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Iran: the Winds of Change Contents Iran: The Winds of Change CBCs foreign correspondent Neil MacDonald recently had a unique insiders 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 countrys 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 Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos? Beyond the Veil Introduction Iran: The Winds of Change 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 countrys 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 peoples 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 countrys 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. Khatamis 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 nations 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 latters 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 countrys neighbours and the rest of the world. Contents 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 Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos? Beyond the Veil Images of Transformation Iran: The Winds of Change 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. Canadas 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 countrys 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 Irans 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 Shahs 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 Irans government and society. This meant that the country was governed according to their interpretation of the Koran, Islams 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.
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