PDP1 - The Uprising of Kurdad 15, 1979
Author Bio: The author Ruhollah Hendi was the leader of the Islamic Revolt and greatly opposed the Shah. He ruled Iran until his death. He was a major bias toward his cause and is very much against Western culture. He opposes it violently and is therefore biased against it.
Date/Context: This document comes at a time when western culture had spread all over through globalization, but Middle Easterners were coming to realize that they did not want western culture. In this case they were protecting their own culture even with the use of violence. This document is the ideals of the leader Ruhollah Hendi and how he felt about westerners and what he felt his people should do about it.
Summary: Hendi argues that only through normal Muslim citizens can tyranny be overthrown and protection of their homes and religion be established. Hendi goes to say that only through regular Muslims, not rich or from any other country, but only normal people can truly protect themselves and undermine the tyranny they found themselves under. Westerners do not have Muslim’s best interests in mind when they come to help. They only wish to protect their positions as world superpowers. Muslims must protect themselves and care for their own needs because they can do it better than any other organization or country. Islam is capable of running its own politics and taking care of itself as it used to. The mosques brought rise to this sense of self preservation and independence and they will be the ones to sustain it..
Key Quotation: “As for those who oppose us because of their opposition to Islam, we must cure them by means of guidance, if it is at all possible; otherwise, we will destroy these agents of foreign powers with the same fist that destroyed the Shah's regime.”
The "identifying characteristics" for, "The Uprising of Khurdad 15, 1979" are found in a brief paragraph at the top of the document. The document is written by Ayatollah Ruhollah Hendi, an Iranian religious leader in the 1970s and 1980s, who lead the Islamic Revolution of 1979. As Sydney explains, the document is written when many Islamic people are struggling to maintain their power in the world, and shows Ayatollah's strong hate toward the West. One thing Sydney should add to the bias, is the idea that Ayatollah not only disliked the West, but he also had negative feelings toward anyone who opposed or was not Islamic, and toward the people in society that held higher ranks. Sydney does a excellent job of explaining Ayatollah's thoughts on how only average Muslims can succeed in stopping the corrupt governments, and protecting themselves. Sydney does not discuss how Ayatollah believes that people who oppose Islam do not suffer the way Islamic people do because they do not verbalize their opposition against the government, and in some cases they actually support the government. This could be added to her summary to provide further insight on Ayatollah's thoughts. Sydney selected a superb quote that captures the essence of the document, and explains Ayatollah's direct message of completely eradicating the opposition of Islam. Another quote that she could have selected from the document is, "But as for those who want to divert our movement from its course, who have in mind treachery against Islam and the nation, who consider Islam incapable of running the affairs of our country despite its record of 1400 years---they have nothing at all to do with our people, and this must be made clear." This quote also explains the essence of the document, however Sydney's quote explains the ideas of the document in more direct terms. Overall, Sydney's summary is excellent and accurate to the true meaning of the document.
ReplyDeleteOne must also consider this event and this document in terms of the weakened Persian Empire, imperialism, & the Great Game.
ReplyDelete