ABSTRACT
A casual observer might easily conclude that religion has dictated the course of political development in Iran, but careful analysis suggests, to the contrary, that politics has refashioned religion in that country. Political decisions and opportunities have recast a version of Islam (Twelver Shiism) from a passivist, minority stance into a badge of national identity, a religious establishment like no other in the Muslim world, a set of competing political ideologies, and an authoritarian effort to promote religion. The clerical establishment in Iran proved to be the great secret of revolutionary success. Iran was the first country to experience modern political, economic, and social revolution under the banner of Islamic ideology. The purpose of religious education in the schools is to train pious Muslims and encourage them to become champions of revolutionary Islam. The Islamic Republic has poured religious propaganda into the schools and tried to use the media to promote political Islam.
