Comp Gov Iran

assembly of experts

group that nominates and can remove the supreme leader, elected by the general electorate but almost all its members are clerics

ayatollah

“sign of god”, high-ranking cleric

bazaar

urban marketplace where shops, workshops, small businesses, and export-importers are located

dual society

society and economy that are sharply divided into a traditional, usually poor sector and a modern, usually richer sector

expediency council

committee set up in iran to resolve differences between the Majles (Parliament) and the Guardian Council

Farsi

persian word for the persian language, fars is a province in central iran

foundation of the oppressed

clerically controlled foundation set up after the revolution in iran

guardian council

committee created in the iranian constitution to oversee the Majles (parliament)

hezbollahis

“partisans of god”, term used to describe religious vigilantes

lebanon uses it to describe the shi’i militia

hojjat al-Islam

“proof of islam”, means a medium-ranking cleric

imam jum’ehs

prayer leaders in iran’s main urban mosques

islamism

use of islam as a political ideology, similar to political islam and islam fundamentalism

jurist’s guardianship

khomeini’s concept that the iranian clergy should rule on the grounds that they are divinely appointed guardians of both the law and the people

leader/supreme leader

cleric elected to be the head of the islamic republic of iran

majles

iranian parliament, arabic term for “assembly:

maslahat

arabic term for “expediency”, “prudence“, “advisability“, used to refer to reasons of state or what’s best for the islamic republic

organization of petroleum exporting countries (opec)

organization dedicated to achieving stability in the price of oil, avoiding price fluctuations, and generally furthering the interests of the member states

pasdaran

persian term for guards, used to refer to the army of revolutionary guards formed during iran’s islamic revolution

people of the book

muslim term for recognized religious minorities (ex. christians, jews, zoroastrians)

political islam

term for the intermingling of islam with politics and often used as a substitute for islamic fundamentalism

quar’an

holy text of islam

rentier state

country that obtains much of its revenue from the export of oil or other natural resources

resource curse

concept that revenue derived from abundant natural resources, such as oil, often bring unforeseen ailments to countries (ex. iran, ecuador)

theocracy

state dominated by the clergy who rule on the grounds that they are the only interpreters of God’s will and law