Volume 31, Number 21 & 22 · January 17, 1985
How Khomeini Made It
By Bernard Lewis
The Reign of the Ayatollahs: Iran and the Islamic Revolution
by Shaul Bakhash
Basic, 276 pp., $18.95
In October 1962, the Shah's government in Iran, as a step toward the extension of representative institutions, promulgated a law which provided for the election of representative local councils throughout the country. The religious leaders opposed the law, and raised three main objections. First, it gave women the vote, for the first time in Iran; second, it did not restrict eligibility or even the franchise to Moslems; and third, to show that this was no mere formality, it provided a formula of oath by which elected councilors would swear not on the Koran but on 'the holy book,' a form of words clearly intended to accommodate elected councilors of other faiths.
Review, 2848 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |