ABSTRACT
Iran's unique Persian identity dates back thousands of years. The ancient Persian empires were vast and powerful, rivaling the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. The absence of political freedom and growing repression alienated many Iranians, especially among the middle class. Inequality remained high, despite the huge influx of oil revenue, angering the lower classes. Bazargan pushed for a "democratic republic" or "democratic Islamic republic," but Khomeini and his allies demanded that the referendum offer a simple choice for or against an "Islamic republic." Radical Islamists therefore created the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to protect the new regime against these threats. Radical Islamist members of the new Islamic Republican Party (IRP) swept the March 1980 parliamentary elections and attacked Bani-Sadr as well, demanding that he accept their nominees for cabinet positions. Despite the many pressures of recent decades, family bonds remain strong in Iran and have a substantial impact on social and political organization.
