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The Persian Empire – Iran (Page IV)
Coup to remove Dr. Mossadeq
Because of a supposed fear that the communists will take over Iran, the CIA and the British Intelligence sponsored a coup to remove Dr. Mossadeq and his government and the Shah was put back in power. He tried to implement major reforms to the land and people but was publically, verbally attacked by the Ayatollah Khomeini who was promptly arrested and exiled.
Then Iran’s growth and prosperity flourished with the improvement of infrastructure, schools, health, highways, bridges, railways and military power which enhanced its worldwide prestige.
Beginning in 1973, the oil embargo by the other oil producing countries multiplied Iran’s income and the too rapid development and spending of money, relocating populations from villages to urban environments and emphasizing industrial development resulted in inflation, corruption and economic problems.
The ancient city of Persepolis regained fame one more time during the 2,500 year celebration of Iran’s Monarchy in the year 1971, but it was short lived by the approaching end of those years of Monarchy.
By the organization and conspiration of a select one thousand families 2, the Shah was overthrown in 1979 by the Islamic Revolution and Iran became the “Islamic Republic of Iran”, a monumental change after 2500 years of a Monarchy. By description, it is now a theocracy of a sort.
Growth and Culture of Iran
The pre-Islamic Persian architecture seemed to have no particular beginning as it was recognized at least to 5000 BC and has its influence reaching from Mesopotamia, through the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Pakistan and extending to China and India. This was known geographically as “Greater Iran”. Its political definition did not come about until Western Colonial intervention took place in “modern” times. It was the result of European military actions that Iran lost Azerbaijan, Armenia, part of Georgia and Afghanistan.
The ancient Iranian peoples occupied a much larger area than we recognize these days. Much of their languages and culture remains in this vast area today as we recognize anywhere we travel in the Middle East and Central Asia.
The present country of Afghanistan was known as Khorasan which is where much of Persian literature is derived. Consider the names of Rumi, Rabi’a Balkhi, Jami and Khaja Abdullah Ansari. All are notables in Persian Literature. Even the language of Afghanistan, Dari, given close status to Pashto, is closely related to the Persian language spoken today.
The small countries of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and parts of Western China, Kurdistan, Western Pakistan, and the Caucasus region, Armenia, including Georgia and Iraq still have cities with Persian names and speak languages closely related to Persian.
The political processes in Iran today are rather convoluted and difficult to separate the layers of power and influence. Even from within the country, parties expect a continuation of the Islamic Republic and maintain that laws shall be enforced according to the existing constitution as developed during the early years of the Islamic Revolution when the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to direct the leadership in their change of government. Others look toward a “modernistic” form of government and neither seems to know how to implement their desires.
Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recognizes that Iran is in a crisis 3 after the disputed election of the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was a backer of Mousavi’s election campaign and believed the election was faulty.
Probably the most influential person in “modern” times was the Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini. He reshaped the history of the Middle East and the world. He never held an official political title but ruled Iran from the moment he set foot in Iran on February 1, 1979 after his exile.
He earned wide public attention in 1941 when he published one of his many books, “Kashf al-Asrar (Unveiling the Mysteries). Khomeini became more active as the Shah gained power. When the Allies recruited the young Shah Reza Pahlavi to serve as their surrogate in Iran, Khomeini criticized the Shah’s persecution of Muslim clergy and his Government’s subservient appointees to foreign powers.
He was such a threat that by 1964 he was arrested and exiled to Turkey, then to Iraq. He was still in contact with his supporters in Iran so the Shah flew him to France where he kept his headquarters near Paris.
Continued page five
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