Author Bio: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was an Iranian Shia political and religious leader. After 15 years in exile after opposing the Shah, Khomeini overthrew him in the 1979 Iranian which he lead. Afterwards, he founded the Islamic Republic of Iran and became the first Supreme Ruler until his death in 1989.
Date/Context: Ayatollah gave this speech after Khurdad 15 in 1979. He warns Iranians about the deception of Western ideas and values, and suggests creating a new Islamic republic, rather than a western style democracy.
Summary: All of those who died in Khurdad 15 fighting against the Shah were working-class muslims. They were the only ones who could have overthrown the government, and only they can eliminate those who oppose Islam. The Westerners have never suffered, and they aim to slow the Iranians' movement to "cure them by means of guidance." It was inside of the mosques that the Iranian Revolution against tyranny was born, and is also where they will wage war against the West.
Key Quotation: "You who have chosen a course other than Islam--you do nothing for humanity."
Key Identifiers: There are three very clear points that can be taken away from the PDP. The first is that Ruhollah Khomeini became the supreme leader of Iran through the 1979 Islamic revolution, which overthrew the Shah. The second is that Khomeini established Iran as and Islamic Republic as he felt that western democracy and its’ ideas threatened the culture and religion of Muslims in Iran. The third is that Khomeini was a staunch Shia traditionalist. This is apparent by his position as an Ayatollah and the quote at the end of the PDP.
ReplyDeleteFeedback: While it is for the most part a good PDP I feel it may be lacking in detail. The PDP would be more effective it contained some details about why the Revolution happened and its effects on Iran. Second, there are a few minor grammatical faults when referring to Khomeini in the Context section. Where it reads as “Ayatollah” it should read as “The Ayatollah” or simply “Khomeini”. Finally the PDP fail to address who Khomeini was other than the Leader of the Iranian Revolution and subsequent ruler. It would be more effective to include details about who Khomeini was before 1979 and what exactly an Ayatollah is.
Expand on the context of this document. The Islamic Revolution goes against the trend of secularization.
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