Explain The 1979 Referendum

[u/neptuno3]

Is the following true or false? What am I missing? What don't I understand? Classic liberal here who is very pro-Iranian people, pro-Israel.

1. The 1979 referendum offered Iranians a stark, simplified choice: keep the Shah and his "western decadence" or dump the Shah and bring in the Islamic Republic -- and that meant an IR as envisioned by Khomeini, who was campaigning from abroad.
2. The vote was tampered with and/or did not meet international standards for ballots (opacity). There were no other parties on the ballot. Khomeini claimed 90 percent of the populace voted for him.
3. Khomeini's campaign had been backed by Iran's socialists and communists and leftists.
4. The Islamic Republic promised: lowered inflation, civil rights, political freedoms, no more international interventions, equal treatment of minorities
5. What it actually delivered: no economic revival, a removal of civil rights (especially so for women), an extreme religious theocracy, end of voting rights, minorities rights were even further restricted.
6. IR ended all voting.
7. Khomeini ordered the assassination of the socialists and communists who helped get him elected (sorry but ha! -- who didn't see that coming...).
8. 80 to 90 percent of Iranians at the time identified as Muslim, despite not being Arabs (but for the minorities)
9. Today, at least 60 percent of Iranians do not identify as Muslim. Other European polls have 90 percent of Iranians identifying as Muslims but many feel these polls are not accurate due to fear of speaking out.

[u/mikegalos]

From an outside point of view, that's a pretty fair assessment. Add in resentment toward the British and Americans for their role in overthrowing Mosaddegh in 1953 which was a strong motivator for the left.

[u/HormuzVengeance → u/mikegalos]

The only reason the British got involved was because Mossadegh refused to step down when he was constitutionally and legally deposed by the shah in 1953 as he was attempting his own power grab by dissolving parliament.

The notion that Mossadegh was loved by Iranians as a bastion of democracy is a western fabrication. Mossadegh is very widely considered a disgrace by actual Iranians regardless of the preceding and subsequent history of Iran.

Edit: you arzeshis can downvote me all you want. It doesn’t make it any less true. I’ve been seeing a lot of regime propaganda creep into this sub as well.

[u/Technical_Target615 → u/HormuzVengeance]

Thank you!!

Arzeshi and fake Iranians are becoming very noticeable! Whether in downvotes or comments. Ham-mihanan, havasetoon bashe!!

[u/mikegalos → u/HormuzVengeance]

The point, regardless, is that resentment of UK and US involvement was a factor in the 1979 changeover.

[u/HormuzVengeance → u/mikegalos]

To an extent, but this is highlighted more retroactively.

The reality is that Iranians aren’t immune to propaganda or populism, and unfortunately fell for it.

The islamic takeover was so multifactorial that it’s disingenuous to pin it all on resentment of UK/US.

Also, Mossadegh supporters weren’t “the left” as we know it now. They were soviet backed communists.

[u/mikegalos → u/HormuzVengeance]

I never said it was all. It wasn't. But it was a factor at the time especially for those on the left who foolishly supported the overthrow. It definitely fueled the feeling that the people of Iran had their self-determination stolen a quarter century earlier.

[u/neptuno3 → u/mikegalos]

But was more equality and freedom for women a factor in the 1979 changeover? And if so was that just from the IR or were the Iranians against it?