ABSTRACT
The influence of the secular liberal elite in Iran's political arena disappeared within three years after the triumph of the 1979 revolution. On the surface it seems that in terms of viability, the most problematic of the three traits is secularism. The modern revival of religiosity has the same dimensions as secularism. The Kemalist policies socialized a new generation with a relatively secular outlook, particularly in urban areas. The most dramatic manifestation of a secular trend in policy guidelines occurred in 1987. Throughout that year there were struggles over governmental policies and their compatibility with Islamic laws. Khomeini sided with the radicals. His guidelines had revealing and profoundly secular implications. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, more and more analysts have argued that nationalism has been replaced by Islam as the dominant ideology in many parts of the Middle East. Several factors make the success of liberalism in Iran problematic, and politicized religion could be cited as one of them.
