The Rise of Social Movements in Iran since the 1990s

Abstract

This chapter analyses a number of the interactions between social movements, civil society, the state and external forces in Iran since the 1990s. It begins with a discussion of the transformation of the Islamic Republic in the era of reconstruction under President Rafsanjani and the crisis of succession which followed the death of Ayatollah Khomeini. I will then analyse the rise of the women’s movement, the movement of Islamic reformists and the democracy movement in the 1990s with an investigation of the strategies employed by these movements to achieve legislative and political reform, including successes and setbacks in these areas. The chapter will chart the rise of the new conservatives from 2004 onwards and examine the nature of the state under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Finally, I will discuss the emergence of the green movement in 2009, its relationship with the movements of the 1990s and the political situation in the post-2009 period.