Iran and the Arab Spring: Tehran's Love-Hate Relationship with People Power
Abstract
听In his recent book,听Let the Swords Encircle Me听(2010),听Peterson writes about the latest episodes of Iran鈥檚 century-old quest for democracy and freedom. The book gives voice to Iranians themselves鈥攖he clerics and the reformers, the filmmakers and the journalists, the True Believers and their Westernized and profane brethren鈥攖o understand the complexities of Iran today. In his talk, Peterson will draw from his experience as a foreign correspondent and photojournalist in the middle east--including 30 visits to Iran--to explain how Iran's 2009 election and its violent aftermath established a template for people-power revolution across the Middle East, but also forced the Islamic Republic into a web of contradictions that may result in its downfall.
Speaker Bio
Scott Peterson听is the Istanbul Bureau chief for the听Christian Science Monitor听and a photographer for Getty Images. He has covered Iran as the Middle East Correspondent for the听Monitor听based in Amman, Jordan, then later as Moscow Bureau Chief. During those years, his coverage stretched from Algiers to Beirut to Tehran, and later all of Russia and Central Asia. Prior to joining the听Monitor, he covered Africa and the Balkans for听The Daily Telegraph听(London) working throughout the former Yugoslavia on conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Serbia. Peterson is the author of听Let the Swords Encircle Me: Iran--A Journey Behind the Headlines听(2010) and听Me Against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda听(2000). As a photographer for Getty Images, his work has appeared in major news magazines includingTime,听Newsweek,听The New York Times Magazine,听Paris Match听and听Le Figaro. Peterson earned his bachelor's degree in English and East Asian Studies from Yale University.
Event Photos
Scott Peterson from the Christian Science Monitor speaking on Tuesday, September 27 at the Boisi Center.
Photography by Kerry Burke, Boston College MTS Photography
Event Recap
On September 27 we invited reporter and photojournalist Scott Peterson, Istanbul Bureau Chief for the听Christian Science Monitor, to discuss the latest episode of Iran鈥檚 century-old quest for democracy and freedom. Though the 2009 Green Movement failed in its revolutionary vision, Peterson credited its massive show of 鈥減eople power鈥� with providing a template for the recent Arab Spring revolutions.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution marked the beginning of Iran鈥檚 love-hate relationship with people power, Peterson argued. Contrary to beliefs in the Western World, he said, the revolution was genuinely powered by individuals in search of democratic change, not a group of radicals. The unique Islamic republic that emerged in the wake of the revolution has been silently undermined for years by what Peterson called a 鈥渇ake democratic temperament,鈥� and only in the aftermath of Ahmadinejad鈥檚 2009 re-election was the mask covering this charade finally removed by the public. In what Peterson regarded as 鈥渢he first pro-democracy street protest that Iran has seen for decades,鈥� the Iranian population raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the republican and theological pillars of the regime.
听According to Peterson, both Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad hope to bridge this credibility gap by explaining the recent Arab Spring in terms of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Khamenei maintains that the 鈥淚slamic Awakenings鈥� against pro-Western regimes provide evidence of a coming pan-Islamic revolution that has its roots in Iran. One crucial element, however, separates the Iranian revolution from other awakenings in the region: Arab revolutions have generally occurred in predominantly Sunni nations, whereas Iran鈥檚 took place in a Shia context. The collapse of al-Assad鈥檚 regime in Syria would considerably diminish the credibility of Iran鈥檚 pan-Islamic model. In that case, said Peterson, the Iranian regime may find itself facing another round of 鈥渨here鈥檚 my vote people-power鈥� that proves too difficult to quell.
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Further Reading
Peterson, Scott. 2011.听.听 Simon & Schuster.
This听听from听Let the Swords Encircle Me听offers an inside look into the failed Green Revolution; in particular, it comments on the movement鈥檚 surge of support for former presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Peterson, Scott.听听Christian Science Monitor. 31 May 2011.
Peterson discusses the impact that the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypy, and Libya will have on Iranian leadership.
Abdo, Geneive.听 鈥�,鈥澨�Foreign Policy.听 10 May 2011.听
Abdo examines the heightening power struggle between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, noting that Ahmadinejad鈥檚 vision for Iran is in many ways predicated upon the marginalization of Iran鈥檚 clerics. As she concludes, the degradation of clerical authority has dangerous implications not only for the Arab world but also for the United States.
Ganji, Akbar.听 2008.听. MIT Press.
After emerging from a six-year prison stay in Iran, Ganji begins his quest to kindle democracy in Iran.听 In this book, he offers an analysis of the Islamic Republic鈥檚 ideological orthodox and how it can be transformed into a more representative system.
Maloney, Suzanne. 鈥�,鈥�听Council on Foreign Relations. 22 February 2011.
Maloney analyzes the internal economic and political pressures contributing to public upheaval in Iran.听 While discontent is strong among Iranian youth, domestic outrage over international sanctions coupled with reliance on public sector jobs make it unlikely that the Iranian regime will lose its power grip anytime soon.
Milani, Abbas.听听The New Republic. 14 September 2011.
Abbas features Scott Peterson's book听Let the Swords Encircle Me听in his contemporary portrayal of the Iranian Regime.
Milani, Mohsen.听 鈥�,鈥澨�Foreign Affairs. July/August 2009.
Milani defends Iran鈥檚 U.S. Policy, arguing that Tehran鈥檚 actions rationally reflect what it views as an existential threat posed by the United States