POLITICAL REPRESSION, SOCIALIZATION, AND FM-MEOF INTERPRETL4TION:A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSTITUTIONAL REGIME (1906) AND AS ISLAMIC REGIME (1979) IN IRAN A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fùlfilrnent of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Depanment of Sociolog); and Anthropology Carleton Cniversity Ottawa, Ontario 6 copyright 1997. Behnam Behnia National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 .,,,da du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliogaphiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fïlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thése ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or ofhewise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. The establishment of an Isiarnic regime in Iran. in 1979. despite decades of secularization and the quietism of the Shi'a establishment, came as a surprise to man- scholars in their atrempt to explain this phenornenon, scholars have examined various factors such as Shi' a ideology. the anornie created by rapid modernization: Iran's uneven stmctural development: the charisma and politicai ability of Khomeini: and the political and theoretical mistakes of the secular forces. In general. however. scholars have overlooked that the establishment of an Islamic regime in Iran was also a reproduction of dictatorship. that the forces opposing the dictatorial regime of the Shah did not perceive dernocratic rights as universai nor as t heir priority After the revolution, the demands for women's nghts. freedom of expression. or fair trial were refuted on the grounds of being either "secondary" issues or liberal and/or western concepts. This thesis contends that the establishment of an Islamic regime in Iran cannot be hlly understood without taking into consideration the vision that opposition forces had of democracy and how a society should be mled. as well as the political circumstances under which revolution occurred. I argue that whereas confidence in the intellectual and moral cornpetence of ordinary people is the underlymg assumption of democracy. the forces opposing the Shah perceivecf the populace as politically and culturally infected by a decadent bourgeois/westem/imperialistculture. Moreover. the political liberation and flourishing of civil society that resulted fiom the revolutionary situation soon came under attack by the Islamic govemment. To shed iight on this argument a comparative study of the 1906 and 1979 Iranian revolutions is undertaken in this thesis. The study of these two revolutions indicates that contrary to 1979. the opposition forces in 1906 had a positive perception of liberalism and struggled for popular sovereignty Moreover. in 1906 nearly a decade of political opening created an opportunity for the general population to debate and refiect on competing ideas and opinions. In the completion of this dissertation I have benefited from the support of man- individuals. 1 would like to take this opportunit- to acknowiedee and thank members of rny thesis cornmittee for their long hours of reading several drafts of my thesis and provlding advice and encouragement. It has been an enjoyment and delight to work with them. My most sincere appreciation to my thesis supervisor. Professor .Man Hunt. for his reientless intektual support. patient guidance. constructive criricism. and prompt feedback 1 am thanl6ul to him not only for the generous contribution of time and energy he devoted to my thesis but also for his unfàiling kindness and continuous support and understanding in the most difficult moments. 1 would like to acknowledge and thank other members of my thesis cornmittee To Professor Rime Mahon for her ongoing inteiiectual and personal support since rny first year in the graduate programme. Her numerous suggestions have sharpened my argument immeasurably and have pointed out directions 1 wodd have missed. To Professor Nahla Abdo for sharing her knowledge and expertise on the Middle East and her chalienging cornrnents during the developrnent of the thesis. 1 wish to extend my thank you to Brigitte Maienfant. Dominique Masson. Elizabeth Chih and Kirsten McAUister for their fnendship and personal suppon Thanks are also owed to Linden Holmes for her editoriai suggestions. I would like to express mp special appreciation to Margaret Phillips for her untiring hendship and boundless patience. There is no page in this dissertation which has not been read and commented on by Margaret 1 would keto th& my sister. Behnq who with enthusiasm followed rny thesis and encouraged me to completion. 1 wish to express gratitude to my parents for their caring and unlimited support and affection. Finally. I lovingly acknowledge the suppon of my wife. Faranak Without her companionship it would have been difficult to bring this thesis to conclusion She enthusiastically mpported me throughout the thesis process and provided me with invaluable suggestions. love. and humour 1 have no words to thank her 1 dedicare this thesis to my sister-in-law. Fariba. who died traeically lasr month der two years of terminal illness 1 admired her love for life. patience. braven and defiant personality TABLE OF CONTEYTS .*. TABLE OF CONTENTS . III CHAPTER ONE - SETTING THE PROBLEiM . I 1 I Frame of Interpretation & Frarne .Ilignment 3 1 2 Socialization & Political Repression 8 1 3 Political Repression Civil Society & Passive Revolution 12 1 4 Political Repression & Face-to-Face Interactions 14 1 3 1 Dissimulation or Concealed Self 15 1 4 2 Horizontal. Vertical. and Oblique Voice 20 1 4 3 Small Secret & Semi-Secret Groupings 33 1 5 Outline of the Thesis 38 SECTION ONE - THE IRANLAN 1906 CONSTITUTIONA4LREVOLUTION . 30 CHAPTER TW'O -THE QAJAR IRAN (l796-I92S) . 31 2 1 Patrimonial Authority of Qajars 3 1 2 7 Shi' a in Qajar Iran 36 2 3 Fragmented Society 4 1 2 4 Impact of the Western Influence 44 CHAPTER THREE - REFORii MOVTMENT IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY .................................................. 48 3 1 Reforrns From Above ( 1843- 1890) 48 3 2 The Tobacco Protest Movement 54 3 3 The Tobacco Movement & the Conception of Authonty 60 CH.4PTER FOUR - THE 1906 CONSTITUTION.AL REVOLUTIOIi . 62 4 1 The Flounshing of Civil Society 62 4 2 Western Civilization .As .A Positive Mode1 66 4 3 Dissident Clergy 70 4 4 Strategies of Frame Transformation Responsibilization' and Delegi~irnization'of -4uthority 72 4 5 The First Stage of the Constitutional Revolution 77 ... III CHAPTER FIVX - THE 1906 REVOLG'TIOS .AND THE SECuLAIUZATION PROCESS . 86 5 1 The Post-Revolution's Political Climate 86 5 2 Debates on Popular Sovereignty & Democracy 90 5 2 1 Parliament as the Legjslative Power 92 5 2.2 Pnnciple of Equality 92 5 2.3 The Principle of Freedorn 95 5 3 The Role of Modern Institutions in Secuiarization 96 5 3 1 Parliament 98 5 3 2. Anjomans (associations). 101 5 3 3 Journds 103 5 4 The 1908 Coup and the Closure of Parliament 1 04 SECTION TWO - THE 1979 REVOLUTION . 108 CRAPTER SIX - REZA SHAH PAHLAVI (1921-1941) . .. 113 6.1 Lookingfora'Savior'(1911-1921) 113 6 2. State-Civil Society Relationships ( 192 1- 194 1 ) 117 6.2 1 From Reza Khan to Reza Shah Pahlavi ( 192 1- 1925) 1 18 6 2.2. The Reign of an Autocrat ( 1925- 194 1 ) 121 6 2 3 National Uniforrnity and Confonnity 125 6 2.4 Secularization and Ami-Clencal Policies 137 6 3 Passive Revolution & ' Women's Emancipation' 130 6 4 The Fall of Reza Shah 134 CEIAPTER SEVEN - THE RISE & FALL OF MOHAM.MAD REZA SRAH (l94l-i979) ............................................... 136 7 I State-Civil Society Relationships ( 194 1 - 1 963 ) 137 7 2 The June 1963 Cprising and the Defeat of Khomeini 143 7 3 Reflections on the Defeat of the June 1963 Uprising 150 7 1 The Establishment of an .4utocracy 154 7 5 The Fa11 ofthe Shah 160 7 6 The Establishment of the lslamjc Republic in Iran 168 CfiAPTER EIGHT - SOCIALUATION UNDER DICTATORSHIP & FRAME OF INTERPRETATION . .. 176 8 1 Corporate & Positivist Frarne of Interpretation 177 S 2 The Veneration of Heroes and Martyrs 188 8 3 WESTOMCATION THESIS 199 8 3 1 Rejection of the West & Cultural and Moral Superiority of the East 303 8 3 2 Histoi-y as Conspiracy and Plot 208 8 3 3 Westoxication Thesis & Dernocrac- 210 CBAPTER NINE - THE REPRODUCTION OF DICT.4TORSHIP . 215 9 1 Democracy & Its Assumptions 217 9 2 The Opposition's Frarne of lnterpretation 219 9 3 Abrogation of Women's Rights in Iran 223 9 3 1 Modem Woman The Fifih Column of Impenalism 224 9 3 2 Passive Revolution & Women's Rights 229 9 3 3 The Suppression of Women's Movement and Rights 23 1 CHAPTER TEN - CONCLUSIONS. ., . 236 REFERENCES .................................................... 240 CHAPTER ONE SETTING THE PROBLEM In the Spring of 1977 the protest movement against the dictatorial regirne of the Shah of Iran empted and by February 1979 had succeeded in ovenhrowing the regirne Irnmediately afier the fa11 of the Shah. in its attempt to seize power and to establish an Islamic regime in Iran. Khomeini's faction began to attack democratic rights and institutions Parado?cically. secular forces which had stmggled against the dictatorial regirne of the Shah demanding freedom and democracy.