ABSTRACT

This title was first published in 2002. As Iran enters into the third decade since the 1979 revolution, the prospect of socio-political unrest remains ever present. Iran's political structure, its version of Islamic governance and the role of pluralism across all aspects of Iranian society are being questioned openly and defiantly. What this will mean for the future of Iran's theological system of governance and its current social structure remains to be seen. This work examines the roots of Iran's current unrest in the context of the post-revolutionary social and political structure, and the goals and aspirations of the 1979 revolutionaries. It provides in-depth commentary on contemporary Iranian society and the Islamic movement emerging from Khomeini's interpretation of Islamic governance and gauges the response of Iran to the pragmatic realities of the international system.   Readers in Islamic studies, international studies and Middle Eastern politics both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels will find this book an invaluable tool.