1. Why is it ALWAYS in the news?!
Middle East
Why is it ALWAYS in the news?!

2. Middle East
End of WWI—Ottoman lands were controlled by the League of Nations
France controlled Syria and Lebanon
Britain controlled Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq
Iran was carved up into spheres of influence between Britain and Russia
Turkey and Saudi Kingdom created
After WWII???

3. Modernization experiments
Scientific outlook, tech achievements, focus on matrl values = uneasy w/old traditions
How will Islam relate to modernity?

4. Modern Turkey
General Ataturk fought Br, Fr, It, Gk efforts to dismember what was left of Ottoman empire
Compared to Peter the Great
Sought to transform into modern, secular, natl state by embracing European civz completely
First remove Islam from public life = elevates rel when can’t be used as polt tool

5. Ataturk sweeping reforms
Broaden access = translate Quran into Turkish; call to prayer = Turkic instead of Arabic
Desposed old sultan/ruler + abolished caliphate
Sufi rel schools closed; rel titles abolished;
Dissolved Islamic courts; sharia law replaced with secular law codes
Even Arabic script replaced w/western alphabet

6. Social life in Turkey Men ordered to abandon the fez
Elite women abandon veil as well
Polygamy abolished; women granted equal rts in divorce, rt to vote, beaches open to women
Cult Rev unique in Islamic world!
After Ataturk’s death, some practices returned = call to prayer in Arabic; but mostly still secular

7. Iran totally different story!
Islamic revolution: Govt of Shah Pahlavi tried a bit of secular modernization
Due to wealth in oil, powerful milt, educ elite = alliance w/US
“White Revolution” leads to redist land to peasantry
Women get right to vote
President Carter comes to Iran = congratulate on modernization and westernization = enough is enough!!

8. Reaction to White Revolution
Small scale merchants feel threatened by increased imports from West
Rel ldrs offended by educ that bypasses Islamic schools
Rural migrants to growing cities (Tehran) see high costs and insecure/random employment

9. Iran Iran Islamic revolution frustrating to US
CIA helps shah to retain throne equipping Iranian army w/American weapons
Shah’s dependence on US furthers the issue
Mass opposition to corruption led by Ayatollah Khomeini forces shah to flee Iran
Religious control of legislation and public behavior enforced

10. Opposition concentrates
Little outlet for grievances
Shi’ite rel ldrs mobilize opposition
Shia cleric Ayatollah Khomeini returns from exile in Paris and leads mvmt in 1979
Massive urban demonstrations, strikes, erodes shah’s support base = has to abdicate power

11. Culture Revolution countered!
Toward MORE Islamization of public life
An Islamic Republic is declared
Legal scholars empowered to interpret/supervise elections + review legis
Opposition harshly crushed = 1800 executions in 1981 of those “waging war against Allah”

12. Govt and Educ in Iran Khomeini applied law of Allah from Sharia
All judges had to be competent in Islamic law
Discarded secular law codes completely
Closed colleges for 2 yrs to purify un-Islamic infl from textbooks! 40k teachers fired
Priority is rel instruction

13. Women
Required to wear modest head-to-toe covering of hijab; those who don’t public harassment, lashings, imprisonment
Sexual segregation imposed
Legal age of marriage lowered to 9 yrs old
Married women can’t file for divorce

14. Ayatollah vs. US Ayatollah sees US as “Great Satan”
Iranian embassy in Tehran seized and 52 diplomats held captive for 444 days; US helpless to do anything

15. Khomeini the activist
Appealed to Shi’ite minorities in Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, ,Saudi Arabia, Iraq
8 year war w/secular Iraq under Saddam Hussein (US supports Hussein!) high loss of life
Clear diff between Arabs/Persians, Shia/Sunni

16. Iran today… Khomeini dies 1989 – more moderates replace
2005 short lived return to conservativism
By 2009 lg protests to rigid Islamic regime
Most hopeful ally to West in fighting ISIS threats of 2015 = sanctions of UN over active pursuit of nuclear power weaken in face of ISIS
Oil reserves still fuel dev
Internet sites
in Iran 2015