book

Mass Protests in Iran

by Masoud Kazemzadeh

September 2023

Beginner to intermediate

268 pages

10h 14m

English

De Gruyter

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1.1 A Brief History of Protests Since the 1979 Revolution1.2 Resistance to Khomeini’s Dictatorship, 1979 – 19811.3 Resistance and Mass Protests, 1982 – 20231.3.1 May 1992, Mashhad1.3.2 April 1995, Islamshahr1.3.3 November 1998, Mass Protests at Funeral of Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar1.3.4 July 1999, Pro-democracy Student Protests1.3.5 June 2003, Pro-democracy Student Protests1.3.6 2009 – 2010, The Green Movement1.3.7 December 2017–January 2018, Mass Protest1.3.8 November 2019, Mass Protests Against Gasoline Prices1.3.9 January 2020 Civil Society Protests1.3.10 September 2022 – 2023, Mass Protests to Overthrow1.4 On the Nature of the Fundamentalist Regime1.5 Intra-elite Factionalism
2.1 What was the Fight About? Distribution of Power and the Proper Role of the Supreme Leader2.2 Supporters of Ahmadinejad’s Reelection2.2.1 The Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei2.2.2 IRGC and Basij2.2.3 Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and His Supporters2.2.4 Mojtaba Khamenei and Succession2.2.5 Hardline Fundamentalists Who Oppose Détente with the United States2.2.6 Ahmadinejad’s Inner Circle2.3 Opponents of Ahmadinejad2.3.1 Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani2.3.2 Reformists Elements of the Oligarchy2.3.3 Hojatolislam Mehdi Karrubi2.3.4 Mir-Hussein Moussavi2.3.5 The Youth Social Base Who Voted for Moussavi2.3.6 Secular Modern Middle Classes2.3.7 The Solid Opposition2.4 From Difference to Conflict2.4.1 July 9 Protests2.4.2 Hashemi Rafsanjani’s July 17 Speech2.4.3 The Social Sciences and Show Trials2.4.4 September 18, 2009, Qods Day2.4.5 November 4, 2009, the Anniversary of Taking Americans Hostage2.4.6 December, National Student Day, Death of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, and Ashura2.4.7 From Ashura to February 11: Crisis, Paralysis, and Response2.4.8 May 1, 2010, International Workers’ Day, and May 2, 2010, National Teachers’ Day2.4.9 June 20102.4.10 February 2011, Revival of the Green Movement and Arrests of Moussavi and Karrubi2.4.11 Conflict Between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei2.4.12 Political Paralysis2.5 Conclusion
3.1 Causes3.2 Policy Ramifications
4.1 Crisis of Legitimacy4.2 Crisis of Succession to the Supreme Leader4.3 Economic Crisis
5.1 The Straws Before the Final Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back5.2 Women’s Oppression Under the Fundamentalist Regime5.3 The Emergence of Prominent Female Leaders5.3.1 Shirin Ebadi5.3.2 Nasrin Sotoudeh5.3.3 Narges Mohammadi5.3.4 Parastoo Forouhar5.3.5 Darya Safai5.3.6 Masih Alinejad5.3.7 Sepideh Gholian5.3.8 Atena Daemi5.3.9 Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani5.4 Brilliant Women as Role Models5.5 Courage Under Repression by Men5.6 2019 – 2022: The Worst Years for Fundamentalist Intelligence Agencies and Military Apparatuses5.7 Celebrities Speak Up5.8 The Role of Satellite Television and Social Media5.8.1 Iran International Television5.8.2 Voice of America Television and Radio Farda5.9 The Final Straw5.10 Chronology of the 2022 – 2023 Mass Protests5.11 Characteristics5.11.1 Women’s Revolution5.11.2 Widespread Participation by Young Women5.11.3 Youth’s Revolution5.11.4 Ethno-sectarian Minorities as Pillars of a Pluralistic Iran5.11.5 From Small Towns and Rural Areas to Large Cities5.11.6 Multi-class Mass Participation5.11.7 Monarchists Vs. Democrats5.11.8 Slogans of the Protesters
6.1 The Election of Ebrahim Raisi to the Presidency: Hardline Solution to Crises or the Final Nail in the Coffin?6.2 Policy Ramifications6.2.1 Pro-IRI Lobby Groups and Individuals6.2.2 The Obama Presidency: Costs of Appeasement6.2.3 The Biden Presidency: Respite or Reprieve?6.2.4 China, Russia, and the E.U.6.3 Conclusion6.3.1 Possible Outcomes of the Mass Protests6.3.2 Policy Ramifications for Democratic CountriesBibliography

Overview

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.