Council of the Islamic Revolution

The Council of the Islamic Revolution () was a group formed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to manage the Iranian Revolution on 10 January 1979, shortly before he returned to Iran.Bakhash, Shaul, Reign of the Ayatollahs, Basic Books, 1984, p.64 "Over the next few months there issued from the council hundreds of rulings and laws, dealing with everything from bank nationalization to nurses' salaries."Bakhash, Shaul, Reign of the Ayatollahs, Basic Books, 1984, p.65 Its existence was kept a secret during the early, less secure time of the revolution,during the time of Khomeini's arrival in Tehran (1 February 1979) the council was described as "secret" by Baqer Moin in his book Khomeini, p.200) and its members and the exact nature of what the council did remained undisclosed to the public until early 1980. Some of the council's members like Motahhari, Taleqani, Bahonar, Beheshti, and Qarani died during the Iran–Iraq War or were assassinated by the MKO during the consolidation of the Iranian Revolution. Most of those who remained were put aside by the regime.Momen, Moojan, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p. 290

Overview The Council was composed of seven religious figures associated with Khomeini, seven secular opposition figures, and two representatives of the security forces. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Khomeini chose Beheshti, Motahhari, Rafsanjani, Bahonar, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Musavi Ardabili as members. These invited others to serve: Bazargan, Taleqani, Khamenei, Banisadr, Mahdavi Kani, Sahabi, Katirayee, Javadi, Qarani and Masoodi,Event list Moinfar, Minachi (until 1979) and Ghotbzadeh.

The council put Bazargan forward as the Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Iran, which Khomeini accepted.چرا و چگونه بازرگان به نخست وزیری رسید؟ The commandment of Ayatollah Khomeini for Bazargan and his sermon on 5 February.

It has been described as "a parallel government" that passed laws and competed with the official Interim Government of IranKeddie, Modern Iran, (2003) p.245 whose leading members had come from the council.

The council served as the undisputed government of Iran from the resignation of Bazargan and the rest of the Interim Government until the formation of first parliament (6 November 1979 - 12 August 1980). Iran , World Statesmen.

Among the actions the council took was the April 1979 creation of revolutionary tribunals to try and execute enemies of the revolution;Bakhash, Shaul, Reign of the Ayatollahs, Basic Books, 1984, p. 61 nationalization of companies; the delivery of an ultimatum in April 1980 to leftists groups to leave Iranian universities. Following this, a "large number" of leftist were "killed or wounded".Keddie, Modern Iran, (2003) p. 250

Members of the council were not in complete agreement as to how they wanted Iran to be governed. Abolhassan Banisadr, Ebrahim Yazdi, and Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, and the Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani favoured a democratic government, while Khomeini, Beheshti, and other clerics desired a constitution with a planning council but no elected parliament, as law would be based on Sharia law interpreted by mujtahid. The later vision prevailed after the assassination of Ayatollah Mutahhari and the death of Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani on 10 September 1979 greatly strengthened the Islamists' hand.

Members According to Mehdi Bazargan, members of the council were as follows: Before February 1979February–July 1979July–November 1979November 1979–July 1980Morteza MotahhariassassinatedMahmoud TaleghanideceasedValiollah QaraniassassinatedAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniMohammad BeheshtiMohammad Reza Mahdavi KaniAbdul-Karim Mousavi ArdebiliMohammad-Javad BahonarEbrahim YazdiWent to interim governmentYadollah SahabiWent to interim governmentAhmad Sayyed JavadiWent to interim governmentMostafa KatiraeiWent to interim governmentMostafa KatiraeiMehdi BazarganWent to interim governmentMehdi BazarganEzzatollah SahabiAbbas SheybaniAli KhameneiAli-Asghar Masoudicolspan="3" Abolhassan BanisadrSadegh GhotbzadehMir-Hossein Mousavicolspan="3" Habibollah Paymancolspan="3" Ahmad Jalalicolspan="3" colspan="3" Ali Akbar Moinfarcolspan="3" Reza Sadr

Chairmen (Head of Council of the Islamic Revolution) #Chairman Took office Left office Political party 1 Morteza Motahhari November 197812 January 1979 () 1 May 1979 Islamic Coalition Party 2 Mahmoud Taleghani 1 May 1979 9 September 1979 Freedom Movement 3 Mohammad Beheshti 9 September 1979 7 February 1980 Islamic Republican Party 4 Abolhassan Banisadr 7 February 1980 11 August 1980 Independent

Council of the Islamic Revolution

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