foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary
foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary
foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary
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110 Foucault's Writings on <strong>the</strong> Iranian Revolution<br />
Already, Le M<strong>and</strong>e repoi1.ed on February 17, <strong>the</strong> Tehran University campus<br />
had become "one of <strong>the</strong> rare places, perhaps <strong>the</strong> only one, where women<br />
come alongside men <strong>and</strong> hold discussions with <strong>the</strong>m as equals" (Balta<br />
1979a) . On February 25, Ali Shaygan, a prominent National Front leader who<br />
had been a close friend of Mossadeq, returned to Iran after years of exile in<br />
France <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> United States. Shaygan, who had also played a key role in coordinating<br />
<strong>the</strong> anti-shah activities of <strong>the</strong> Confederation of Iranian Students<br />
in <strong>the</strong> United States, was expected by many to become Iran's first president.<br />
He expressed approval for some Islamist projects, such as <strong>the</strong> prohibition<br />
of alcohol. But after his first meeting with Khomeini, Shaygan voiced strong<br />
reservations about <strong>the</strong> direction of <strong>the</strong> <strong>revolution</strong>: "Iran cannot return to <strong>the</strong><br />
first century of Islam <strong>and</strong> must instead come up with a new government that<br />
meets international st<strong>and</strong>ards" (Shaygan 1979).<br />
On March 1, <strong>the</strong> left-leaning Association of Iranian Writers warned publicly<br />
that <strong>the</strong> "democratic character of <strong>the</strong> <strong>revolution</strong> must be preserved." The<br />
association complained that <strong>the</strong> provisional government had refused to recognize<br />
<strong>the</strong> elected councils of workers <strong>and</strong> civil servants that had been instrumental<br />
in <strong>the</strong> general strikes during <strong>the</strong> <strong>revolution</strong>. Censorship had returned,<br />
<strong>and</strong> limits on freedom of expression were being reinstituted. Vigilantes intimidated<br />
newspapers <strong>and</strong> targeted public demonstrations <strong>and</strong> lectures with<br />
threats of violence. They "cleansed" library books, "abrogated <strong>the</strong> rights of<br />
women, who had played an important role in <strong>the</strong> <strong>revolution</strong>, <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong><br />
name of religious sentiments, eliminated discussion of Iran's [non-Islamic]<br />
national festivals <strong>and</strong> rituals [such as Now Rouz] from textbooks" (Kanun-i<br />
Nevis<strong>and</strong>egan-i Iran 1979).<br />
On March 6, <strong>the</strong> secular leftist <strong>and</strong> nationalist parties were able to prove<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir strength at a mass rally commemorating <strong>the</strong> anniversary of <strong>the</strong> Mossadeq's<br />
death. As reported in Le M<strong>and</strong>e, <strong>the</strong> crowd that day, comprising hundreds<br />
of thous<strong>and</strong>s, was dominated by supporters of <strong>the</strong> Left. It included<br />
many women, few of whom wore <strong>the</strong> chador. Slightly distancing himself<br />
from Khomeini, Ayatollah Taleqani gave a major address calling for tolerance<br />
<strong>and</strong> unity among <strong>the</strong> forces that had supported <strong>the</strong> <strong>revolution</strong>. Mossadeq's<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>son Hedayat Matin-Daftari gave <strong>the</strong> most dramatic speech, calling for<br />
<strong>the</strong> founding of a new political group, <strong>the</strong> National Democratic Front. Evoking<br />
principles from <strong>the</strong> 1906 Constitutional Revolution, he dem<strong>and</strong>ed a real<br />
debate ra<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> plebiscite that had been announced for March 30-31<br />
on a single question, whe<strong>the</strong>r Iran should become an Islamic republic. Matin<br />
Daftari also advocated an end to censorship <strong>and</strong> to discrimination against<br />
women, as well as cultural <strong>and</strong> political autonomy for Iran's minorities (Balta<br />
1979b ) .