Religion and Countermobilization in the Iranian Revolution

Abstract

When viewed in light of other revolutions, the revolution in Iran raises important analytical and conceptual questions. Of a religious character that for the most part was misunderstood, overwhelmingly urban in nature, characterized by the conscious rejection of force by its leadership and following, premised on extraordinarily high levels of popular participation, and achieving success within a remarkably brief time period (one year elapsed from the first major demonstrations to the expulsion of the shah), the Iranian upheaval seems to elude explanation when viewed in terms of conventional theories of revolution. Conceivably, the Iranian case could be considered under the rubric of relative deprivation, a state system under pressure from the international system, or in terms of stages of revolution, yet such notions do not directly address most of the features enumerated above. 1 And although the construction of theory on the basis of one case would be foolhardy, it is still possible to conceptualize events of the Iranian Revolution while modestly contributing to an expansion, not a rewriting, of our understanding of how revolutions come about.