The Visual Narratives of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

Bibliographic Data

ID12980657
AuthorsMarouf Cabi (0000-0001-7259-4504, London School of Economics and Political Science, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume34
Issue1
Pages103-119
Publication date2024-03-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMiddle East Critique (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1943-6149 • E-ISSN: 1943-6157
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19436149.2024.2309446
OpenAlexW4393004169
LanguageEN
References cited17

This article analyzes a series of documentaries on the 1979 Iranian Revolution broadcast by Iran International and Manoto television channels. While covering the era of the Pahlavi dynasty, especially since the Second World War under Mohammad Reza Shah, the documentaries’ main goal is to present the era as a progressive epoch interrupted by a disastrous revolution. At the same time, they explain the Islamic government as a deviation from the path of progress led by the Pahlavis. By doing so, they dismiss the Pahlavi state as a root cause of the revolution, absolving it of the responsibility for its consequences, i.e. establishing an Islamic government. In contrast, this article highlights state politics as one of the main factors decisively shaping a historical process which culminated in the revolution. This makes the Pahlavi political order central to understand how the events in 1979 and afterwards unfolded

Art · Literature · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · Contemporary and Historical Greek Studies · Islamic Studies and History · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts