Marjane Satrapi Persepolis Background Reading with the Historical

Marjane Satrapi Persepolis Background: Reading with the Historical Lens

Label Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia on the map on your handout. �According to a 2006 CNN Study: “Geography Greek to Young Americans” After more than three years of combat and nearly 2, 400 U. S. military deaths in Iraq, nearly twothirds of Americans aged 18 to 24 still cannot find Iraq on a map. In the Middle East, 63 percent could not find Iraq or Saudi Arabia on a map, and 75 percent could not point out Iran or Israel. Forty-four percent couldn't find any one of those four countries.

What can we infer is problematic if our young people don’t know the geographic makeup of our world? �"Taken together, these results suggest that young people in the United States. . . are unprepared for an increasingly global future, " said the study's final report.

So where is Iran, the country in which Persepolis takes place?

Now label Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia on the map on your handout.

Tehran is Iran’s Capital

What does this mean? According to dictionary. com � Islam: A monotheistic (belief in only one God) religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God. ▪ The people or nations that practice Islam; the Muslim world. ▪ The civilization developed by the Muslim world. � Revolution: The overthrow of one its replacement with another. government and

Iran: The Basics � IRAN, officially Islamic Republic of Iran, republic � 2011 est. pop. 75, 149, 669 � 1, 648, 000 sq km, SW Asia. Slightly smaller than Alaska. � Prior to 1935, Iran was known as Persia. � Tehran is the capital, largest city and the political, cultural, commercial, and industrial center of the nation.

Iran: The Basics continued… � Islam entered the country in the 7 th cent. AD and is now the official religion; about 90% of Iranians are Muslims of the Shiite sect. � The remainder, mostly Kurds and Arabs, are Sunnis. � In addition to Armenian and Assyrian Christian sects, there are Jews, Protestants, and Roman Catholics. � The principal language of the country is Persian (Farsi), which is written in Arabic characters. Other languages are Turkic dialects, Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, and Arabic. Among the educated classes, English and French are spoken.

Iran: A brief modern history— 1925 �Reza Khan is elected Shah of Persia �He abolished the British treaty (in other words the British no longer controlled Persia), reorganized the army, introduced many reforms, and encouraged the development of industry and education.

Iran: A brief modern history— 1935 �Persia changes its name to Iran

Iran: A brief modern history— 1941 -43 � In Aug. , 1941, two months after the German invasion of the USSR (Russia now), British and Soviet forces occupied Iran. � Reza Shah goes into exile and is succeeded by his son, Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi. American troops later entered Iran to handle the delivery of war supplies to the USSR. � Iran is considered an ally in the war against Germany. President Roosevelt with the Shah of Iran during the Tehran Conference - November 30, 1943

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Iran: A brief modern history— Relations with the West: 1951 -1960 � 1951—Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq nationalizes Iran’s oil industry and Great Britain organizes an embargo (an official trade ban) � 1953—CIA & British Intelligence organize a coup (violent and illegal seizure of power) to overthrow Mossadeq � 1954—Iran allowed British, American, French, and Dutch oil companies to operate its oil facilities, with profits shared equally between Iran and the consortium. � 1957—Martial law (the British, American, French, and Dutch militaries were involved in the suspension of ordinary law by the leaders of Iran) was ended after 16 years in force. Iran established closer relations with the West, joining the Baghdad Pact, and receiving large amounts of military and economic aid from the United States until the late 1960 s.

Iran: A brief modern history— Relations with the West: 1951 -1960 � Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi held close reins on the government as absolute monarch, but he moved toward certain democratic reforms within Iran. A new government-backed political party, the Iran Novin party, was introduced and won an overwhelming majority in the parliament in the 1963 and subsequent elections. Women received the right to vote in national elections in 1963. Shah with President Kennedy in the oval office 1962

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Rule Under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi 1 Man th l a e Pow er Wealthy Land Owners W Military Agriculture Pow erles s Industry Workers from Privatized Farms and Industry (owned by wealthy land owners) Millions of People r Poo

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Iran: A brief modern history— Politics within Iran— 1960 -70 s � The shah's various reform programs and poor economic conditions alienated some of the major religious and political groups, and riots occurred in mid-1963. � Internal opposition within the country was regularly purged by the Shah's secret police force (SAVAK), created in 1957. � 1978—Iran comes close to civil war amidst strong Shi’i opposition to the Shah. Opposition is led by Ayatollah Khomeini who lives in exile in France While Shah was concerned with international relations as seen here in 1972 with President Nixon in the oval office, his country’s people were experiencing poverty and seeing the West benefit more from their labors and resources than they were.

Iran: A brief modern history— Reza Shah’s Major Achievements �Iranian railway �National bank �Creation of the first university in Iran �Eradication of malaria �Eradication of corruption in civil servants, paying wages in time so people did not have to rely on bribes �Creation of schoolbooks; before Reza Shah the Islamic madreseh was the only form of schooling and the Koran the only widely available book

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

The Islamic Revolution Why did the Iranians have a revolution if Reza Shah had such accomplishments?

Karl Marx: German Philosopher (THINKER—not a leader) n n n Father of Communism Wrote the Communist Manifesto Dreamed of a New Social Order n Strengthen industry, agriculture, and military n Populace of educated people will successfully govern themselves n Citizens will collectively own the combined wealth n Utopian type dream where a classless society provided all its citizens with a comfortable and meaningful life

Communism As Envisioned By Karl Marx No Man H PO LT EA W W ER Self Governance Collectively Owned Agriculture Collectively Owned Industry Mandatory Military Service For All Citizens

Hope for Change Like the revolutionaries of America, France, and Russia, the Iranians hoped for a government which allowed them more opportunities to prosper. They were familiar with Marx’s work and it did influence some peoples’ thinking. That does not mean all people wanted a communist state. Some hoped for a democracy. Some hoped for a more communal approach. Most wanted less repression and more prosperity. How to get it was the question.

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Iran: A brief modern history— Pre-Revolution — 1978 � The rapid growth of industrialization and modernization programs within Iran, along with private wealth, became greatly resented by most of the population, mainly in the overcrowded urban areas and among the rural poor. � All images are by Micahel Setboun “who covered the révolution from 78 to 1981. ”

Iran: A brief modern history— The Islamic Revolution — 1978 -79 � The shah's autocratic rule and his extensive use of the secret police led to widespread popular unrest throughout 1978. � The religious-based protests were conservative in nature, directed against the shah's policies. Khomeini, who was expelled from Iraq in Feb. , 1978, called for the abdication of the shah. � Shah leaves Iran in January � Khomeini returns to Iran from France in February

Iran: A brief modern history— The Islamic Revolution — 1979 � The new government represented a major shift toward conservatism. It nationalized industries and banks and revived Islamic traditions. � Western influence and music were banned, women were forced to return to traditional veiled dress, and Westernized elites fled the country. � A new constitution was written allowing for a presidential system, but Ayatollah Khomeini remained at the executive helm as Supreme Leader.

Iran: A brief modern history— The Islamic Revolution — 1979 � � � On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian militants seized the U. S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American hostages. Khomeini refused all appeals for the hostages release The Iranian leadership and some of the populace blamed the economic inequities on American politicians because of Shah’s close ties with America’s oil industry benefited greatly when Shah was in power. President Carter boycotted trade with Iran and agitation increased toward the West resulting in the breaking of diplomatic relations

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Iran: A brief modern history— Iran-Iraq War— 1980 -1982 Iraq invades Iran claiming territories occupied by Arabs as well as territories occupied by Iran since 1971 � Iraq was motivated by fears that the Iranian Revolution in 1979 would inspire insurgency among Iraq's longsuppressed Shia majority. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president, hoped to take advantage of Iran's revolutionary chaos and attacked without formal warning. � The United States supported Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War, by providing several billion dollars' worth of economic aid, the sale of dual-use technology, non-U. S. origin weaponry, military intelligence, Special Operations training, and direct involvement in warfare against Iran. � • Meanwhile, the hostage crisis continues for 444 days until Jan. 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as U. S. president.

Iran: A brief modern history— Iran-Iraq War— 1980 -1988 � � � Fighting crippled both nations, devastating Iran's military supply and oil industry, and led to an estimated 500, 000 to one million casualties. Chemical weapons were used by both countries. Khomeini rejected diplomatic initiatives and called for the overthrow of Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein. In Nov. , 1986, U. S. government officials secretly visited Iran to trade arms with the Iranians, in the hopes of securing the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon, because Iran had political connections with Shiite terrorists in Lebanon. On July 3, 1988, a U. S. navy warship mistakenly shot down an Iranian civilian aircraft, killing all aboard. That same month, Khomeini agreed to accept a UN cease-fire with Iraq, ending the war. Iran immediately began rebuilding the nation's economy, especially its oil industry. Tensions also eased at that time with neighboring Afghanistan. The photo above taken by Kave Golestan who was killed during the war illustrates the toll on the Iranian population.

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

Iran: A brief modern history— 1989 -90 � 1989—Ayatollah Khomeini dies and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is elected president. � When Iraq invaded Kuwait in Aug. , 1990, Iran adhered to international sanctions against Iraq. � As a result of the war and its aftermath, more than one million Kurds crossed the Iraqi border into Iran as refugees.

Iran: A brief modern history— 1995 -2003 � The United States suspended all trade with Iran in 1995, accusing Iran of supporting terrorist groups and attempting to develop nuclear weapons. � Tensions with the United States increased after the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in Mar. , 2003, as U. S. officials increasingly denounced Iran for pursuing the alleged development of nuclear weapons. � Iranian government support for strongly conservative Shiite militias in Iraq also further soured U. S. Iranian relations.

Iran: A brief modern history— 2005 -present � Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, hard line in approach, is elected president— 2005 -2013 � Hassan Rouhani, a reformist more open to international discussion, is elected president 2013 -present � Nuclear tensions continue to be a source of disagreement and concern.

Take 5: Answer the question(s) on your handout.

But what of the common man? As with most historical events, the story is one of the leaders whose names are remembered. Throughout these years, common men, women and children moved through their daily lives going to work, sending their children to school and enjoying what leisure activities they could. “Listening to Michael Jackson in Tehran after Azar Nafisi“ 2011 • Alizadeh was born in Tehran in 1976. He grew up with a love of literature, and immersed in the Marxist ideologies of his immediate family, while a Revolution went horribly wrong across wider Iran. • The young Ali grew into a belief that language had power. This was until his family left Iran and moved to Australia—leaving Ali wrestling with his identity and wondering whether his new language still had power.

But what of the common man? As with most historical events, the story is one of the leaders whose names are remembered. Throughout these years, common men, women and children moved through their daily lives going to work, sending their children to school and enjoying what leisure activities they could. Persepolis

Now read the comic on page ? in your packet.