Islam: a weapon of political powers in Iran
Feb 22, 2004
Iran was one of the first countries to be occupied by the early Islamic armies in the seventh century.
Iran was one of the first countries to be occupied by the early Islamic armies in the seventh century.
Originally called Persia, Iran has maintained a distinct cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shi’ia interpretation of Islam.
In 1979, Iran attracted world attention when the monarchy was overthrown and a unique Islamic republic declared by religious clerics headed by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Iran has come under strong pressure from the US since President Bush declared it part of the “axis of evil†in 2002. This pressure intensified after the US-led war against Iraq, with Washington accusing Tehran of developing weapons of mass destruction and attempting to subvert US efforts in Iraq.
Facts and figures
Iran has a population of 68.9 million people, with Persian as the major language and Islam the major religion. The average life expectancy is 69 years for men and 72 for women (UN, 2003). Iran’s monetary unit is the Rial, with a per capita income of $1,680 (World Bank, 2001). Its main exports are petroleum, carpets and agricultural products. Its Capital City is Tehran.
Leadership
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader and the president carries the day-to-day aspects of the state. President Mohammad Khatami was born in 1943, the son of the cleric Ayatollah Hajj Ruhollah Khatami. He studied Theology and holds degrees in Education and Philosophy.
Khatami served as an (MP), Editor-in-Chief of Kayhan, a pro-government newspaper, and as a moderate cleric. From 1982, he held the post of Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance but was forced to resign a decade later over accusations that he was too permissive in sanctioning books, magazines and films, which hard-liners considered subversive.
Khatami’s landslide victory in the May 1997 presidential elections was a major setback for the conservative clergy who had held power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He was re-elected for a second term in June 2001 after winning just under 77% of the vote.
First vice-president: Mohammad Reza Aref
Defence minister:
Ali Shamkhani
Foreign minister:
Kamal Kharrazi
Interior minister:
Hojjat ol-Eslam Musavi-Lari
Oil minister:
Bizhan Namdar-Zangeneh
The media
The struggle for influence and power in Iran is played out in the country’s domestic state media. The relative freedom of the press, an achievement of President Khatami’s reformist government, has been a target for conservatives.
Many pro-reform publications have been closed and reformist writers and editors jailed. The conservative judiciary has led the campaign against the liberal media, with Khatami and parliament apparently powerless to intervene.
Television is very popular in Iran; more than 80% of the population watch TV. The most popular network is the third state channel, the Youth Channel.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) runs a radio channel that broadcasts around the clock. The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI) external service has been expanding its services.
Many foreign broadcasters target listeners in Iran. They include Washington-based entertainment Radio Farda.
There are seven major newspapers, two news agencies.
Some seven million Iranians have access to the internet, which has been used as a way of circumventing the barriers of censorship. Internet Service Providers are prevented from allowing access to sites deemed to be anti-Islamic.
Sourced from websites by Asuman Bisiika
Originally called Persia, Iran has maintained a distinct cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shi’ia interpretation of Islam.
In 1979, Iran attracted world attention when the monarchy was overthrown and a unique Islamic republic declared by religious clerics headed by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Iran has come under strong pressure from the US since President Bush declared it part of the “axis of evil†in 2002. This pressure intensified after the US-led war against Iraq, with Washington accusing Tehran of developing weapons of mass destruction and attempting to subvert US efforts in Iraq.
Facts and figures
Iran has a population of 68.9 million people, with Persian as the major language and Islam the major religion. The average life expectancy is 69 years for men and 72 for women (UN, 2003). Iran’s monetary unit is the Rial, with a per capita income of $1,680 (World Bank, 2001). Its main exports are petroleum, carpets and agricultural products. Its Capital City is Tehran.
Leadership
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader and the president carries the day-to-day aspects of the state. President Mohammad Khatami was born in 1943, the son of the cleric Ayatollah Hajj Ruhollah Khatami. He studied Theology and holds degrees in Education and Philosophy.
Khatami served as an (MP), Editor-in-Chief of Kayhan, a pro-government newspaper, and as a moderate cleric. From 1982, he held the post of Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance but was forced to resign a decade later over accusations that he was too permissive in sanctioning books, magazines and films, which hard-liners considered subversive.
Khatami’s landslide victory in the May 1997 presidential elections was a major setback for the conservative clergy who had held power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He was re-elected for a second term in June 2001 after winning just under 77% of the vote.
First vice-president: Mohammad Reza Aref
Defence minister:
Ali Shamkhani
Foreign minister:
Kamal Kharrazi
Interior minister:
Hojjat ol-Eslam Musavi-Lari
Oil minister:
Bizhan Namdar-Zangeneh
The media
The struggle for influence and power in Iran is played out in the country’s domestic state media. The relative freedom of the press, an achievement of President Khatami’s reformist government, has been a target for conservatives.
Many pro-reform publications have been closed and reformist writers and editors jailed. The conservative judiciary has led the campaign against the liberal media, with Khatami and parliament apparently powerless to intervene.
Television is very popular in Iran; more than 80% of the population watch TV. The most popular network is the third state channel, the Youth Channel.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) runs a radio channel that broadcasts around the clock. The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI) external service has been expanding its services.
Many foreign broadcasters target listeners in Iran. They include Washington-based entertainment Radio Farda.
There are seven major newspapers, two news agencies.
Some seven million Iranians have access to the internet, which has been used as a way of circumventing the barriers of censorship. Internet Service Providers are prevented from allowing access to sites deemed to be anti-Islamic.
Sourced from websites by Asuman Bisiika