Mass Protests in Iran

Mass Protests in Iran

by Masoud Kazemzadeh
Released September 2023
Publisher(s): De Gruyter
ISBN: 9783111280387

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Book description

Mass Protests in Iran: From Resistance to Overthrow explores the various waves of protests in Iran over the past 44 years, surveying their causes, consequences, and outcomes. The author argues that the regime and its support base of fundamentalist groups constitute a minority in Iran and lack legitimacy, and thus the regime uses repression and violence to secure its rule. The result is a pre-revolutionary situation and a shifting political landscape of overthrows, constant mass protests and mass repression. Kazemzadeh’s analysis highlights the factors that would assist the fundamentalist regime in succeeding in suppressing these protests, and the factors that would assist the Iranian people in defeating the fundamentalist regime.
Written in an accessible style, this timely book offers a much-needed contribution to the literature on Iranian politics. It will be of interest to students and scholars, as well as policy makers, interested in Middle Eastern studies, social movements, protest movements, political science and sociology.

Table of contents

  1. About the Author
  2. Preface and Acknowledgments
  3. Chapter 1 Introduction
    1. 1.1 A Brief History of Protests Since the 1979 Revolution
    2. 1.2 Resistance to Khomeini’s Dictatorship, 1979 – 1981
    3. 1.3 Resistance and Mass Protests, 1982 – 2023
      1. 1.3.1 May 1992, Mashhad
      2. 1.3.2 April 1995, Islamshahr
      3. 1.3.3 November 1998, Mass Protests at Funeral of Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar
      4. 1.3.4 July 1999, Pro-democracy Student Protests
      5. 1.3.5 June 2003, Pro-democracy Student Protests
      6. 1.3.6 2009 – 2010, The Green Movement
      7. 1.3.7 December 2017–January 2018, Mass Protest
      8. 1.3.8 November 2019, Mass Protests Against Gasoline Prices
      9. 1.3.9 January 2020 Civil Society Protests
      10. 1.3.10 September 2022 – 2023, Mass Protests to Overthrow
    4. 1.4 On the Nature of the Fundamentalist Regime
    5. 1.5 Intra-elite Factionalism
  4. Chapter 2 The Green Movement, 2009 – 2010
    1. 2.1 What was the Fight About? Distribution of Power and the Proper Role of the Supreme Leader
    2. 2.2 Supporters of Ahmadinejad’s Reelection
      1. 2.2.1 The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei
      2. 2.2.2 IRGC and Basij
      3. 2.2.3 Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and His Supporters
      4. 2.2.4 Mojtaba Khamenei and Succession
      5. 2.2.5 Hardline Fundamentalists Who Oppose Détente with the United States
      6. 2.2.6 Ahmadinejad’s Inner Circle
    3. 2.3 Opponents of Ahmadinejad
      1. 2.3.1 Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
      2. 2.3.2 Reformists Elements of the Oligarchy
      3. 2.3.3 Hojatolislam Mehdi Karrubi
      4. 2.3.4 Mir-Hussein Moussavi
      5. 2.3.5 The Youth Social Base Who Voted for Moussavi
      6. 2.3.6 Secular Modern Middle Classes
      7. 2.3.7 The Solid Opposition
    4. 2.4 From Difference to Conflict
      1. 2.4.1 July 9 Protests
      2. 2.4.2 Hashemi Rafsanjani’s July 17 Speech
      3. 2.4.3 The Social Sciences and Show Trials
      4. 2.4.4 September 18, 2009, Qods Day
      5. 2.4.5 November 4, 2009, the Anniversary of Taking Americans Hostage
      6. 2.4.6 December, National Student Day, Death of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, and Ashura
      7. 2.4.7 From Ashura to February 11: Crisis, Paralysis, and Response
      8. 2.4.8 May 1, 2010, International Workers’ Day, and May 2, 2010, National Teachers’ Day
      9. 2.4.9 June 2010
      10. 2.4.10 February 2011, Revival of the Green Movement and Arrests of Moussavi and Karrubi
      11. 2.4.11 Conflict Between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei
      12. 2.4.12 Political Paralysis
    5. 2.5 Conclusion
  5. Chapter 3 Mass Protests, December 2017 – January 2018
    1. 3.1 Causes
    2. 3.2 Policy Ramifications
  6. Chapter 4 The Political Situation in 2022
    1. 4.1 Crisis of Legitimacy
    2. 4.2 Crisis of Succession to the Supreme Leader
    3. 4.3 Economic Crisis
  7. Chapter 5 Woman, Life, Freedom, the 2022 – 2023 Mass Protests
    1. 5.1 The Straws Before the Final Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
    2. 5.2 Women’s Oppression Under the Fundamentalist Regime
    3. 5.3 The Emergence of Prominent Female Leaders
      1. 5.3.1 Shirin Ebadi
      2. 5.3.2 Nasrin Sotoudeh
      3. 5.3.3 Narges Mohammadi
      4. 5.3.4 Parastoo Forouhar
      5. 5.3.5 Darya Safai
      6. 5.3.6 Masih Alinejad
      7. 5.3.7 Sepideh Gholian
      8. 5.3.8 Atena Daemi
      9. 5.3.9 Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani
    4. 5.4 Brilliant Women as Role Models
    5. 5.5 Courage Under Repression by Men
    6. 5.6 2019 – 2022: The Worst Years for Fundamentalist Intelligence Agencies and Military Apparatuses
    7. 5.7 Celebrities Speak Up
    8. 5.8 The Role of Satellite Television and Social Media
      1. 5.8.1 Iran International Television
      2. 5.8.2 Voice of America Television and Radio Farda
    9. 5.9 The Final Straw
    10. 5.10 Chronology of the 2022 – 2023 Mass Protests
    11. 5.11 Characteristics
      1. 5.11.1 Women’s Revolution
      2. 5.11.2 Widespread Participation by Young Women
      3. 5.11.3 Youth’s Revolution
      4. 5.11.4 Ethno-sectarian Minorities as Pillars of a Pluralistic Iran
      5. 5.11.5 From Small Towns and Rural Areas to Large Cities
      6. 5.11.6 Multi-class Mass Participation
      7. 5.11.7 Monarchists Vs. Democrats
      8. 5.11.8 Slogans of the Protesters
  8. Chapter 6 Conclusion: Regime Survival or Regime Collapse
    1. 6.1 The Election of Ebrahim Raisi to the Presidency: Hardline Solution to Crises or the Final Nail in the Coffin?
    2. 6.2 Policy Ramifications
      1. 6.2.1 Pro-IRI Lobby Groups and Individuals
      2. 6.2.2 The Obama Presidency: Costs of Appeasement
      3. 6.2.3 The Biden Presidency: Respite or Reprieve?
      4. 6.2.4 China, Russia, and the E.U.
    3. 6.3 Conclusion
      1. 6.3.1 Possible Outcomes of the Mass Protests
      2. 6.3.2 Policy Ramifications for Democratic Countries
  9. Bibliography
  10. Index

Product information

  • Title: Mass Protests in Iran
  • Author(s): Masoud Kazemzadeh
  • Release date: September 2023
  • Publisher(s): De Gruyter
  • ISBN: 9783111280387