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resulted in a massive overhaul of the ministry, which put a stop to its economic activities and drove out several corrupt officials. Around the same time, with Khamenei’s blessing, a parallel intelligence organization was formed. It was primarily made up of the cleansed former agents and members of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit. During the postelection protests, the supporters of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad accused the ministry of working with the opposition, and on Khamenei’s orders the parallel intelligence organization and the Guards’ intelligence unit took over the intelligence apparatus. Soon, dozens of high-ranking officials of the ministry were forced to retire and the ministry agents were effectively put under the Guards’ command.

mullah: A cleric; someone who studies or has studied religion. The word is not negative, but it has been used in negative contexts—for example, the mullahs’ regime in Iran.

Shia Islam (also Shiism): The second-largest denomination in Islam. Unlike the majority of Muslims (Sunnis), who believe that the first four leaders of Muslims (the caliphs) were selected by the people, Shias (also called Shiites) believe that Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad, was his immediate and divinely chosen successor. Shias regard Ali and eleven of his descendants as their imams. The imams are infallible leaders who lead Muslim communities in all mundane and spiritual aspects during their lifetimes, and after their death, their words and legacies guide Shias.

The origins of Shia Islam can be traced to political differences among the followers of the Prophet Mohammad within different Muslim communities in the seventh century and later. As a minority, Shias have always regarded themselves as an oppressed and distinct group within Islam, and have developed a series of rituals and ceremonies that highlight tragedies in Shia history.

Shiism in Iran has not only been a religious belief; it has also been part of national culture and identity since the Safavid dynasty made Shia Islam Iran’s official religion in the sixteenth century, in order to give the country a separate identity and stop the influence of the neighboring Sunni Ottoman Empire.

supreme leader: The spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the man who has the final say in all affairs of the state; the position is currently filled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Supreme leader” derives from the Persian term valie faqih, which literally means “jurisprudent guardian.” The concept was developed by Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1960s; according to it, during the absence of the twelfth imam, a high-ranking cleric (not necessarily a marja) should be in charge of all affairs of the country. The majority of Shia theologians do not believe in velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurisprudent); rather, they believe that the marjas’ guardianship should be limited to the most vulnerable members of society, such as orphans and widows. According to Article 109 of Iran’s Constitution, the supreme leader should be a scholar in various fields, just, pious, have the right combination of political and social acuity, and be prudent and courageous. As no single man (the leader cannot be a woman) can have all these qualities, in Iran today, velayat-e faqih governance is essentially religious dictatorship.

Tudeh Party of Iran: Iran’s communist party, established in 1941. In the beginning, the Tudeh claimed that it was a party of the oppressed and fought for the prosperity of all Iranians, and many educated Iranians, even some religious people, joined it. But eventually, after a series of factions separated from the party, it became a purely communist party. The Tudeh was banned in 1949, and many of its members were executed and tortured in the 1950s through the 1970s. Yet the majority of party leaders migrated to the Eastern bloc, under Soviet protection. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, they returned to Iran and rejuvenated the party; it once again became one of the most influential parties in Iran. The Tudeh supported Ayatollah