Classroom Assignment, students were required to research aspects of islam and the islamic revolution in order to understand Persepolis

1. Islam
Major beliefs and the reason why some religious
groups felt the revolution was necessary.
By: Maura White, Sol Garcia, and Nicole Sayre

2. Islamic Faith- beliefssol
• Meaning of Islam is to freely submit to the Ten Commandments and the Will of The One and Only God,
Allah.
• Allah is the creator of all creatures, including mankind.
• The Prophet Muhammad is known as the Messenger of Allah.
• The Quran is the original written word of Allah.
Muslims should have no doubts towards Allah.
Faith in Islam must derive from affection, trust and love.
• Muslims believe that there is ONLY One supreme God (Allah). In Islam to believe in Allah is not
only to believe in Allah's existence but also to believe in all Allah's attributions, to worship Allah
alone, and to obey all Allah's commands
There are six articles of faith in Islam. They are belief in:
• The One God.
• All of the true prophets of God.
• The original scriptures revealed to Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad.
• The angels.
• The Day of Judgment and the Hereafter.
• destiny.

3. Islamic practicesol
• It is the duty of every Muslim, male and female, after reaching the age of puberty, to perform
five Salats (Prayers) at specific times during the day and night. These five specific times are: -
Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, and Night. A ritual called Wudu (Cleaning several parts of die
body with water) is a prerequisite to Salat.
• In the five daily prayers Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is a cube-shaped
stone structure that was built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael on the same
foundations where Prophet Adam is believed to have built a sanctuary for the worship of the
One God. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a focal point for Muslims around the
world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their common belief, spiritual focus and
direction. Interestingly the inside of the Kaaba is empty.
• Zakat is an annual obligatory charity on every Muslim, male or female, who possesses over
the last year money or property that exceeds their minimum needs. The requirement is 2.5%
of one's excess wealth. It is also called a tax because it supports the government workers who
are not free to make money elsewhere.

4. Practice during special
timessol
• The hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by about 3 million
Muslims from all corners of the Earth. It is performed to fulfill one of the
pillars of Islam. The rituals of hajj commemorate the struggles of
Abraham, his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael in surrendering their wills
to God.
• Fasting during the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the lunar
calendar) is from sun up to sun down only and is an obligation on every
adult healthy Muslim, male or female. Fasting is total abstinence from
eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, intimate relations, and taking
anything into the body. Fasting is also a time to discipline one's self from
bad behaviors, such as, arguing, arguing, and saying mean things.
Those who are ill or unable to fast for health or reasons of age are
exempt from fasting. However, they should feed the poor one meal for
every day they miss of fasting. Women who are pregnant, menstruating,
or nursing, or any who are traveling, are also exempt from fasting.
However, when their situation changes, they make up the days of fasting
or feed the poor one meal for each day of fasting they missed

5. Origins-MuhammadNicole
• Muhammad was born around 570 in the city of Mecca, located on
the Arabian Peninsula. Both of his parents died before
Muhammad was six and he was raised by his grandfather and
uncle. His family belonged to a poor clan that was active in
Mecca politics.
• While meditating in a cave on Mount Hira, Muhammad had a
revelation. He came to believe that he was called on by God to
be a prophet and teacher of a new faith, Islam, which means
literally "submission."
• This new faith incorporated aspects of Judaism and Christianity.
It respected the holy books of these religions and its great
leaders and prophets — Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others.
Muhammad called Abraham "Khalil" ("God's friend") and
identified him as Islam's ancient patriarch. Islam traces its
heritage through Abraham's son Ishmael.

6. Contradictory beliefNicole
The origin of Islam is generally accredited to the prophet
Muhammad but to the devout Muslim, Islam began long before
Muhammad ever walked the earth. The Qur'an was dictated by
Muhammad but, according to the Qur'an, it did not originate
with Muhammad. The Qur'an testifies of itself that it was given
by God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad.
"This is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. The Honest
Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it, to reveal it into your heart
that you may be one of the warners, in a perfect Arabic tongue"
(Sura 26:192-195). "Say, 'Anyone who opposes Gabriel should
know that he has brought down this (the Qur'an) into your
heart, in accordance with God's will, confirming previous
scriptures, and providing guidance and good news for the
believers'" (Sura 2:97).

7. Events Leading Up to
RevolutionNicole
• Shah Reza Pahlavi and a circle of his relatives and friends ruled
Iran.
• Gap between rich and poor increased in 1970s
• Dissent arose in response to economic problems and to the
Shah’s autocratic style
• People such as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the shia cleric in
exile in Paris, began to oppose the Shah.
• The Ayatollah specifically promised economic reform and a
return to traditional religious values, which appealed to many in
Iran

8. Support for the
ShahMaura
• In 1953, the American CIA helped to overthrow power in Iran, and restore the Shah to his
throne. The Shah was a modernizer in many ways, promoting the growth of a modern
economy and a middle class, and championing women's rights.
• He outlawed the chador or hijab (the full-body veil), encouraged education of women up to
and including at the university level, and advocated employment opportunities outside the
home for women.
• However, the Shah also ruthlessly suppressed dissent, jailing and torturing his political
opponents.
• Iran became a police state, monitored by the hated SAVAK secret police. In addition, the
Shah's reforms, particularly those concerning the rights of women, angered Shia clerics
such as the Ayatollah Khomeini, who fled into exile in Iraq and later France beginning in
1964.
• The U.S, however, was intent on sustaining the Shah’s rule to prevent further soviet
communist expansion.
• There was also support from women who enjoyed the freedoms of education and
placement in society his ideals offered.

9. … And Opposition Maura
• The Shah had numerous opponents: clerics, democracy activists, the poor, and
traditionalists who resented his “westernized” reforms.
• The Shah made no secret of his contempt for the religious leaders called mullahs. He
openly called them “lice ridden mullahs” The Shah saw conservative Islamic traditions
as a roadblock to progress and westernization.
• The Shah banned traditional Islamic dress and ordered Iranian women to go out in
public without the veil. If a person refused the police would forcibly remove it from her.
No doubt this outraged religious Iranians who saw the veil as a symbol of Muslim
modesty. However, women also gained the right to vote, they enrolled in schools and
universities in droves.
• These changes, among others were too much for the religious mullahs who said that
the Shah was waging a war against Islam. Many of these religious leaders blamed
American influence as a corrupting the morals of the country.

10. Results of RevolutionMaura
• Persepolis does, after all, take place in post-revolutionary Iran.
So some of the affects were:
• The launch of a radical Shia Islamist agenda that was perceived
as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the
Gulf.
• Clerics were given political power in Iran and made restrictions
on smoking and drinking, among other things.
• Women were required to wear veils in public, amd men were
encouraged to have beards.
• Schools began to teach the Koran, and religious intolerance
became the norm, and education became separated between the
sexes.

11. Works cited
• http://www.islamicbulletin.org/newsletters/issue_24/beliefs.aspx
• http://www.30factsaboutislam.com/#sthash.edcJjNJ1.dpuf
• http://www.ushistory.org/civ/4i.asp
• http://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-islam.htm#sthash.SkjlXPUE.dpuf
• http://www.worldsecuritynetwork.com/Iran-Broader-Middle-East-Asia/Marshll-
Tayana/Iranian-Revolution-Turned-Against-Women-Who-Supported-It
• http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/index.php/movements-and-
campaigns/movements-and-campaigns-
summaries?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=23
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-16047709
• http://www.gohistorygo.com/#!iranian-revolution/c24h5