...Caper? Were they a suspicious group at the airport or just another film crew? Are all Iranians fanatic evil-doers, or is there more behind the scenes? The 2012 film sensation Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman brings to light all of these controversial questions. This academy award winning film is based on the declassified true story following the extraction of six American embassy employees who managed to escape the building when the Iranians took over, keeping 52 other hostages. The movie opens with clear chaos in the streets, American flags burning, protestors chanting, and eventually one Iranian man climbs the gates of the embassy, followed by the rest. It is the start of a revolution, with men and women alike carrying guns and protesting for the return of their former dictator, so he can be tried and executed there in Tehran. The six Americans who escape seek refuge at the home of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, who welcomes them in as “Houseguests”. Back in America, the CIA has gotten word of their escape, and devises a plan to get them out. The elaborate plan is to pretend the six Americans, along with Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), their make-up artist (John Goodman) and their producer (Alan Arkin) are scouting for a location to film their upcoming movie, “Argo”. They do not have much time, for it will not be long until the Iranians realize that the six are missing. Even with their fake passports and I.D., they are...
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...The 1979 Iranian Revolution Revolution is the culmination of popular discontent brewing for a certain amount of time. People may grow dissatisfied with sharp social contrasts, inequality, segregation, discrimination, and other blatant violations of their rights. Even conservative authoritarian Arabic societies like that of Iran can experience the rise of general discontent and indignation. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 is the revolt rationalized by a wide range of motives from corruption to excessive westernization adopted by Shah Mohammad Pahlavi. The unpreparedness of the ruling elite and its foreign patrons along with repressions sealed the fate of the Iranian leader signifying the historic shift of power and foreign vector. The point is that the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was the product of Shah Pahlavi’s repressive regime largely facilitated by regime’s weakness and unpreparedness, which culminated in crucial achievement and the establishment of a theocratic regime ruled by Ayatollah Khomeini over the following decade. Popular Sentiments, Ideological Groups, the Unique Nature of the Iranian Revolution, Rationales behind the Revolt, the Factors of Success Philosophy Doctor Homa Katouzian (n.d.) noted that the revolution of 1979 was the rebellion of the Iranian society against the political regime reigning supreme at the time of the event. Based on its underlying features, what happened in the country in the late 1970s did not match the norms of Western revolutions...
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...In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini created a philosophy that stated his vision for the up and coming Islamic Republic of Iran that he gained power over. The Iranian Revolution was the beginning of the rebuild in Iran. It started with the Shah leaving Iran and then Ayatollah Khomeini taking power. Ayatollah Khomeini pleased the people when it came to creating new laws and policies when he described what the future would hold with him as the leader. He went against the Shah and proved that he was an enemy of Islam and a ruler who was not focussed on the well-being of the people in Iran using propaganda and multiple forms of media. When the Shah was finally sent into exile, Ayatollah Khomeini developed a religious and political framework for society called...
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...In the reading Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi depicts the harsh laws and violence used through the fundamentals of terrorism during the Iranian Revolution. By Marji being very young at this time, she was unable to understand what was happening in society, but her parents soon helped her make sense of how corrupt their government was becoming. Violence was a daily occurrence as protests filled the streets. Living in world of violence influences different actions taken by characters in various literatures. Children of the Revolution, by David Patrikarakos, Veiled Threat, by Francesco Bongiorni, and, British-Iranian Woman Jailed For a Year For Trying To Watch Volleyball Game, are distinctive works that relate how the influence of background and society change the perception of people living in Iran. Before 1980, growing up, Marji lived a carefree life and could wear or express herself anyway she wanted. But, soon later, a changing revolution would take place that would affect everyone in Iran. Before the Islamic Revolution, she was able to attend a French Non-Religious school where girls and boys were allowed to study and play together. Unfortunately, her relaxed world soon ended once the Islamic government decided to change their ways and forced others to conform to their religious beliefs of what they thought was right. When the Islamic Revolution began, it targeted women specifically by forcing them to wear veils over their heads. Many young girls such as Marji and her classmates...
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...In 2010, the Tavazo brothers were thinking about how to keep on growing and started to analyse opportunities for further expansion. One potential source of growth is represented by the chance of expanding its current business within Canada and Iran, through the retail or wholesale channels. One plus point of this strategy is that it would let the company to maintain the same organizational structure without introducing revolutionary changes, which would be costly to make. Indeed, focusing on these two markets would let the company to grow constantly and would allow the management to produce gradual changes to the organization alongside with its expansion. However, a potential downside of the strategy is given by the nature of the Tavazo business and the features of its products, which requires a direct link with the final customers. In addition, although the company has already established a business relationship with the distributors that show the best performances, the contribution of the wholesale channel remains quite low (12%). Therefore, in order to widen its market share and increase its profits, the company would have to invest its financial resources to open new stores in Iran and Canada. Indeed, the retail channel represents the 80% of the total business of the company and compared with the wholesale one it has a 5% higher margin. However, even through an expansion of the retail chain, focusing on these two markets would not give the company the opportunity to improve...
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...their couches, and beat them”. To develop and understand social change, it is crucial to examine the central structures and organizations within a given society. Through examining family structure, the state, and religion, geared with a specific focus on gender, a basic set of followed societal governing rules and values become apparent. Each of these societal structures are interrelated, working together to permit as well as restrict the agency of women in revolutionary Iranian society. For the development of successful social change to take place, it must arise through gender conflict, class conflict, and political action. Each social structure such as, family structure, state relations, and religion, is located within the larger context of a national structure, meaning the examples previously mentioned are subject to larger regional and global influences and changes. Due to this reasoning, it is important to examine evolving economic development and political change to understand women’s status within Iranian revolutionary societies and furthermore, their changing roles within the traditional family structure, Islam, education, and the work force. Through an analysis of class location, policy restructuring, and changing gender roles, the progressive development of women’s mobility and female status within the public sphere will arise. As a result of the revolution,women’s transition and integration into the public sphere, gender relations and norms that had been legitimized...
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...Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the shah of Iran for about from 1941 to his overthrown by the Iranian revolution on February 11, 1979. He took the title of the shah from his father who was the last shaw. Iran was a poor and uncivilized country and when Russia wanted to move forward the completely control of the country the Unites States helped to gave him back the throne and power of his country. Pahlavi wanted to Westernize his country and transformed his country in a modern Iran. The shaw had suffered a lot of criticism because many believed that the Westernization did not follow the Islam religion. Also the lower class were discontented by the unfair conditions of how the corrupted government was working toward them. Another aspect that...
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...The Iranian Revolution was a symbol of anti-imperialism, anti-industrialization, and a return to anti-western society. Starting in the early 20th century, the Pahlavi dynasty took control of Iran with the goal of modernizing the country. Citizens did not like the western influence, the rapid change, and many felt forgotten. They turned to intellectuals and religious scholars to remedy the situation and topple the Shah. The Iranian Revolution started as a left-wing movement to end political oppression and western influence, but resulted in a conservative, religious government more repressive than before. It was caused by long-standing anger at western dependence, rapid economic growth, and government brutality. It was carried out by an alliance...
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...Iran was among several developing nations to escape direct colonialism.[1] Nevertheless, “economic domination and imperial manipulation describe Europe’s relationship with Iran for much of the century leading up to 1950.”[2] In understanding Iran’s flux of identities throughout the 20th century, several notions must be clarified. Firstly, Iran is not an Arab nation nor have they adopted Arabic language or culture. Secondly, the Shi’a minority in Iran, and their lingering divergence in beliefs compared to that of the Sunnis and the West has always been an issue with respect to their distinctiveness as a nation. That being said, Iran’s inability to sustain a lasting individuality is directly related to the differing identities proposed by Iranian leaders throughout the 20th century. In the following article, I will distinguish between the secularization and modernization proposed by Reza Shah Pahlavi; the period of ambiguity in political identity and subsequent authoritarianism adopted by his son; and the role of the Islamic revolution in revitalizing religious unity. Iran was fortunate enough to...
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...special kind of autobiography, usually involving a public portion of the author’s life as it relates to a person, historic event, or thing. The text is about the personal knowledge and/or experiences of the author” (Daye, n.d.), it is also a critic to the changes performed during the revolution in many aspects of the Iranian society, it shows as Geraldine Brooks points out in a review of the book “… the power of novel and a cry of outrage at the reality in which these women are trapped…” The aim of this paper is to focus on the critics of the author to the changes on the education system during the revolution. This work consists of a first part which provides a historical background, with a brief description of the Revolution and an account of the changes in the education system, a second one, which presents several instances of the book where the author is critic of an aspect of the changes in the education system, and a third part where the conclusion is presented. Historical Background Description of the revolution The Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic Revolution of Iran or the 1979 Revolution) refers to the events involving the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was supported by the United States, and its eventual replacement with an Islamic Republic under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution...
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...dismiss any discrepancy between human beings and try to make a world where this statement comes as truth to everyone. However, this is not a solemn statement which has been violated in the past until now. As a contrast to the statement, there are many kinds of prejudice and discrimination ongoing around the world. One of the countries where this declaration is not considered as truth is Iran. Up until now, especially throughout the times of the Iranian Revolution, there were various intolerances in society based on gender, education, political opinion, and economical status and this has been practiced in several ways; however, there is Marjane Satrapi, a girl from a wealthy family who had become the living witness of these inequalities during the Iranian Revolution, who later wrote a book entitled Persepolis. In her book, she comments that these types of inequities should be improved. Marjane Satrapi let us know that In Iran, women and men were treated differently throughout the Iranian Revolution. During the times around the Iranian Revolution and after the revolution, women were treated unfairly compared to men. Marjane Satrapi states in her book about the dowry system in Iran as an example of the discrimination of women. “So a guardian of the revolution marries her and takes her virginity before executing her…Traditionally when a girl gets married the husband is supposed to pay her a dowry. If the girl dies, the...
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...with Iran Impact the Iranian Regime’s Behavior and Change the Regional Dynamic in the Middle East? Mike Maleki December 06, 2014 Illustrated by Paul Combs of the Tribune Media Services. Many in the West have expressed concern about a possible failure of the P5+1 countries – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – to secure a comprehensive deal with Iran on its controversial nuclear program. These concerns, however, represent a somewhat myopic view of the bigger picture concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions. A thorough look at the Iranian regime’s domestic and foreign policies reveals that a nuclear deal would, in fact, have very limited effect on the behavior of Iran’s authoritarian theocracy and change very little about the dynamics in the 1 Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution changed the balance of power in the Middle East. Following the revolution, Iran, a pillar of the US’ regional Cold War policy, became increasingly isolated as it quarreled with its majority Sunni neighbors for influence and sought to export its Islamic revolution as far as to Europe.1 However, Iran attempted to overcome its isolation as a Shiite and majority Persian state by tempting the aspirations of the region’s Arab population with its support for radical anti-Israel/anti-US regional movements, thus successfully establishing a web of proxies and surrogates – the so-called “axis of resistance.” Furthermore, since 2003, the Iranian regime has effectively...
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...Caper? Were they a suspicious group at the airport or just another film crew? Are all Iranians fanatic evil-doers, or is there more behind the scenes? The 2012 film sensation Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman brings to light all of these controversial questions. This academy award winning film is based on the declassified true story following the extraction of six American embassy employees who managed to escape the building when the Iranians took over, keeping 52 other hostages. The movie opens with clear chaos in the streets, American flags burning, protestors chanting, and eventually one Iranian man climbs the gates of the embassy, followed by the rest. It is the start of a revolution, with men and women alike carrying guns and protesting for the return of their former dictator, so he can be tried and executed there in Tehran. The six Americans who escape seek refuge at the home of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, who welcomes them in as “Houseguests”. Back in America, the CIA has gotten word of their escape, and devises a plan to get them out. The elaborate plan is to pretend the six Americans, along with Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), their make-up artist (John Goodman) and their producer (Alan Arkin) are scouting for a location to film their upcoming movie, “Argo”. They do not have much time, for it will not be long until the Iranians realize that the six are missing. Even with their fake passports and I.D., they are...
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...Qajar Dynasty is important before talking about the art in Iran. Qajar Dynasty was an Iranian royal dynasty of Turkic origin, which ruled Persia (Iran) from 1785 to 1925. The state ruled by the dynasty was officially known as the Sublime State of Iran. This period of time has a great impact for the art in Iran especially for painting and carpet. The painting at that period of time was influenced by the European painter and made the Iranian painter to start using oil to paint. Different tribes at that period of time would make their own type of carpet but the general type is that the pattern will be in parallel and there will have many different image put on the carpet. The material used at that period of time was mostly cotton. There is a type of carpet called Suzani, Suzani usually were made of cotton or silk fabric base which is used usually in wedding day as part of the bride’s dowry. Moreover, music is also a very important factor for the art development in Iran. The most popular music in Iran before the Islamic revolution is mainly classical or pop. During the Pahlavi Dynasty, which is the dynasty after Qajar Dynasty. The government at that time supported many people to become a singer. Especially during the 1970s, it’s called the golden age of Persian pop music when the singer started to add electrical guitar to their music. It did not last for a long period of time because the government banned it after the Islamic revolution. At last, food in Iran also have a great...
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...One such mentality is the harsh anti-Western and anti-American sentiment. After the hostage crisis, the cultural climate found was one of unforgiving imposition of authority over all aspects of Iranian society and culture as a “war against Western culture” began, a public one. Cinemas were both closed and burned by clerics, Iranian films and foreign films banned, and pop music, again both Iranian and Western, were “forbidden”, seen as popularising and emulating Western culture. It can be seen as the direct result of the hostage crisis, a crisis that was characterised as fiercely anti-Western. This was lent to the regime, that too had an anti-Western foundation, and was further highlighted by the push to make all aspects of society more Islamic, from communication, such as Iranian radio and television that was now only allowed to broadcast religious and official programmes, to education, where religion became a fundamental part of curriculum. The Shah Mosque was renamed the Imam Mosque, indicating the change from autocratic and monarchical rule to a clerical regime. Newspapers, movies, books were rewritten to destroy favourable depictions of the monarchy, all as part of censorship dictated by Khomeini. It is clear that Khomeini...
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