The Shan

The Shah is a title for the king of Iran. Among all the Shah of Iran in history, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was probably one of the most well known king of Iran.

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, king of Iran between 1941-1979, was born in Tehran. He replaced his father Reza Shah whom has been forced to abdicate by the USSR and Britain during WWII due to his friendly relationship with Germany. Mohammad Reza took over the throne on September 16, 1941(History of Iran).

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was indispensable ally of the West, his reform policy, known as the White Revolution provoked Western ideas and democratic reforms. He encourage nationalism and modernization in Iran. His reform included land reform, the extension of voting rights to women and the elimination of illiteracy. The Shah's goals was to bring social reform and economic development in Iran. In 1967, he crowned himself as King of the Kings and his wife Farah Diba as Shahbanoo (Eperess), which cause discontentment among the society. In 1976, he replaced the Islamic calendar with an imperial Persian calendar, this actions was view as anti-Islamic and caused strong religious opposition. The Shan's polices had increasing become unpopular. His actions had been view as a threat to the traditional Islamic society. Islamic fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini, called for a revolution and overthrow the Shah in 1979. The Shah was exiled, and an Islamic Republic was formed. On July 27,1980, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi died from lymphatic cancer in Cairo, Egypt(History of Iran)(Mohammad Reza Shah).

Photograph of the Shan and his wife:

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Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion based on revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century, which were later recorded in the Qur'an (Koran), Islam's sacred text.

Purpose of life- submit to the will of Allah and attain paradise after death
How to live- follow the Qur'an, Hadith and the Five Pillars of Faith
Human nature- born in purity, imperfect but capable of seeking God to do good

(Islam: religion facts.com)

• The faith spread rapidly and today Islam is the second largest religion in the world.
  
• The Arabic word Islam means "submission," reflecting the religion's central tenet of submitting to the will of God.
• Islamic practices are defined by the Five Pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and alms.

• The Islamization of Iran was to yield deep transformations within the cultural, scientific,and political structure of Iran's society: The blossoming of Persian literature, philosophy, art and medicine.
  
• Arabic and Persian differences have made a big impact in their society.

• The Koran stresses filial piety and "love and mercy" between husband and wife. Men and women are declared equal, "except that men are a degree higher" because they are charged with the household expenditure. Sexual fidelity is sternly demanded, and proven adultery is punishable by 100 lashes.

• fundamentalists are suspicious of democracy because they do not trust the moral sense of the masses

They believe that the emancipation of women, as conceived by the West, is responsible for the disintegration of the family and for permissive sexual morality

These are some of the things that are struggles of Iran. Many people including women want a democratic government. But a democratic government does not fit all of the standards of Islam. Therefore many people are against it and say it would bring chaos to their country.

(Facts On File:Issues & Controversies)

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