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Hardline Conservatives Essay

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The hardline conservatives are one of the most influential groups in Iranian politics. They have successfully used their institutional control of the Iranian government to continually influence the country’s domestic policies, even when the president is not a member of their coalition. Their platform can be summarized in six key points. First, they are completely devoted to the rule of the supreme leader, who holds absolute power over the country, as an extension of the Prophet and the Shi’i imams. Second, they see their opposition parties, primarily the Pragmatists and Reformists, as acting against Islam for wanting to reform the system that was put in place by the supreme leaders Khomeini and Khamanei. Also, the principles for which the opposition stands for such as human rights, democracy, and trade with other countries are …show more content…

This cultural war must be fought back by staving off secularization of Iranian society and promoting Islamic morals and values. However, Iran must fight back politically as well by ensuring the implementation of their nuclear program and withstanding the economic sanctions placed upon them by their western enemies. Fourth, the implementation of liberal economic policies such as privatization and foreign investment have resulted in the appearance of a rich class that has not been seen since the pre-revolution days, as well as high unemployment which is attributed to these liberal policies as well. The hardliners see this rich class as being less religious individuals who promote western values. While on the other hand the poor are seen as the revolutionary war veterans that are now being abandoned by the system. The hardliners seek to eliminate this poverty, because in their minds, poverty leads to sin and immorality like prostitution and

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