy takeover.