Massoud Rajavi, the Historical Leader of the Mujahedin-E Khalq

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Massoud Rajavi, the historical leader of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK Iran) has had a major role in forming the opposition against the religious dictatorship ruling in Iran. He was born in 1947 in Tabas, a town in eastern Iran, in a family of intellectuals. Massoud Rajavi attended Tehran University where he earned his degree in political science. As an adolescent, Rajavi became acquainted with the teachings of Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani, a progressive cleric. He was also a supporter of the Freedom Movement of Iran, an organization that was in league with Mohammad Mossadegh, the popular Iranian prime minister who nationalized Iran’s oil industry in 1951. At various stages in the journey that has become MEK Iran’s history, he has led it with integrity, courage, and steadfast belief in the ideals of that small group of young, freedom-loving university students and intellectuals, who formed the only Muslim revolutionary movement in Iranian history, committed to guiding the nation to a free, democratic, and progressive future. On July 29, 1981, Massoud Rajavi announced the formation of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He invited all democratic forces opposed to religious despotism to join the democratic alternative to the religious, terrorist dictatorship. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has also adopted a number of plans for Iran's future, including: The NCRI's Peace Plan, the Plan for the Autonomy of Iranian Kurdistan, the Declaration on the Relations of the Provisional Government with Religion and Denominations, and the Plan on Rights and Freedoms of Women. Massoud Rajavi’s unrelenting endeavors have earned him a place in Iran’s history, alongside other great and respected Iranian political leaders. .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

KHERAD-DISSERTATION-2013.Pdf
Copyright by Nastaran Narges Kherad 2013 The Dissertation Committee for Nastaran Narges Kherad Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: RE-EXAMINING THE WORKS OF AHMAD MAHMUD: A FICTIONAL DEPICTION OF THE IRANIAN NATION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY Committee: M.R. Ghanoonparvar, Supervisor Kamran Aghaie Kristen Brustad Elizabeth Richmond-Garza Faegheh Shirazi RE-EXAMINING THE WORKS OF AHMAD MAHMUD: A FICTIONAL DEPICTION OF THE IRANIAN NATION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY by Nastaran Narges Kherad, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2013 Dedication Dedicated to my son, Manai Kherad-Aminpour, the joy of my life. May you grow with a passion for literature and poetry! And may you face life with an adventurous spirit and understanding of the diversity and complexity of humankind! Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation could not have been possible without the ongoing support of my committee members. First and for most, I am grateful to Professor Ghanoonparvar, who believed in this project from the very beginning and encouraged me at every step of the way. I thank him for giving his time so generously whenever I needed and for reading, editing, and commenting on this dissertation, and also for sharing his tremendous knowledge of Persian literature. I am thankful to have the pleasure of knowing and working with Professor Kamaran Aghaei, whose seminars on religion I cherished the most.
[Show full text]
Patterns of Religion and Democracy in World of Muslims
Volume 3 Issue 1 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND June 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 Patterns of Religion and Democracy in World of Muslims Parvizreza Mirlotfi Children and Adolescents Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran Mohammad Edris Arbabshastan* Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran *Corresponding Author Mahin Gholamian MA in political Sciences, graduated from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Homa Shiranzaei Islamic Azad University, Baft Branch, Faculty of Humanities – Department of Social Sciences, Iran Abstract The coincidence of arriving the democracy and the familiarity of Muslims with the word of democracy, there has been attempted to define the relationship between Islam and democracy among Muslin scholars. The attempt to define the religion and its nature and to make the balance with the democracy leads to form different interpretations from this relationship. Various examples of the concept of religion and different and conflicting definitions of the democracy have caused that delivering a comprehensive definition of the relationship between democracy and religion to face some problems. Referring to Quran and tradition and assignment of scientific and moral instruction to religion are against the democracy ideals. The emphasis on individual freedoms, public participation in politics, attention to common good and above all the rule of people over people led to form the theoretical and practical conflicts between science and religion and between religion and politics among Muslim thinkers. This article has reviewed the philosophical thoughts of some thinkers of Islam and their views in order to explain the relationship between Islam and democracy and it has proved this hypothesis that the Islamic thinkers have different interpretations and perceptions in dealing with democracy; some perceptions are intrinsic, immutable and inherent and some other perceptions are extrinsic and mutable.
[Show full text]
The Roots of Feminist Invocations in Post-Revolutionary Iran
THE ROOTS OF FEMINIST INVOCATIONS IN POST-REVOLUTIONARY IRAN Nina Ansary Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2013 © 2013 Nina Ansary All rights reserved ABSTRACT The Roots of Feminist Invocations in Post-Revolutionary Iran Nina Ansary Studies of the transformation of Iranian society after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and its impact on the position of the Iranian woman have revealed that three and a half decades of efforts by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to institutionalize an archaic image of the ideal Muslim woman have produced results contrary to what was intended. The expansion of women’s education in post-revolutionary Iran identified as an unintended consequence of the revolution has been empowering women against the IRI’s misogynistic ideology. A feminist movement based on the evolution of female consciousness and an unprecedented solidarity among previously divided secular and religious women has emerged as another medium of resistance. This study augments the research in this field by examining modifications in the education system following the revolution. A critical content analysis of elementary school textbooks issued by the Pahlavi and the IRI assesses the way in which each regime sought to impart its gender ideology to young girls. The eradication of coeducation and institution of single-sex schooling at the pre- university level is investigated as a factor in combating the constraints imposed by patriarchal laws on the female population. The conclusion is offered that the IRI may have unwittingly undermined its own agenda for women in promulgating such seemingly outdated decrees.
[Show full text]
Iranian Revolution Ethicalmun IV Crisis
EthicalMUN IV Iranian Revolution Chairs: Ben Greer and Lucas Saidenberg Crisis Directors: Josh Sacca, Oliver Polksy, and Alex Power EthicalMUN IV Hello Delegates, We are delighted to welcome you to EthicalMUN IV, and we look forward Iva Knezevic to two full and exciting days of debate. The topic of this committee is the Iranian Co-Secretary General Revolution and we look forward to seeing your innovative solutions and directives Theo Dassin to solve this crisis. We hope that this topic will stimulate your creativity and make Co-Secretary General for an amazing weekend. We have five experienced chairs and crisis directors who are eagerly anticipating the conference. Please take the time to thoroughly read the Julie Johnson Chief of Staff background guide and conduct research of your own so that you can have the best position papers possible. This background guide is simply a starting point for your Olivia Pollack research, and more research is necessary to prepare for this committee. For those of Chief of Staff you who are new to Model UN, this committee is a crisis committee, meaning that Spencer Sussman there will constantly be new problems (provided by our lovely crisis directors: Josh Chief of Staff Sacca, Alex Power, and Oliver Polsky) that you must solve. We want every delegate to fully represent their positions while working together to come up with a solution for this Crisis. This committee will start in January of 1978 when tensions began to boil over and thousands of students took to the streets in protest against the Shah. Anything before this is set in stone, but anything after is all up to you.
[Show full text]
US Foreign Policy and Its Perspectives on Revolutionary Iran
A Fleeting, Forgotten, Modus Vivendi: U.S. Foreign Policy and its Perspectives on Revolutionary Iran Before the Hostage Crisis of 1979 By Nathan Eckman Senior Thesis Spring 2018 Columbia University Department of History Seminar Advisor: Matthew Connelly Faculty Advisor: Peter Awn Table of Contents 2 Preface & Acknowledgments 3 Introduction 11 Chapter One: America, The Arbiter January – December, 1978 25 Chapter Two: “The Islamic Movement Will Squander” January – April, 1979 42 Chapter Three: Dawn in Qom, Dusk in Tehran May – November, 1979 54 Conclusion 60 Bibliography Eckman 1 Preface & Acknowledgments Four years ago I was in the Middle East wearing Marine Corps combat utilities. The men I trained beside, the seas and straits my ship traveled through, and the lands my platoon traversed illuminated the complexity and richness of the Middle East as a whole. I became fascinated with the region’s history and the United States’ involvement in it. It was also then that I decided to study the region whenever and wherever I went to school. Even then, due in part to its mysterious image and rogue-classification, I knew Iran must be the topic of my studies. So to begin, I must thank Columbia University and its History Department for providing me the opportunity to make my intellectual aspirations a reality. My years at this institution have challenged me on nearly every front and simultaneously given me the autonomy to find answers for myself. This, of course, is possible only because of the people that are the fabric of this great institution. It is tempting to list every man and woman who helped me along this journey.
[Show full text]
Religious Intellectual and Political Action in the Reform Movement
In the Name of God Religious Intellectuals and Political Action in the Reform Movement1 Hamidreza Jalaeipour Tehran, Iran Introduction On the face of it and within the context of contemporary Iranian politics, the category of "religious intellectuals" seems ambiguous and even paradoxical. On the one hand, there is still no consensus among the Iranian educated strata about who falls into this category. There is even no agreement about whether religious intellectuals constitute a cultural or political force. On the other hand, despite this ambivalence, the leading and influential role of religious intellectuals in what has come to be known as the Dovom-e Khordad Reform Movement are acknowledged by most observers and analysts. The purpose of this essay is to clarify this "ambiguity" by offering examples of religious intellectuals in different arenas and by discussing their role in and relationship to the reform movement. My point is that the category of religious intellectuals is not an undifferentiated category and the analysis of the differences that exist within the category is important for understanding the more prominent role some sections of religious intellectuals have come to play in the reform movement. 1 Paper prepared for delivery at the conference on "Intellectual Trends in 20th Century Iran" at Princeton University on 21 October 2000. 1 Religious Intellectuals and the Reform Movement The first question to ask is how do religious intellectuals manifest themselves in the reform movement? It will be easier to answer this question, if a distinction is made between the "broad" understanding of the term and its more "limited" sense.
[Show full text]
1St International Conference, It Has Been Agreed to Have the 2Nd Conference to Be Held in 2009 in Iran
2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WATER, ECOSYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID ZONES May 2009, ( Tehran – Yazd ), Iran http://www.ut.ac.ir/watarid.htm Scientific contact in Iran Scientific contact in France Scientific contact in China Dr Mahmoud TALEGHANI , Jeannine LE RHUN , Historian , Zhihui LIU, Professor of Sociology in Tehran Master of conferences at Ecole Director of Resources & University Pratique des Hautes Etudes Environment Science institute of Xinjiang University,- Chine Secretary: Sobhan AHANI Secretary: Jeannine LE RHUN Secretary : Yalikun TASHI [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Partners Introduction For scientists working on water-related issues, the world’s arid and semi-arid zones provide a veritable life-size laboratory. Due to their size, their history, and the complexity of Man’s relationship with water, these particularly vulnerable regions represent ideal objects of study. In arid and semi-arid zones the question of water resources, and of how to conserve and use them, is a major issue. For thousands of years, societies living in these vulnerable areas have been obliged to accumulate knowledge and develop techniques adapted to their sometimes parlous circumstances. Due to demographic growth, water resources are coming under increasing pressure, a situation which is creating new tensions that need to be studied as a matter of urgency. The International Conference on Water, Ecosystems and Sustainable Development intends to provide an original contribution to the field. Characterized by a multidisciplinary approach – including input from environmental and social scientists, as well as men and women involved and their theoretical and practical achievements – the Conference will focus on the use of water in the light of both ancient and modern practices; on the one hand, agricultural techniques, irrigation, construction and water use; and traditional, remote sensing and digitalization.
[Show full text]
Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Human Rights
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Columbia University Academic Commons Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Human Rights Studies Master of Arts Program Pushing Boundaries: Islamic Feminism in Iran Fatima Aslam Thesis adviser: Joseph Chuman Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts October 2017 Abstract Since the 1990s, a powerful feminist movement has emerged in Iran led by women who are challenging traditional authority and re-interpreting the Quran for themselves. The way this movement evolves will determine the future direction and development of the women’s right movement in Iran and in the larger Muslim world. In this thesis, I examine the life of two influential Iranian Islamic feminists, Shahla Sherkat and Azam Taleghani, in order to understand and assess their strategies in terms of expanding women’s rights in Iran. This paper begins by providing a brief discussion of the twentieth century social and political transformation in Iran that propelled Sherkat and Taleghani to get involved in the Islamic feminism movement in Iran. Next, it discusses how the two women relate Islam with Feminism, how they approached the Quran as a basis for reform, and how they expanded the presence of women in the political sphere of Iran. Through this thesis, I hope to show that change is happening – and more often that not, it is led by Muslim women. 2 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………4 Purpose and Significance of the Thesis ………………………………………………………….7 Research Methodology…………………………………………………………………………..9 Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………….10 Historical Background: Azam Taleghani and Shahla Sherkat………………………………… 17 Islam and Feminism: Reconciliation…………………………………………………………....22 Re-interpreting the Quran ……………………………………………………………………...30 Political Advancement of Women……….
[Show full text]
Class and Politics in Post-Revolution Iran: Descriptive and Substantive Justice
University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 2018 CLASS AND POLITICS IN POST-REVOLUTION IRAN: DESCRIPTIVE AND SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE Ali Dadgar University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Dadgar, Ali, "CLASS AND POLITICS IN POST-REVOLUTION IRAN: DESCRIPTIVE AND SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 7352. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/7352 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. CLASS AND POLITICS IN POST-REVOLUTION IRAN: DESCRIPTIVE AND SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE by Ali Dadgar A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada © 2018 Ali Dadgar Class and Politics in Post-Revolution Iran: Descriptive and Substantive Justice by Ali Dadgar APPROVED BY: _____________________________ M.
[Show full text]
A Neoclassical Realist Account
ABSTRACT The present monograph examines post-revolutionary Iran’s grand strategy by way of its adjustments at three key inection points. The rst spans the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the collapse of the bipolar order and the First Gulf War, along with internal structural changes following Ayatollah Khomeini’s death (1988-91). The second inection point encompasses the events of 11 September and the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq (2001-3). The third corresponds to the more recent Arab uprisings and the increasing internal and external pressures Iran faced over its nuclear program (2011-15). Given the epistemic challenges inherent in any reckoning of intentions or ends, as opposed to capabilities or means, a strict focus on the notion of ‘grand strategic adjustments’ instead permits an empirically-grounded COVER analysis of grand strategy as opposed to a more sweeping but potentially speculative reading. In examining these inection points, the author adopts Neoclassical Realism as a theoretical framework to structure the narrative, furnishing a systematic account linking systemic pressures and incentives (independent variable), via domestic lters (intervening variables), to nal outcomes or grand strategic adjustments (dependent variable). Given the prominence and predominance of ideas and the structure of rule in the Islamic Republic, the focus of domestic factors specically falls on the ‘ideational-constitutive’ (national identity, regime ideology, status aspirations and Grand strategic adjustments in state interests) and ‘institutional-competitive’ (elite interfactional bargaining) aspects. The author concludes that while Iran’s leaders have over the decades proven the capacity to both reconcile ends and means, and identify and respond to grand strategic threats and opportunities, they have ultimately yet to transcend the vicious post-revolutionary Iran: circle of self-manufactured challenges.
[Show full text]
Download This PDF File
Comparative Study of Post-Marriage Nationality Of Women in Legal Systems of Different Countries http://ijmmu.com [email protected] International Journal of Multicultural ISSN 2364-5369 Volume 8, Issue 4 and Multireligious Understanding April, 2021 Pages: 20-36 The Intellectual Tradition of Libertarian Islam and Its Relation to the Thought of the Islamic State in Iran 1 2 Sajjad Chitforoush ; Ali Kakadezfuli 1 Ph.D. in Political Thought and Faculty Member of Imam Hossein (AS) University, Iran 2 Ph.D. student in Political Science at Shahed University, Iran http://dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v8i4.2172 Abstract Liberal thought in Iran was based on contemporary political and social conditions that influenced Iranian thought. Also, this idea has benefited from some of the features of Iranian and Islamic political culture; therefore, it has been shown in a new form, called the tradition of freedom of Islam. One of the most important manifestations of this tradition can be seen in the formation of political thought after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The main question of this research, after explaining the idea of libertarian Islam in the form of an intellectual tradition, is how this idea has been effective in shaping the constitution and the nature of the political system in contemporary Iran. The results of this study show that the main issue of liberal thought in Iran was freedom of the public and restrictions on the duties of the government. In this regard, the original "non" has been absolutism. Thus, at the same time as the formation of the constitution after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, in spite of the inability to achieve complete power and the hegemony in the field of thought, it tried to prevent the widespread extension of the functions of the political system by ormulating restrictive laws of political power.
[Show full text]
Iran Real Politics and Political Motivation of Shiite
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi - Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Journal of Social Sciences ISSN/E-ISSN: 2548-088X Submitted/Başvuru: 28.04.2020 DOI: 10.33905/bseusbed.728266 Accepted/Kabul: 14.05.2020 Corresponding Author/Sorumlu Yazar: Citation/Atıf: Girayalp KARAKUŞ, Amasya Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat KARAKUŞ, G. (2020). Iran Real Politics and Political Fakültesi, Tarih Bölümü, [email protected] Motivation of Shiite. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 5/1, 110-124. DOI: 10.33905/bseusbed.728266 Orcid: 0000-0001-6240-5490 RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA MAKALESİ Iran Real Politics and Political Motivation of Shiite İran Reel Politiği ve Şiiliğin Motivasyonu Girayalp KARAKUŞ1 Öz İran devlet geleneğinde önemli bir yer tutan Şiilik inanç sisteminin ülkenin iç ve dış politikasına etkide bulunduğunu söyleyebiliriz. Protesto ve ağıt kültürüne dayanan bu inanç sisteminin etkileri İran devlet geleneğinde tarihsel bir arkaplana dayanmaktadır. Fatımilerden, Safevilere ve günümüze kadar etkilerini gözlemleyebileceğimiz bu inanç sistemi Müslüman dünyasında farklı bir yol izlemiştir. Şii devlet anlayışı Hz. Muhammed ve Hz. Ali’nin kurdukları devlet hariç diğer devletleri hak devleti olarak görmemektedir. Sünnilikteki halifelik anlayışından farklı olarak Şiilikte imamet anlayışı geliştirilmiş, imam hem dini hem de siyasi lider olarak kabul edilmiştir. Şiilik tarih boyunca kendilerini Sünnilerden farklı gören ve zaman zaman da Sünnilerle savaşan siyasi, dini ve kültürel inanç manzumesidir. Günümüzde Şiiliği en radikal biçimde uygulayan devlet olan İran İslam Cumhuriyet’i geçmişten gelen marjinal devlet siyasetini devam ettirmektedir. İslam’ın farklı bir yorumu olan bu inanç sistemi günümüzde rejimini Şiilerin yaşadığı coğrafyalara ihraç etme çabasındadır. Müslüman dünyasında azınlıkta kalan Şiilik genelde Şii Hilali denilen coğrafyada etkinlik kurmaya çalışmaktadır.
[Show full text]