Review of "A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East"

One book I have been reading is titled A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East and written by Lawrence Freedman. The entire book is not about Iran or subjects concerning Iran. However, chapter 4 is titled "Revolution in Iran" and that is the chapter I have focused on thus far. My paper will attempt to analyze the Iranian Islamic Revolution and how clerics managed to seize power through revolutionary upheaval. The subsequent fusion of Iranian state law with Muslim Sharia law in the aftermath of the revolution will also be analyzed. The chapter offers one exampl of analysis concerning the revolution and Khoemeini’s role in securing clerical dominance during the post-revolutionary period.

Freedman recognizes that Khomeini was already a "living symbol of resistance" prior to the outbreak of the revolution in 1979 and was residing in the Iraqi city of Najaf. He had been a relatively well-known critic of the monarch, Shah Pahlavi, throughout the 1960’s. Khomeini focused his rhetorical criticism during the latter half of the ‘70’s around the seething hatred that Iranians felt towards foreign influence and the institution of the monarchy. "Pamphlets…were distributed via the mosques and bazaars [and] the religious networks made it possible to organize and mobilize the masses, appealing to their deep attachment to Islam". The importance of the pamphlets being distributed in both mosques and bazaars points to the fact that the bazaari class, sort of an emerging bourgeoisie within Iranian society, was an important social class that allied with clerics for political and economic reasons.
Khomeini further increased his support from a variety of social groups by "creating broad themes of the revolution of unyielding antimonarchism and sympathy for the poor". This allowed Khomeini to "keep the leftists on side during…the revolution, disregarding the anti-communist aspects of Islamist philosophy". Obviously, Khomeini maintained strong support from clerics and the groups that support religious reform and a fusion of state and church. These groups were particularly concerned with "an open system which would permit the return of Western, secular influences". This inherent fear of outside influence derives from Persia’s long history of foreign invasion, occupation, and domination. In addition, the Shah himself was propped up by the CIA and maintained a repressive apparatus through the secret police organization SAVAK, which was trained and funded by the CIA. The historical and contemporary fears of outside influence certainly are portrayed in the constitution that formally established the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The shah actually convinced Iraq to expel Khomeini from the country, a decision that was to lead to Khomeini’s retreat to Paris in late 1978. The leader of the National Front travelled to meet Khomeini and proposed to Khomeini "the shah be deposed and the formation of a new ‘democratic and Islamic’ government". This serves as the critical point in which supports of a clerical regime and traditional liberal-nationalists united against the shah’s rule. Freedman points to the fact that "the revolution’s most formidable weapon became the strikes of public sector workers". Khomeini’s alliance with liberal nationalists allowed him to use the strikes and the consequent faltering of the economy to his advantage as the revolution progressed.
During the course of the revolution, Khomeini was able to unite many different groups against one common enemy-the institution of the monarchy. Freedman identifies the key players as "the National Front, the Tudeh Party [communists], and various other (smaller) leftist and Islamic militants" that provided an underestimated "combined impact" that was enough to force the shah the leave Iran. Khomeini, in the meantime, "skillfully presented himself as an opponent of tyranny while being vague as to what he did support". In this way Khomeini was able to mask his true intentions and maintain support from a wide variety of different social groups that sought to overthrown the shah. After the shah’s exile, Khomeini succeeded in securing enough influence over the political process to propose a single question referendum. The referendum asked: "Do you want the monarchy to be replaced by an Islamic republic?" The "almost unanimous" answer to the referendum was "yes". It was through this popular referendum that Khomeini was able to secure extensive influence over the creation of the new Islamic Republic of Iran.