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By Root 478 0

its own Basij office. The members of the Basij, called Basijis, receive their directives from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Even though Basijis are volunteers and most of them do not receive a salary, being a Basiji has its perks. Basijis have priority for places at universities and can receive bank loans more easily than ordinary citizens. Many Basij members have permits to carry a gun and are put in charge of the security of their neighborhoods or of other areas when the IRGC feels a threat. Basij members were instrumental in crushing postelection protests around Iran and were financially rewarded by the government accordingly.

chador: A traditional cloak worn by many Muslim women to conceal their bodies. Women from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds choose different material for their chadors (for example, thick, thin, plain, floral, or with other patterns) and wear them in different styles (tight, loose, with a scarf underneath or without one).

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC): The most powerful and influential branch of the Iranian army. The IRGC, commonly called the Revolutionary Guards, was set up after the 1979 Islamic Revolution when dozens of Royal Iranian Army officers were executed by the new government, which did not trust them. Throughout the years, the Revolutionary Guards has grown to become a mighty armed force, as well as an industrial conglomerate. There are no statistics about the number of Guards, but it is estimated to be about 200,000 military personnel, including navy, ground, and air forces. Guards commanders hold different political opinions, but all of them firmly believe in the Islamic Republic and are dedicated to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who personally appoints them. It is widely believed that the force is divided between the old guard, those who are less ideological and pragmatic, and the new guard, those more ideological and extremist. The current commander of the Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, is part of the new guard.

Mahdi, Imam: The twelfth imam of Shias, he was born in A.D. 869 and at the age of five went into hiding when his father, Hassan al Askari, the eleventh imam, was martyred. Shias believe that Imam Mahdi is not dead and will reappear before Judgment Day for a period of time, and will bring justice, equality, and happiness to people around the world.

manteau: A knee-length tunic that is preferred to the chador by many Iranian women, mostly in urban areas, and women working, studying, or from less traditional or less religious families. Manteaus vary widely in terms of color, pattern, and shape—they can be knee-length, waist-length, tight, baggy, straight, light, dark, and so on.

marja: Shias believe that during the absence of Imam Mahdi, marjas (objects of emulation) can lead Muslim communities. The marjas have to be grand ayatollahs (but not all grand ayatollahs are marjas). Shias are free to choose their marjas, and marjas, depending on their religious and political viewpoints, can be relatively liberal or conservative.

Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Iran’s equivalent of the FBI and CIA. It was established in 1984 to gather information on internal and external threats to the legacy of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. Since the concept of threat has been open to interpretation, the Ministry of Intelligence has gone beyond its mandate since its inception. In the 1980s and 1990s (during the Khamenei and Rafsanjani presidencies) the ministry became involved in economic activities, and many of its high officials became rich by driving out the competition in the name of national security. During the same period, the ministry was also involved in assassinating Iranian opposition members in Europe. From 1994 to 1999, as many as eighty intellectuals, authors, and ordinary Iranians were killed, allegedly by rogue members of the ministry. The uncovering of the perpetrators of the killings in 1999 (during Khatami’s presidency) by reformist members and retired employees of the ministry