ABSTRACT
The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran defines it as the only government in the region in which formal religious authority recognized as the basis for governmental decision making and policy, in a way that is supposed to be combined with democratically elected institutions. All other governments of the Middle East, whether or not they regard Islam as their 'established' religion, function as secular authorities, even if their regimes are of radically different types. Perhaps Muslims around the world, particularly Shii populations of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, would follow the Iranian example by revolting against their own governments to form a united Islamic republic. A continuous stream of propaganda articles appeared in government newspapers throughout the conflict, depicting how ordinary Iranians were joining the war effort in droves to seek martyrdom on the battlefield.
