The Iranian Revolution.

• Author: Bhat, Ali Muhammad
• Position: Book review

The Iranian Revolution By Brendan January Minneapolis: Twenty First Century Books, 2008, 164 pages, ISBN: 9780822575214

The Iranian Revolution is of great significance in the context of the contemporary Islamic Resurgence. The author highlights the 1979 Revolution in the historical context of Shia and Sunni ideas of life. The book consists of six chapters and a rich list of references for further study about the Revolution.

Many great books have been written on the topic under reflection; the main focus of this contribution is the return of Ayatollah Khomeini after 15 years of exile on February 2, 1979. From this date the monarchial pattern of government seems to have vanished now forever. The revolution began with the nationalization of oil by Muhammad Mossadiq, whose government was toppled by a military coup backed by the CIA.

Under the subtitle "A New Religion in an Ancient Land," January provides a background of the history of religion in Iran from 6000 BCE to the Arab conquest, and finally the Shia rule through the Revolution in 1979 AD. In this context, the author discusses the emergence of Shia thought as a fragment of the Muslim Ummah and connects it with the event of Karbala and revenge of Hadrath Ali (Muhammad's (SAW) cousin and son in law) which is a complete deviation from historical facts. The author examines the constitutional revolution of 1905-1911 then turns a brief biography of Ayatollah Khomeini, followed by the thoughts of Imams and Ayatollahs.

January attempts to explain the unfortunate consequences of Reza Shah's Reforms on the Iranian religious life. Khomeini had exposed all of this in his work "Secrets Exposed" in 1942 and declared them poison for Iranian life. After WWII, Reza Shah had been forced to abdicate his rule in favour of his heir apparent Muhammad Reza Shah, which clearly indicates that Iran was under foreign control as a kind of punishment for Reza Shah's support of Germany. But public outrage increased as the public demanded their support for nationalization of resources be represented in the government. In 1951, under the premiership of Muhammad Mossadiq, Iran's Oil Company (AIOC) was nationalized and the Shah was forced to flee the country. Blaming Russia for the nationalization move. The Shah bowed to U.S. for help and President Eisenhower directed the CIA to bring Muhammad Reza Shah back to power and position General Fezlollah Zahidi as a powerless prime minister, a sign of U.S. interference in...