How Iran Became a Theocracy

Ryan Chapman

512,719 views Dec 3, 2024

An in-depth explanation of the relationship between Iran and Islam as it evolved over time.

This video isn’t sponsored. If you want to support me, here are the best ways to do it:

1) Watch the whole video

2) Share it with a friend

3) Support me on Patreon: / rchapman

If you're interested, I create more casual videos for Patreon and for people signed up to my YouTube membership program. / @realryanchapman

Listen to this episode on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cVS...

Talk to me on Instagram / realryanchapman

0:00 Intro

2:21 Islam

12:04 Iran's Early History

14:39 Islam Comes to Iran

21:14 Modernity and Europe

24:05 Iran's Last Shahs

31:10 The Iranian Revolution

41:41 Iran's Islamic Government

49:00 Conclusion

Sources:

Revolutionary Iran - Michael Axworthy

Iran: A Modern History - Abbas Amanat

The Children of Abraham - F.E, Peters

Islam - John Alden Williams

Islam & Politics 3rd Ed - Peter Mandaville

The Koran - Trans. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

Forbidding Wrong in Islam - Michael Cook

Islam: A Short History - Karen Armstrong

Women, Family and Gender in Islamic Law - Judith Tucker

A History of Iran - Michael Axworthy

Ecce Homo - Friedrich Nietzche

Khomeini - Baqer Moin

Iran - Ali M. Ansari

The Sacred Republic - ed. Mehran Kamrava

Understanding Iran - William R. Polk

Islamic Government - Ruhollah Khomeini

Vanguard of the Imam - Afshon Ostovar

Children of Paradise - Laura Secor

Guardians of the Revolution - Ray Takeyh

===

In this video

Chapters

Transcript

Intro

On September 3rd, 2022, around 6:30 p.m. in Tehran, a 22 year old woman was taken into custody by the Gasht-e-Ershad:

the 'morality police.' She was brought to a detention center and placed in a re-education class.

There, Jina Mahsa Amini was to be instructed on how to wear hijab in accordance with Iranian Sharia law.

26 minutes later under suspicious circumstances she collapsed. She was taken to a hospital and died on September 16th.

protests sprung up in Iran and spread across the country, Escalating into calls to overthrow the Islamic government.

Protesters and authorities clashed, resulting in the deaths of perhaps 75 officials and perhaps around 500 protesters.

Tens of thousands were arrested. The protests quieted and life in modern Iran continued on.

Turmoil itself is nothing new in Iran. As one historian put it: 'Iran is perhaps one of the most invaded

and most revolution-prone countries in world history.' For its thousands of years of tumult or better or for worse, Iran has seen it all.

Again, as another historian put it: 'A visiting Martian wanting to see the full range of human activity,

good and bad, to understand mankind could well look at Iran as a kind of introductory course.'

Iran, I would add, seems to me to be about as interesting as it is misunderstood.

Iran's morality police might seem like a small subject within all that, but the policing of morals happens on a much grander scale in Iran

than what you might see in terms of patrolling vans. It's a concept central to the very core of Iran's Islamic government,

and what do you need to understand to understand Iran and its politics today. We're going to concern ourselves with moral policing on that grand scale

and give you the context you need to understand it. context regarding the religion behind it,

which is of course Islam, and historical context, the context that led to and informs the drama that you see in Iran today.

Islam

We're going to start by winding the clock back probably a little farther back than you think. All the way back to around 2000 BCE Mesopotamia

to the founding myth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As the story goes, a sheepherder

named Abraham was spoken to by God. God told Abraham that if he trusted

in his existence and was a loyal devotee. Abraham and his heirs in return would receive immense God given rewards.

From that myth sprouted the three great Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

though they may use different names and not always be aware of it. They all share the same God.

Where they differ is in believing who the heirs of God's promise are, each typically believing that it is they and they alone.

All three religions believe that God has delivered a final message to humanity, but each differ in their beliefs of when and where that message was delivered.

Jews believe that God spoke to humanity in only one era of human history,

all the way back in antiquity, as told in the Torah. Christians believe that God delivered a second message

in the form of His Son on earth, Jesus. While Muslims believe that a third and final message

was delivered to a businessman in seventh century Arabia named Mohammed.

They believe that the message was first delivered by an angel. An angel that spoke God's unedited speech.

Speech that was then delivered to humanity in more or less unedited form by Mohammed.

That message assembled together is the Koran. So Muslims

believe that the words of the Quran are quite literally God's speech, which gives the contents of the Koran for Muslims an unusual power.

Power not found comparably in Christianity. With the Bible or in Judaism with the Torah.

Which were both to a greater degree, as it's usually believed, interpreted and written by humans.

The message that God tells humanity in the Koran Is that it is He who has created heaven and earth and created Adam

and Eve as the first humans, and it is He who will therefore judge His creation.

Judge humanity based on their behavior. Adam's fall from heaven in the Koran is not seen as a sin.

But rather an error in judgment. And has not tainted the human race with its consequences.

So there is no original sin that needs to be purged in Islam. Humans have no inherent wrong.

But must instead. Focus on retaining their purity by living their life as God wills it.

What God demands of humanity. In the Koran, at the very most basic level is two fold.

On one hand what is needed is belief. Belief in the one true God and on the other.

What is needed is submission. Submission to the will of God.

So Islam in Arabic means to submit, and to be a muslim means to be one

who submits one who submits to the will of God. as God articulates his will in the Koran.

What gradually unfolds is essentially a series of directions that regulate human behavior.

A list of concrete human acts that tells one how to live and how not to live, in order to be in accordance with God's will.

those who follow God's will are moral and will be rewarded in this life and in heaven.

Those who disbelieve in God and His message will be punished by God eternally in hell.

In contrast to some other religious practices, Islamic morality is something that applies to everyone, at least in theory.

Regardless of whether you choose to opt in or out of it. It's the message that Muslims believe God revealed to all of humanity,

and it's a message that you're either aware of or you're not. But there isn't more room in Islam to disagree with it or with the commands

that God wills. So, unlike some other religious practices that tend to impose their morality

on a more voluntary basis, Islam tends to impose its morality in the form of law.

Law applicable to everyone. At least in theory, that its political authority extends over.

On that note. the concept of law is so important and inherently close to Islam itself

that early Islam made no distinction between law and religion. and Islamic scholarship focuses most characteristically not on theology,

but on that law. Islamic law expressed as a whole systematic body is called the Sharia.

It's contentious to name any one singular passage in the Koran. That's the basis for the Sharia.

But I'll read a famous one that for our purposes, we'll do first. It calls for Muslims to come together as a community on the basis of Islam.

Hold fast, it says all of you together to the cable of Allah and do not separate.

And then it calls for that group of Muslims to impose their morality within that society.

As it says: and there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency.

Such are they who are successful. The command to enforce morality. There is a major one in Muslim theory,

And is typically translated as commanding right and forbidding wrong, Now remember that Muslims believe

this is literally the Word of God telling them to do this. They believe God has commanded them to see to it that morally correct

behavior occurs, and also to see to it, that morally wrong behavior is forbidden.

it's a duty that applies to both Muslim men and Muslim women. As it says.

And the believers men and women are protecting friends of one another. They enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship

and they pay the poor due and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them.

Lo, Allah is mighty, wise. So while there is a concrete unit in Iran known as the morality police,

you could say that the concept of policing morals is a general one in Islamic culture, even if it's controversial, how exactly to interpret it.

The general goal for Muslims is to create a society that puts into practice God's desires for the human race, as they see it.

A society where morally right behavior, at least to some extent, is commanded, and morally wrong behavior, again, at least to some extent, is forbidden.

An area where Muslim morality is dominant. It's called an Islamic theory, an abode of Islam.

And Muslims believe they have a God given duty to enforce their morality within that abode.

But they also have a duty to spread their morality in areas where it's not yet dominant. In a process called a jihad.

Which is a word that refers to the expenditure of effort. What exactly it means beyond that is again, controversial.

some passages describe a jihad as overtly violent, while others describe it as a more benign process and yet more disavow aggression.

On that note, the Koran is a long text and is full of contradictions, making it difficult to discern its precise divine intent.

Furthermore, the book is heavily dedicated to establishing the principle of monotheism, which was in contrast to the polytheism

which was popular in Arabia during Muhammad's time. Only about 10% of it directly deals with legislating human behavior.

And even much of that has to do with religious duties and rituals. Only a small fraction of the Quran provides

rules for social relations and for community life. To establish a more comprehensive set of principles to live by.

Muslims looked to Muhammad as an example of God's living will. which meant that his actions, his words, and his deeds were canonized

and set as the highest example for Muslims to imitate. from the smallest details of his life,

Even something so small as his opinion on pumpkin as a food. All the way up to his grandest deeds,

such as his spreading of Islam across Arabia in his time. Muhammad's actions, Muslims believe, were actions

that expressed ideal human behavior as seen by God. But even then, Muhammad lived in the sixth and early seventh century A.D.

and his life, even combined with the Koran, couldn't give comprehensive guidance for Muslims in the years going forward.

Muslims attempts to deal with that disparity has caused rifts between various Islamic sects, with major disagreements about leadership and secession,

and about what Muslim values should and should not be, and how Muslim societies should be structured.

But even within that, some common sources of guidance emerged. One major source was simply Muslim tradition,

forming a sort of rough consensus on Muslim behavior over the centuries. Another major, and you could say more active source of guidance

came from the ulema, the learned religious scholars. Who again traditionally mostly concern themselves with law.

But the legal scholars can still more specifically be called the fuqahā. These legal scholars at the highest levels of Muslim

hierarchies, Are respected for their ability to interpret Muslim law, and may even dictate themselves what the law should and should not be,

So it's often the ulama, and even more specifically, the jurists. the absence of explicit direction in the Koran or from the life of Muhammad.

who give direction to Muslims and guide Islamic societies.

Now with that all being said, I think it's time to bring in Iran.

Iran's Early History

Iranians, as an organized people with a distinct culture and political identity,

have conservatively about 2500 years of history, about 1200 of which nearly half of it predates Islam.

They were typically held together by a king in Iran called a shah Shahs, it was believed, had a kingly charisma.

A farr radiating from them, that bestowed upon them the right to rule.

But if a shah failed at the art of governing, the shah would lose his charisma and would ultimately,

one way or another, be deposed. Such beliefs contributed to a turbulent political history for Iran,

with many different empires with varying degrees of power and success rising and falling held together by leaders with varying beliefs.

at the time, there were no modern states that could impose a singular language and culture as we have now.

So Iran, as elsewhere, was in reality composed of a patchwork of languages and cultures.

but there was still a general culture of Iranianness that cohered through the centuries and through the tumult, held together

by a common language, as well as a sense of identity through cultural pride, backed by a pension for literacy and innovation,

and even a cultural love of art, most notably a love of poetry. The name Iran itself seems to have an ancient

etymological tie to the concept of nobility and is the name that people living there for most of its history used.

The terms Persia and Persians come from a specific ancient group of Iranians.

When Iranians went to war with the Greeks in fifth century BC, the Greeks used that name and called them all Persians,

and the term mostly for the outside world became how they were known until the mid 20th century.

Its dominant ancient religion, often called Mazdaism in its earlier forms,

and Zoroastrianism its later forms, seems to have been a strong influence on the Abrahamic religions that replaced it.

With its concepts of heaven and hell, of free human choice between good and evil, of divine judgment, of angels and of a single creator god.

Its founder, Zoroaster, also called Zarathrustra, has been argued by thinkers as prominent as Friedrich Nietzsche

To be the first popular proponent of the moral world that we live in. A world where morality is framed as a struggle between good and evil.

Islam came to Iran in the seventh century A.D. when Muslim leaders after Muhammad spread it in a vast

Islam Comes to Iran

empire across the Middle East called a caliphate. when it was spread through jihad into Iran.

It was undoubtedly already familiar, in a sense, to Iranians. through a mix of organic conversions,

forced conversions and political purges, Islam quickly became the predominant religion in Iran.

For about the next 900 years the question wasn't whether or not Iran was Islamic

in that its people were overwhelmingly Muslim and that its rulers were at least to some extent guided by Islam,

but instead the question became: what type of Islam would prevail in Iran? The Prophet Muhammad had stressed the importance of the unity of Muslims,

but upon his death their unity fractured over the question of secession. From that came two large factions.

The Sunnis who accepted the line of secession as it actually happened. And the Shias, who rallied behind a different successor

they believed the Prophet had named: his cousin and son in law Ali. Which meant that Ali's succession for the Shias was,

at least for the time, unjustly denied by the Sunnis. That led to a strict understanding among Shias

about who can and cannot lead Muslim communities, with their two choices typically being family members of the Prophet Muhammad,

or in the absence of that, the ulema, who could also be called the clergy.

Iran also had a strong tradition of Sufism, which emphasized one's own personal ability

to build a spiritual connection with the Koran and with God. which often used poetry and dance in an attempt

to heighten one's faculties of perception. Though they may have had their conflicts in Iran throughout the centuries.

These various strains more or less coexisted. Modern state apparatus had not yet developed, and the ability of leaders

to impose their will and entire society was quite limited. The Sharia, for example, may have been emphasized here and there,

But leaders had no ability to impose it as law on the whole population, With anything like the thoroughness that we'd recognize today.

Furthermore, Iran was prone to political upheavals. It was invaded, conquered, fractured.

Coming together again, Only to break back apart. But as modernity approached, things changed.

In the early 16th century, a family called the Safavids, led by a man named Ismail.

were able to overthrow regional leaders and bring all of Iran under their control,

They originally spoke Turkish and were Sunni, but to the surprise and the fascination of the Muslim world,

Ismail converted to Shiism and officially declared Shiism. at the time very much minority view As the state religion of Iran,

A religion by royal decree that was to be imposed on its subjects, now required at the pain of death, to curse the early Sunni leaders.

Whoever disobeys the decrees said he is to be beheaded. She has had long been a persecuted minority in the Muslim world.

But they now saw in Iran a place to make a relatively safe abode of Islam in their own image.

Shia jurists from all over, traveled to Iran, showing up by the dozens in Safavid courts.

They developed a symbiotic relationship with their Shah's. they would provide religious guidance and legitimacy to the state.

and would typically look the other way if the Shah didn't listen to their guidance. And the Shah's in turn use the state to elevate the ulema,

making them the new elite of Iranian society. As this went on, Iran became the first major stable Shia state

and the leading example of schism within the Muslim world, a distinction that was true in its time and is still true down to the present day.

In that climate schism developed and a new type of Islam emerged. through a royal decree by the second Shah Tahmasp, the Safavid state

endorsed the principle of taqlid which means imitation. Shias would, at least in theory, have the freedom to choose their own high

ranking cleric to look up, to called a mojtahed but then would be obligated to live their life in a way that imitated

that mojtahed making Shia society now in theory, directed by the clergy in a top down fashion, as they directed Shias

on how to live their life as they believed God willed it. As they continued to elaborate on Shiism.

The clergy became interested in ritualizing basically all aspects of human life.

A popular tract, for example, gave direction on proper Muslim clothing eating, drinking, bathing,

personal hygiene, eschatology, Sex. Childbearing. education, marriage, parenting,

animal rearing, buying, selling, and commerce. between the power of the state and the direction of the ulema,

it was thought, God's will could be achieved. An entire society could be made Muslim and a unified form of Muslim in Shiism,

and the ulema could direct that society, telling people how to live or how not to live as they believed God willed it

By the end of the Safavid dynasty, official orders had gone out to close taverns, coffeehouses, brothels

to ban prostitution, opium, colorful herbs, sodomy, public music, dancing and gambling.

Women were to stay at home to behave modestly, and were forbidden to mix with men who were not relatives.

Islamic dress was to be worn. But it wasn't ideal that they never fully realized.

Despite the bans drinking, gambling and smoking, for example, were widespread.

The Safavids themselves flagrantly flouted the conservatism of the ulema perhaps best captured by a mural of a harem in the royal court.

But perhaps most importantly, through the imposition of Shiism and through the suppression of rival sects and religions, Iran came together.

At the cost of ideological diversity. It became stable and unified. after the chaos of the initial repressions.

Iranians generally came to look favorably on their state, experiencing sustained strength, prosperity, and peace.

When the Safavids fell after well over 200 years in power, they were at the time

the longest lasting dynasty in the history of Islamic Iran. Creating a long memory for Iranians that would be cherished going forward.

but as Iran was experimenting with fusing Shiism with the state, the European world was going in the other direction,

Modernity and Europe

developing a doctrine of separation of church and state. It was also, of course, a power that was rapidly rising,

undergoing scientific and industrial revolutions. Iran broke apart after the Safavids

and only came together as a Shia state again under the Qajars. But as it did, it found itself challenged by the outside world.

Europe had quite suddenly so far overtaken the Qajars that they had no hope of competing politically, industrially or militarily.

a once proud people, had fallen behind. A part of the world that was once considered backwards to Iranians,

could now dominate them and treat them with contempt. Shia Islam during the Qajar period was, in a sense, stronger than ever,

as the Qajars, using a more modern state apparatus, were able to impose sharia law to a significant degree on Iranian society.

but the period overall was typically seen as one of decline for Iranians.

as the Qajars presided over a troubled economy and a corrupt government laden with debt.

That created stresses and fractures in Iranian society as people criticized their Islamic status

quo and looked for alternatives, ones that could bring Iran one way or another competitively into modernity.

Many, especially in its capital Tehran, looked to Europe, to liberalism and to Western models of government.

which culminated in 1906, in the Constitutional Revolution, A popular protest against the Shah calling for reforms.

Which gave Iran its first constitution and at least in principle rule of law and limited the power of the Shah

with separate organs of government which gave them a parliamentary system with a parliament called the Majles, and a prime minister.

The Revolution exemplified peaceful pluralistic reform in Iran. creating a government that was partially secular and partially Islamic.

but the project of reform stalled in Iran, partially from infighting between Iranians, but also significantly from interference from the outside world.

Interference that began in the 19th century but crescendoed in the 20th. Starting with the decision of Britain and Russia.

in the lead up to World War One to split Iran into separate spheres of influence.

during the First World War. Iran was in a fragile state and tried to maintain neutrality

and neutrality that the combatants ignored, Using Iran, its land and resources for their own purposes.

The war caused widespread suffering in Iran. Famine, disease and regional chaos.

Iran's Last Shahs

To bring order to Iran and to counter Russian influence after the Russian Revolution. The British, at least to some extent, helped a rising colonel

named Reza Khan staged a military coup. through which he eventually became Shah in 1926, making him now Reza Shah.

With that came a new dynasty: the Pahlavis consisting of him and his son that was to follow him Mohammad Reza Shah.

Both tried to lead Iran through a philosophy of secular nationalism, which is the idea

that Iranians should organize around a principle of shared national identity outside of religion and outside of any other prevailing ideology.

Both had what's usually called a strongman style of rule, curtailing civil liberties as was seen as necessary,

and frequently jailing or even killing political opposition. Reza Khan set the tone coming into power by putting up notices across Tehran,

telling the public to be quiet and obedient to military commands Martial law was in effect, it was announced,

and all press and publications were banned, among other restrictions. Both parties saw Iranian Shi'ism as a historical aberration,

an affliction that was holding Iran back, keeping it out of modernity. An attitude that was sometimes expressed in naked contempt

Reza Shah, for example, dealt with a dispute with an ayatollah, which is a widely respected cleric,

by entering his shrine without his boots on, whipping him and arresting him. Mohammad Reza Shah, for his part, reportedly told one author

that the Shia establishment were a bunch of lice ridden, dirty old men,

Both parties accordingly implemented secular reforms in Iran, pulling Iranian politics away from the influence of Islam.

for example, by banning the hijab under Razor Shah and implementing women's suffrage under Mohammad Reza Shah.

The Koran, by any traditional reading, calls for a patriarchal society. Men and women have similar rights, it says,

but men are a degree above women. it also might be worth pointing out that when it speaking on the differences

between genders, it's clearly speaking to men. men are you, and women are in other they, them.

So Islamic societies are I think virtually always patriarchal. Men hold political power and dictate policy to women.

which again, they believe is a state of affairs that has been dictated to them by God.

so a strong clerical opposition grew against the implementation of women's suffrage in Iran.

An opposition headed by a man named Ruhollah Khomeini. A charismatic, outspoken and politically savvy cleric

who believed that the Shah's policies were weakening the role of clerics and that of Islam in society, Meanwhile, throughout their

roughly 50 years of power, both Pahlavis focused on trying to modernize Iran.

In terms of its trade, infrastructure, government institutions, and relationship with the rest of the world,

And to a large extent, they actually succeeded. But the strongman style of rule from the polities eventually eroded their support in Iran.

Something that began under Reza Shah and reached a climax under Mohammad Reza Shah.

Mohammad Reza Shah came into power in the context of the Second World War. In 1941.

Iran again tried to stay neutral on the war. but the British and Russians again ignored it and occupied Iran.

Wanting on one hand to keep its vast oil supplies away from the Germans, And wanting on the other a land corridor to supply

relief to Russia, which was in the middle of a German invasion. Not trusting Reza Shah to fully cooperate.

They, now in a position of power, forced him to abdicate and replaced him with his son, the young Mohammad.

The new Shah at first held less power than his father, And popular politics

with their parties and leading politicians saw a rise in Iran. With that came extremes.

the loudest of which were a far left Tudeh party inspired by the Soviet Union and a militant group called Fatah in Islam.

which frequently used terror, intimidation and assassinations to combat the enemies of Islam.

In the politically tumultuous ten years that were to follow. Iran went through 17 prime ministers with none lasting more than the year.

Meanwhile, Britain and Russia continued to dominate it, The latter occupying it for several years after the war, Britain,

after many generations of interventions, had a monopoly on Iran's oil reserves,

keeping most for itself and only giving Iran around 16% of the royalties on which they had to pay taxes.

The US until that point had mostly remained aloof from Iran, but began making overtures to them,

genuinely seeming like a power that wanted to act in their best interests. To many Iranians, this seemed like the power that they had long waited for,

a power that would finally help them without politically dominating them. But then the cause of oil nationalization became popular in Iran,

championed by their popular prime minister Mosaddegh. At the time, Iran supplied more than 20% of the world's oil,

and the thought of losing that much oil to a potential nationalization program was too much in particular for the British to bear Britain

responded with its allies by blockading Iran's oil exports. Mosaddegh’s government responded by breaking diplomatic relations

with Britain, And Britain then turned to convince the United States to overthrow most government.

The U.S. was increasingly concerned about the rise of the Soviet-friendly Tudeh party in Iran,

and when Eisenhower came to office in 1953, The British found an administration that was willing to take a harder line internationally.

Working together using the MI6 and the CIA, they engineered Operation Ajax.

a coup d'etat that successfully threw Mossadegh out of power and established Mohammad Reza Shah as an autocrat in Iran

And with that, having overthrown their government, the United States suddenly became the dominant foreign power in Iran,

And the focus of Iran's significantly pent up and you could say justified anti-imperialist anxieties.

Iran nationalized and stabilized its oil industry, and Iran's economy grew significantly under Mohammad Reza Shah.

But they were benefits felt mostly by the wealthy. especially leaving the urban poor and rural Iranians behind.

throughout the 60s and 70s. an Iran emerged that many in the West would recognize.

A society with higher education being achieved by both men and women. A society with a thriving film scene.

With contemporary music. and increasingly, especially in cities. Contemporary liberal dress Even for women.

The Iranian Revolution

But these developments had their critics and a conservative, especially Islamic backlash formed.

Many began openly proclaiming that Iran was sick. It was afflicted by the West.

popularized in the term ‘westoxication.’ As criticism against the shah rose, he found little in the way of domestic

support. He became, over time, even more of an autocrat than his father. Banning political parties, Persecuting opposition.

and essentially terrorizing Iranians with his much hated secret police As Mohammad Reza Shah's popularity fell,

he was increasingly forced to rely on his military to stay in power. A military, largely procured from Americans.

Relatively small events now could cause widespread protests in Iran. when the United States, citing Iran's weak state of law,

demanded the right for its nationals in Iran to be tried with American law. Iran erupted with outrage.

Again at the forefront of the protests was Ruhollah Khomeini. He said they have reduced the Iranian people

to a level lower than that of an American dog. If someone runs over a dog belonging to an American, he will be prosecuted.

Even if the Shah himself were to run over a dog belonging to an American, would be prosecuted.

But if an American cook runs over the Shah, the head of state, no one will have the right to interfere with them.

Khomeini was exiled from Iran. Following those comments. But far from making him disappear.

The exile allowed him to continue to criticize the Shah. Now from a safe distance, while also developing his own ideas, ideas

that he could now preach freely to his loyal following. He began to dream not just of overthrowing the Shah,

but of establishing a new society in Iran, a society that was an innovation for Iran and for Shi'ism.

He established his thoughts in a series of lectures. Which were then compiled into a book called Islamic Government.

alternatively called guardianship of the jurists. He opened his argument by saying that Muslims have long been

misled by anti-Islamic propaganda. It was propaganda that came from Jews and other groups.

as he put it, who were in certain respects more satanic than them.

They placed agents all through society, in religious centers, universities, publishing houses.

All these people, he said, have pulled their energies in an effort to distort the principles of Islam.

because of that. He thought Muslims were misguided. and Khomeini set out to right them.

Islam, he said, is the religion of militant individuals who are committed to truth and justice.

It is the religion of those who desire freedom and independence. It is the school of those who struggle against imperialism.

He argued that Iran had been poisoned by vice, vice brought in from imperialism.

From Britain, France, Belgium and most recently America. sexual advice in particular, he said, it's reaching such proportions

that it's destroying entire generations, corrupting our youth and causing them to neglect all forms of work.

the traditional Shia view until that point, was that the only legitimate religious head of state

was a family member of the Prophet Muhammad, called an ‘imam.’ The last known imam, they believed, did not die, but disappeared

from human sight, to reappear one day as a sort of judgment day for humanity.

The Shia clergy were thought to have the right to lead in the absence of that, but to do it in a way that had a limited relationship with government.

for example, by serving as advisers to the head of state, Khomeini called that traditional view ‘hostile propaganda’ and put forward his own vision of Islam.

Because she is. Believe that Mohammed appointed a successor, Who would have led Muslims and would have done so in accordance with God's will?

Then Shias must also believe that it's necessary for them now to establish a government.

‘We must strive to establish organs for the execution of law and the administration of affairs,’ he said.

Know that it is your duty to establish an Islamic government. This would be a government with a far reach into Iranian society.

Protecting it from social, intellectual and moral corruption. and thus imparting order to all the affairs of the country.

But that government needs leadership. And the role of leadership he says, should fall to the ulema

and even more specifically, the jurists. The fuqahā. Since the Islamic government is a government of law, he said.

those acquainted with the law, or more precisely with religion, i.e. the fuqahā must supervise its functioning.

It is they who supervise. all executive and administrative affairs of the country, together

with all the planning, the just fuqahā must be leaders and rulers.

It was a radical idea, even for the Shia clergy, as their jurists had never held a role like that in Islamic history.

But Shias were feeling repressed in Iran, popular sentiment was turning against the Shah and a revolutionary potential was in the air.

Khomeini positioned himself as the man willing to stand in front of all that, the man willing to speak out against the Shah

and spearhead the formation of a new Iran. But the details of what that Iran would look

like precisely were left quite vague. After publishing Islamic government, Khomeini studiously avoided

speaking to his own political goals instead preferring generic catchphrases that appealed to different groups of Iranians.

‘Islam is for equality and social justice,’ he said. ‘Islam will eliminate class differences.’

‘The duty of the clergy is to liberate the hungry from the clutches of the rich.’ In interviews he always played down the subject of clerical role,

which was of course his thesis in his Islamic Government lectures, often claiming no ambitions for such a position,

and instead describing a vision for Iran that was much more moderate and politically inclusive.

Increasing numbers of Iranians began to demonstrate from a broad range of ideological groups,

united by their shared antipathy for the Shah, and the desire for Iran to be free from foreign influence, and from the United States in particular.

Violence broke out on both sides of the protests and the protests just grew bigger and bigger.

As this went on, more and more attention was brought onto Khomeini, who at the time was in France, as he was widely perceived

as the head of this rising Iranian revolution, The Shah tried to ease pressure by appeasing the rising opposition

an appeasement that in the eyes of many Iranians made him look weak. When the military, the the Shah's last bastion of safety, made it clear that

they wouldn't act to support the Shah, the Shah fled the country, paving the way for Khomeini to return,

which he did on February 1st, 1979, a return which was greeted by the celebrations of millions.

An esctatic public now calling Khomeini ‘the imam.’

the Shah had fled and the military had stood down and the ground was set for a new governing order in Iran.

But what would that order be? The answer was far from clear. It was an answer that would be resolved through power struggle.

Iran had for a time two governments. Both provisional. One left behind by the Shah and the other put together by the revolutionaries,

headed by a prime minister appointed by Khomeini. Khomeini quickly came to regret the lack of radicalism in the prime minister,

but at first expressed his support, and in expressing his support he, for the first time in ten years,

teased at the authoritarianism that was about to come. Saying: As a man who, through the guardianship that I have

from the Holy lawgiver, the prophet, I hereby pronounce Bazargan as the ruler,

and since I have appointed him, he must be obeyed. The nation must obey him.

This is not an ordinary government. It is a government based on the Sharia. Opposing this government means opposing the Sharia of Islam

and revolting against the Sharia and revolt against the government of the Sharia has its punishment in our law.

It is a heavy punishment in Islamic jurisprudence. Revolt against God's government is a revolt against God.

Revolt against God is blasphemy. The Shah's government had very little support and quickly dissolved

The revolutionary government similarly had little in the way of power. As the Prime Minister put it, In theory, the government is in charge.

But in reality it is Khomeini who was in charge He with his revolutionary council,

his revolutionary committees and his relationship with the masses. The government nonetheless put forward a constitution,

one that didn't include a position for a clerical role, and one that would have more or less allowed democratic politics to take place.

Whatever chance it had of passing, maybe none, it quickly became irrelevant. The Shah revealed he was dying from cancer,

a type of cancer that required modern facilities to treat. As he was rejected by one country after another, the U.S.,

a country now called ‘the Great Satan’ by Khomenei, decided to admit him into their country and into treatment.

Iranians loyal to Khomenei, believing apparently falsely, that the US was plotting another coup,

responded by storming the American embassy and taking its employees hostage, thus creating the Iranian hostage crisis.

The name of God, the beneficiary, the merciful. The hostages are in our hands and we protect them strongly.

And we are ready so that in the case of any military intervention, we will destroy them.

It was an unprecedented move in international relations, but Khomeini stood behind it.

It was a move that isolated Iran from the world stage, as it was increasingly being seen internationally as a rogue state.

But it boosted Khomeini's popularity at home as Iran was reinvigorated with a revolutionary fervor.

Feeling powerless, the prime minister resigned and his government fell with him, leaving Khomeini free to put forward his own constitution.

Iran's Islamic Government

The constitution was based on two conflicting principles. One was the authority of the people expressed through democratic processes

such as elections and a newly created presidential post, and the other was the authority of God,

which expressed in real terms meant the authority of the Shia clergy. But they weren't principles held in balance upon another,

because crucially, sitting at the very top of the pyramid of power in Iran stemming from a clause deep in the Iranian constitution

and established in somewhat abstract language is a position called the ‘velayat-e faqih.’ The guardian jurist, also called the Supreme Leader,

to be held by the leading marja al-taqlid, the clerical source of imitation.

Beyond exercising direct control over officials beneath them, for example by controlling state media, the police or the military,

the supreme Leader dominates Iranian politics through control of the judicial, which means they have power over the Supreme Court

and over the organs of law in Iran. The Supreme Leader also importantly controls Iran's popular institutions

like the Majles and the presidency through the Guardian Council. A historically ultraconservative body of 12,

Six of whom are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader. Who have the power to filter unwanted candidates out of the presidency

and out of the Majles, and also veto unwanted laws passed by the Majles. Giving Iranians institutionally limited power through popular processes.

Written into the Constitution itself is the imposition of Muslim morality, at least to some extent on the populace.

Saying in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Inviting one to good. The promotion of virtue and the prohibition to vice is

a general and concomitant responsibility of the people toward one another. The government toward the people and the people.

Toward the government. The conditions, boundaries and nature of this relationship are set by the law To justify it.

They quote a passage from the Koran that we've read earlier. It was put to a vote. a vote that many Iranians abstained from, but

still a vote that resoundingly passed. With the passage of the constitution came the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A relatively modern state with significant oil revenues was now controlled by Shia clerics.

Khomeini assumed the position of Supreme Leader of Iran, and defended it by saying:

it is right that the supreme religious authority should oversee the work of the president and other state officials

to make sure they don't make mistakes or go against the law and the Koran. Power struggles would continue, and it would take some time

for this to play out, but Iran had in effect become a theocratic state, a religiously oriented autocracy.

After the revolution, Khomeini broke further with Islamic tradition insisting on what he called a ‘unity of expression.’

which meant in practice that there would be limited dissent from the supreme leader allowed within the clergy, and even less dissent allowed outside the clergy.

What followed them was a widespread purge across Iran, often framed as a moral cleansing.

Political executions skyrocketed, targeting a wide range of people labeled as counter-revolutionaries who were sowing corruption on earth.

Political blocs, one after the other were labeled as apostates or accused of being in league with the Americans, and were suppressed.

Militia groups like the Hezbollah, the Party of God, enforced Khomeini's will in the streets, Almost all independent newspapers were closed.

The education system was made ‘Islamically correct.’ Executions began for what were seen as strong violations of the Sharia.

when asked about a boy shot for sodomy, possibly homosexuality. Khomeini responded ‘Corruption, corruption.

We have to eliminate corruption.’ Prostitutes were literally burned in what were seen as purifying flames.

Iranians that could not or did not want to live in an Islamic state left in a mass exodus, typically from their middle class.

It was a tumultuous state of affairs, one that Khomeini and the clergy might not have survived had Saddam Hussein

not invaded in 1980, uniting Iran behind Khomenei in the Iran-Iraq War.

But survive they did. By the end of the decade, as Khomenei was dying

and the mantle was being passed to his successor Khamenei, The clergy had stabilized and retained a commanding

position over Iranian politics. In the Islamic Republic,

law officially is derived from Islam and the Sharia, which means that the law imposed on Iranian nationals to some extent is based on Muslim morality.

that's at the very heart of what separates it from secular governments like that of the United States.

In the United States, laws imposed on you by virtue of being an American citizen.

but it's at least by and large, secular law arrived at through rational principles and implemented for practical purposes.

In contrast to that, by virtue of being born in Iran, you have, in addition to practical laws,

a body of religious laws imposed on you. laws literally arrived at through the power of belief, through faith.

Laws that Muslims believe, command one to be good, and forbid one from doing evil.

laws on morality that even more specifically are determined by a single man, the Supreme Leader,

and by extension, his ruling elite, an elite that since the revolution

have decisively fallen on the conservative end of Islamic political thought. The laws cover a wide range of topics, from drinking to adultery, but

probably their most controversial issues regard their laws on women, Women kept their right to vote in the Islamic Republic,

but in many other ways became, legally speaking, second class citizens.

for example, by being held out of top ranking jobs in the government, losing rights of custody in the event of a divorce, and needing

permission from husbands or fathers in order to travel. Women sexually speaking, are also controlled by the Iranian government.

Islam emphasizes the prevention of sin more than the forgiveness of sin, and traditionally sees it as a woman's duty

primarily to prevent sexual sin. Namely sex outside of marriage.

A sin that's illegal and even punishable by death in Iran. Women, therefore, are legally

required to behave modestly and dress modestly. Therefore not arousing men's sexuality and inevitably

creating sin which again is namely sex outside of marriage. The legal mandate for women to cover their hair with a hijab

is widely focused on as the most visibly apparent symbol of that. ‘A religious duty, ’women were told,

‘upon which was erected the foundation of the Islamic revolution.’ It might be worth saying, however obvious it might be, that for some

Conclusion

this is an eminently desirable state of affairs. Iranians have achieved. They believe, a thoroughly Islamic society,

one where the holiest of men lead their society through a strongly fortified chain of command.

In their view, they no longer have an insufficiently Islamic despot at their helm,

and they're no longer at the mercy of being manipulated by foreign powers. With the Islamic Republic they're in power,

finally independent and even fairly stable. But it's a state of affairs that has been achieved through oppression.

more repression even than what Iran experienced by and large, through the Pahlavis.

Iran has become fairly stable. but it's a stability achieved through forced homogeneity.

creating probably the least pluralistic society that Iran has ever experienced, Official

doctrine holds that the Islamic Republic is God's government. and those who go against the government go against God,

and are therefore heretics, They're often additionally described as being foreign agents and are accordingly repressed.

So for all the virtues the society has, for some, for others, this is a profoundly tyrannical state of affairs.

especially for those who don't agree with this particular form of morality that's being imposed on them,

Questions exist. What is the place of Islam in the modern world? Should Islamic morality be mandated or voluntary?

Should it be a social force or a political force, even a bureaucratic one? Who are Iranians?

Are they a national group? A religious group or both? If Iranians were to adopt an alternative...

what is it? In an isolated country where speech against the government is labeled as foreign and heretical the answer is hard to formulate.

If the status quo is desirable, what is to be done with the dissenters? How far can the Iranian state go while still remaining just

If change is desirable, is peaceful reform an option? Or if not, then what?

Such questions push and pull the Iranian polity, giving rise to drama, drama true throughout its history and still true today.

====

4,150 Comments

Sejin Lifeforce 生命

Add a comment...

Pinned by @realryanchapman

@realryanchapman

1 year ago (edited)

1/27/26: In light of the crackdown happening in Iran - if you're in Iran or have contacts there and want to talk, please contact me. I have email and instagram links on my homepage.

As always, a huge thank you to everyone who supports me through Patreon or the membership program here. It is because of that support that I can stake my livelihood on long, risky productions like this.

For video notes, it seems like most of the controversy has come from the first 10 minutes of the video so I'll use this space to address that.

I just sent an email to a pastor who (gently and respectfully) took issue with my claiming Islam, Christianity and Judaism shared the same god, and also (even more gently and respectfully) took issue with my calling the Abrahamic story a myth. A lot of other people have said the same thing. I thought I'd post my response to the pastor here to address those issues:

I'm open to a dialogue showing that I'm wrong, but this is my view: I think what's happening is that the people making these claims are close to the subject, and when people are close to a subject, they have a magnified view of small differences in beliefs between groups. So, perhaps the best thing to do is zoom our perspective out by looking at a different god and different culture entirely for the sake of an example.

Let's say we're talking about ancient Greece, and I said various groups around ancient Greece believed in the same god: Zeus. We might all accept that, but different groups around Greece might say 'no our Zeus is different because we believe Zeus had a daughter and appeared on Earth at X time, etc' while another group might have different beliefs about Zeus and say something similar. But looked at generally, they all do believe in the same god: Zeus. It's just that different groups have different beliefs about the same god. They may conceive of him differently, worship him differently, but it's just different interpretations of the same god. That's my understanding of what is happening with Jews, Christians, and Muslims. They all share the same god: the one who they believe spoke to Abraham, but have differing beliefs about how to conceive and worship that god, and different beliefs about what that god did or didn't do.

With the word 'myth,' my usage has no necessary bearing on whether or not it's true. It's the traditional meaning of a myth, meaning a story that holds foundational value in a culture which is held above question. That was the context of the sentence: a myth at the base of a culture. I used the word because I considered it the most accurate word in English for what I was describing.

Updating this in the middle of 2025: I have yet to see anyone challenge the logic or factual basis of what I said above, so if it's wrong that remains to be demonstrated, at least to me. I'd add to all this that there is such thing as a 'Christian God' or a 'Muslim God,' but saying that refers to specific conceptions of the god they derive from. You could say they are local (specific) varieties of the general god they share. The pastor I was originally writing this to said he saw my point of view and we left it at that. I think it's worth including this part of his reply: 'I enjoyed seeing you use this email as the subject of your pinned comment - but saddened (and unsurprised) at the individuals encouraging you to ignore the "nutjobs" and "fanatics."' - A reminder for everyone, please, to be civil.

Another claim in this video also created a lot of controversy, and also came from the opening section. It said: 'the Quran is full of contradictions, making it difficult to discern its precise divine intent.' That offends a lot of Muslims, and they will readily tell you that most Muslim scholars say that there are no contradictions in the Quran. But most Muslim scholars are themselves Muslim, and Muslims don't typically come from a tradition of attempting to present subjects neutrally, as I try to do here.

When I said there are many contradictions in the Quran, I'm talking about the plain text itself. To claim there are no contradictions requires interpretation. One must say 'this statement here was in X context, so it should be understood with its significance windowed down to Y, so it therefore does not contradict Z' and so on and so forth throughout the Quran. Whether or not that interpretation convinces you is up to the listener. I wasn't referring to the interpreted Quran, just the Quran itself.

It's important to say here that the speaker in the Quran, throughout the text, actively argues that the speaker is in fact God (the one who spoke to Abraham and the rest of the Judeo-Christian prophets). To give evidence that the speaker speaking is God, the voice claims that there are no contradictions in its speech. The lack of contradictions, the speaker says, proves it is the work of God.

It's a universal tenet for Muslims to believe the Quran is the literal word of God. It is therefore important to Muslims to demonstrate that there are no contradictions in the Quran, because according to the logic of the Quran itself, if there were any, then it is not the word of God. That also means it would be considered heretical for a Muslim to say there was a contradiction in the Quran, since, according to the Quran itself, it would mean that the Quran's speech is not God's. If you followed all that, it means that according to their religious principles, Muslims (at least in their current popular iterations) cannot acknowledge or believe that there are contradictions in the Quran.

I am not attempting to weigh in on whether or not there are contradictions in the Quran if it's interpreted 'correctly,' but I am defending that if you look at the plain words themselves, free of someone interpreting them, there are clearly many. I highlighted one in the section of the video that spoke about it.

To give some more examples, people often cite contradictions regarding whether or not we have free will, but perhaps the most serious one regards the correct Muslim stance on Jews and Christians ('People of the Book'). In one passage it says: 'O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you.' But throughout the rest of the Quran a unilateral system of Muslim thought is laid out, to be imposed (i.e. judged) by Muslims onto Christians and Jews. One passage even unilaterally says that Muslim's beliefs alone can justify conflict with Jews: 'do not dispute with the followers of the Book except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly'. So what do Muslims do? Come to common terms with Jews? Or judge them with Muslims beliefs and act accordingly? Looking at Mohammad's life also captures the contradiction. Earlier in his political career he advocated for and worked with Jews to build up his Muslim empire (came to 'common terms' with them). He then later expelled them, apparently not needing them anymore (unilaterally imposing judgement on them). Resolving the contradictions to create policy requires interpretation, which is my point. Muslims have only agreed on general principles, like ideas regarding tolerance (or intolerance) towards Jews over time. Literally centuries of thought and action, eventually forming tradition. The principles themselves are not at ease with one another in the Quran.

- Ryan

1.3K

Ryan Chapman

79 replies

@Elizabeth_Bennet-21

8 days ago (edited)

This video’s about to get an increase in views.

526

10 replies

@Ar1AnX1x

1 year ago

for westerners who don't know, nowadays here in Tehran there's a lot of women that just don't wear Hejab at all(and some barely wear it with half their hair out)and I'm proud of these girls because they're taking risks, this is some serious ballsy feminism

7.4K

127 replies

@pedroparmesan8993

1 year ago

As an Iranian, I'm so happy this topic keeps getting more attention. DOWN WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC

5.6K

99 replies

@joeyjoeyze

1 month ago

can't be a history video without the british getting away with the crime of drawing lines on maps

151

11 replies

@Ar1AnX1x

1 year ago

"so what do you think about Iran's morality police?"

Ryan: so, after the big bang happened...

2.9K

27 replies

@happycatlogic

3 months ago

As an Iranian girl, I cried at the last minute of it, because I’m in a situation where if I want to be myself and dress the way I truly am, I have to deal not only with the government’s pressure but also with the social pressure in smaller communities. People’s minds have been shaped by the regime’s propaganda for so many years, and you can’t change everything overnight. Sometimes I feel like I wish I could just die and be free from all of this, but sometimes a tiny bit of hope shows up in my heart, hope for freedom, and hope that one day everything will change️

337

13 replies

@mariekatherine5238

4 months ago

I knew an Iranian college student in the US on a student VISA, 1978. Come 1979, he stopped hearing from his mother. The last item to arrive was a pair of sneakers, about two sizes too small. He tore them up and found a coded message, do not return.

416

5 replies

@monaoshea1055

5 months ago

Read the khomeini's book it's actually disgusting , he allowed baby molestation as long as you don't enter and make the baby bleed to death it's allowed. He had also molested children as young as 5 year old girls. It's well documented in books by his followers.

116

3 replies

@20xoxoPS

8 days ago

well hi guys

153

5 replies

@Leenona28

3 weeks ago (edited)

As a 19 year old woman living in Iran, this video reflects everything we have lived through and everything I have personally witnessed. The most urgent reality, however, is that the Islamic regime has systematically oppressed and killed Iranians for decades. It does not represent us. With each passing day, the Iranian people grow increasingly desperate for freedom, freedom from compulsory religion and state imposed ideology.

As a young woman, I have been directly harmed by the version of Islam this regime enforces and weaponizes. Our youth is being silenced, imprisoned, and killed. An entire generation is suffocating.

Thank you for summarizing a part of our story in Iran.

Ryan Chapman

1 reply

@DeadPaaradise

8 months ago

Thank you for your thorough documentary. As a girl living in Iran, I cried with the last 10 minutes of your video. It has just become clear to the west and the rest of the world through new media and big protests, that actually, the majority of us do not want the islamic republic, For it imposes, traumatizes, abuses and kills anyone doing or saying anything against them, or not follow their strict islamic sharia. What kills me is that some still thinks they are the majority. Trust me--They are not. They just hold all the guns.

1.1K

30 replies

@scoundrel1680

7 days ago (edited)

This video's about to need an update.

1 reply

@lizc6393

1 year ago

This is EXACTLY what happens when a state allows a religion to violate or straight up erase women's basic human rights.

2.2K

57 replies

@ArmanMHP

1 year ago

Wow man. as an Iranian, this is the most accurate and unbiased history that I heard from a foreigner. It is odd that you can comprehend the history of Iran but many Iranians can't figure it out. I hope you make more videos like this. We need unbiased information more than anything. Good lock and thank you a lot 🌺🌺🌺

2.1K

29 replies

@collabfantasystories

8 months ago

The algorithm has determined now is the time to show this. Fitting.

421

5 replies

@heyylarimar

1 month ago

Any country that oppresses women is doomed to fail.

8 replies

@wilderwentzel2662

1 year ago

People go insane when you criticise religion. They don't see the insanity with playing pretend and it affecting real lives, costing real lives. How can something argued, not real, tangible, affects so much, especially if others don't believe it? If someone killed someone because they didn't believe in something they said, it would be a crime. Yet here we are.

1.1K

35 replies

@godofpebbles

3 months ago

The very idea of theocracy is an authoritarian crime on humanity

2 replies

@arshamex

1 year ago

i think this is as neutral a documentary on Iran can get. it was perfect. Thanks for sheding light on our problems and suffering, I myself as an Iranian living inside Iran have seen many documentaries and reports about Iran, I can strongly say that this was one of the best ones ever created.

504

26 replies

@Paine137

2 weeks ago

“Religion: bringing the world together in a world torn apart, by religion.”

4 replies

@jmb92555

3 months ago

My takeaway from this is that there are two basic problems facing Iran. Bad people from the West and bad people from within Iran. I'm pretty much being facetious there. The problems in Iran are complex. There probably could be a good argument made that the two main problems in the evolution of Iran are 1.Religion 2. Western imperialism.

Kudos for going as far back as Zarathustra.

@whosaidthatnotme

2 weeks ago

I hate how politicians hide behind religion to get their way in life. This is simply not what Islam teaches and it’s sad to see so many people be affected by it.

@beatscatmommy1735

8 months ago

As an ex muslim from Iran who witnessed the revolution and even went through the Iran Iraq war, the brutality of this regime made me an Ex Muslim! More i look into religion, more i realize its man made and interpreted to control people for power and money!

235

13 replies

@Voltaire8559

7 days ago

This got recommended at a very good time

@9000Hills

1 year ago

Trying to comprehend this culture seems daunting at first, but with your methodical and educated approach, it’s very clear, Ryan.

710

9 replies

@Ali-hasToRun

1 year ago (edited)

Hey, I'm a Saudi Arabian with a Shia family that used to visit Iran every now and then (im no longer a muslim tho) I just want to say that this is an unbelievably excellent video, 10/10 no notes

oh and your pronunciation of Arabic words is spot on.

458

31 replies

@AshkanPacino13

1 year ago

as of this week the islamic republic passed new laws that would lock up women who don't wear hijab up to 20 years, such a great religion we have lol

310

20 replies

@honeybrown595

7 days ago

With current events, the algorithm thought I should see this today. Interesting.

@2SlashX

1 year ago

As an 33 Year old iranian ! i Approve your video to be more accurate than most ! well done ryan

@shantanusengupta1749

8 days ago

You know why you're here

@YaelNovikov-h1z

9 months ago

Academically well researched and neutrally presented. Pay no heed to the religious zealots in the comments that want to take everything out of context. Both religious interpretation is so subjective, some need to remember and respect that.

104

@mattstakeontheancients7594

9 months ago

Really hope to visit Iran one day and see the Tomb of Cyrus the Great. As a history nerd the Achaemenid Empire is my favorite empire to study. Iran has such an amazing history and culture.

@xenob3339

1 year ago

15:03 - "Islam quickly became the predominant religion in Iran." Maybe you're just referring to the leadership, but I want to point out that the Iranian population did not become majority Muslim until probably the 10th century. Up to that point there were multiple movements from Zoroastrians against Islam and Islamic leadership, such as the Khurramites and the Ziyarid Dynasty.

812

Ryan Chapman

19 replies

@Vicky-z1c2j

8 months ago (edited)

Who's here in to educate themselves on Iran after the Israel / Iran war began?

238

13 replies

@Ashleyyy414

1 year ago

Fantastic. My brain thrives on videos made like this, and I understand the time and effort it takes to make them. Thank you. 💚

@Nomadnetic

2 weeks ago

It's always the British that gotta make it worse.

@DavidKasper-zz3xg

1 year ago

I really appreciated your thoughtful commentary and tone throughout this video. It comes across as genuine and informative without any bias. I appreciate the topics you have previously covered and look forward to seeing more content you post in the future. Cheers 🍻.

139

1 reply

@iranvoice98

1 year ago

as an irainian and exmuslim thx for this

186

4 replies

@speedball1919

8 months ago

Part 2:

How Iran’s Theocracy Was Overthrown.

2 replies

@walan31

7 months ago

A point on grammar of the Quran: Quran always uses" they" or " those" followed by" who believe" or followed by " those whom disbelieve." Based on the context it can be unisex or male. Its like trying to gender assign the word crowd which depend on context. Gor women specific rulling it switches to "her" and female version of " they" . Even Female " they" could refer to nouns and objects that have no gender.

@YonieZukowsky51

1 year ago

May those immoral morality police stay far away from us.

@ebrahimbaktash5769

1 year ago (edited)

Apart from not pointing out the degree to which people in big cities have become secular and irreligious, a very unbiased and accurate synopsis of Iranian history 💯

@MrSpherical

1 year ago

Excited to watch this... thanks Ryan!

351

5 replies

@blankny

1 year ago

I’m a huge fan of your well researched, well structured, well presented, easy to access, unbiased, and highly educational work. Thank you for what you do!

@samuel5011

1 year ago

One of the best documentaries I have watched. It gives nuance to such a misunderstood situation in a way that is so captivating. Love the background music too, if anyone knows the name of the bgm do share thanks!

175

1 reply

@mhosain78

2 weeks ago

This was one of the best and most accurate narrations of history. Great job. I was in tears towards the end when you asked these questions, and all I was thinking was what we could've been? How different our lives become just because of one person? And I have no answer to any of the questions

@EndreaDaCosta

1 year ago

Always excited to watch a new Ryan Chapman video!

190

2 replies

@youngloudandscotty

1 year ago

Damn, Ryan. This was incredibly. I've seen a few other documentaries on the fall of the Shah and rise of the Islamic Republic, but none of them described with any detail what Islam is, its development and spread, etc. To be fair to those documentaries, that wasn't what their purpose was. Here I have such a delightful surprise, though. This video went far beyond my expectations of it. It was a complete surprise. I'd love to see something similar on Saudi Arabia, and. perhaps other countries of the region (Yemen in particular would be incredibly fascinating I think) if you are so inclined. Thanks again for providing such an informative, well researched documentary. Your work is valued and highly appreciated.

@gustavomendez2891

1 year ago

The best chanel for political/histprical comentary. It shows that you make an effort to be unbiased and your videos always have interesting insights

@flamefromHalo

4 months ago (edited)

I love this topic, not because of the topic itself, but how individual people cover it and focus on more specific or wider scopes throughout the period.

It is so insanely complex, and I always feel there is always more to learn because it is such an intricate web woven between religious/societal/military aspects of life.

Thank you for making this.

Edit: A good example is 45:42, which I have never seen. Reading this conversation is tragic, seeing the way crimes get deflected as the offender 'deserved it' instead of looking into even the possibility of wrongdoing.

@axelbarbara

1 year ago

I really appreciate your depth and ease with which you board complex topics, thank you very much for the work you do

@parniaeroda

1 year ago

As an Iranian, i still get goose bumps seeing the videos of our protests... so proud of my brave people❤

2 replies

@theshivelyshow5784

1 year ago

$1.99

this is the first time i have actually learned about muslims and how their society is structured and came to be. really insightful and easy to understand. thanks a lot. we should all work to understand each other

367

13 replies

@kyfo30

1 year ago

Thank you for this. Two things I realized were just how much Britain’s meddling has caused problems in the Middle East, and how we need current day’s morality to not be dictated by the morals of a man that lived 1500 years ago

2 replies

@mind-of-neo

1 year ago

This might be among the top 5 youtube videos i have ever seen among the tens of thousands i have watched over the years. Truly incredible research and work, and you are one of a very small number of people courageous enough to speak up on the issues of islam in this day and age. Thank you!

@KK-ol5ov

8 months ago

All these religions just seem to be laws put in place to keep people in check by the rich and powerful.

1 reply

@jirislavicek9954

1 year ago

Iran is a fascinating country with a long history. Even the Islamic Revolution is both, fascinating and scary.

@lucycooper9149

1 year ago (edited)

My mother's family are Iranian-Armenians, though all we have left of that culture is some dubiously translated recipes (my great-grandfather was very keen to fit into 1900'a England). Iran has always called to me (though I won't be so crass as to romaticise it); I will visit some day, when things calm down a bit.

1 reply

@8utterfield

1 year ago

Amazing video, but it's crazy that we just glossed over the other content shown on-screen at 45:49... specifically a back and forth regarding the execution of a pregnant woman.

@woodb51

3 days ago

Haven’t seen anything by Ryan for a few years but it is good to see another one and especially good to hear him narrate it as opposed to AI.

@BeansHynes

8 months ago

If we don’t try to understand our history and see all perspectives in more depth than just 5 minute mindless news slots how else are we going to try and create peace amongst ourselves. Love this channel and thank you for taking the time to share 😊

@MoM-vy6ih

8 months ago

Just after discovering your channel.

Enjoy immensely your content and your style of presentation.

Thank you for all you post.

@NickHammer99

1 year ago

Amazing video man. I'm looking forward to going through your previous catalog

@AnActorExplains

1 year ago

#RyanChapman -- I'm so glad to see you continue your educational videos. Thank you for informing the public, and doing so as impartially as you can. -- Sincerely.

@MonkehMike

1 year ago

As a comment to the opening, written statement, I have great faith in your work and honesty! You run one of my topmost channels on a range of topics that I understand is very well researched.

I will read your pinned correction-comments, but I believe that most of the videos you post are quite well researched, and without much errors. I really apprised your work Ryan!

@flathead789

1 year ago

$5.00

Appreciate the research and effort for the video as well as addressing some of the aggressive comments.

Ryan Chapman

1 reply

@4Meskerem

1 year ago

CHF 5.00

I‘m glad you‘re dropping again, just make sure to take a break when needed, it seems that there‘s a lot going on in your life and even tho i‘m really thankful for all your inputs your health and well being is the most important thing. (Greetings from Switzerland)

283

Ryan Chapman

2 replies

@juanritanjaya6254

8 months ago

Once in a while, the algorithm get it very right. This is a wonderful video full of thought and research. Well done

@estebban345

1 year ago

Great video as always! One of the most interesting yt channels

@timzovehj00

1 year ago

Amazing video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Hadn't learned this much in a single hour for a while

@todrichards1105

7 days ago

Thank you Ryan. As always, thorough and well thought out. Scholarship and par excellence!

@sabzevarmotana6470

1 year ago

What a masterpiece of a video, learned more history here than all these years studying in Iran's schools. Great work!

@CoastalEliteLLC

1 year ago

Ryan with another high-effort and elucidating banger. Well done friend.

@douglasperks2431

1 year ago

You’re so good at this dude!!

@jilldianne6559

8 months ago

For this very well done documentary. I really appreciate the overview. Thank you

@Seanshaw001

1 year ago

Ryan as persian we love you.

Thank you for the video

@لیلاقاسمی-ر5ث

1 year ago

Thanks for covering this

@Rurik8118

1 year ago

Looking forward to this, downloading now. Merci 🙏🏼

@kZkZ

8 months ago

one of the best documentaries ive ever seen on iran, really well done

@Forheavenssake1ify

8 months ago

Globally, politics has become religion. Politics (and politicians) publicly pressure individuals to participate in specific religious practices and beliefs on the basis of "nationalism", ending both government neutrality and religious freedom.

1 reply

@jilldianne6559

8 months ago

For this very well done documentary. I really appreciate the overview.

@rhettlee

8 months ago

Well made, highly informative. Great job Ryan.

@SSK-KiNGz

2 months ago

So men are above women according to islam (cause someone is wise), and women support this? Wow

2 replies

@elenazizi3911

1 month ago

Ryan love from iran can you make a video of irans currant situations

Ryan Chapman

1 reply

@Slavolko

1 year ago

Great presentation and quite informative.

@tasikisamgay

2 months ago (edited)

3:20 such a great simplistic demarcation between these 3 religions I have to tag this to come back to it

5 replies

@codybarnett2217

1 year ago

Freakin love you Ryan! Keep doing what you are doing.

@ZhouMama69420

1 year ago

Cpuld you please make an in-depth video on capitalism

@slowboyfuelpump5438

1 year ago

FINALLY a new upload.

@tuckersnow609

1 year ago

I FUCKING LOVE THIS CHANNEL!

@sunprofactor

7 months ago

You don't need to justify yourself to anyone, the work speaks for itself, this is beautifully produced, thoroughly researched, and even moved me to tears at moments thinking about what Iran could have, and still can be. Thank you

@XiangYu94

1 year ago

BABE RYAN CHAPMAN JUST DROPPED

@mrmanic4151

8 months ago

Iran is one of the few countries I've heard of that the regime is terrible but the people themselves have a really good reputation. It sucks that people who have managed to be really cool don't get to run their country yet, I would live to see what Iran looked like if the people were in charge. Hopefully someday they get their country back and their traditions steeped in the likes of Zoroastrianism are no longer suppressed as heathen practices.

I also hope Israel does not hit any civilians in their attacks, the Iranian people have been through enough.

3 replies

@nickster_xd8937

6 months ago

I am surprised that Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel ‘Persepolis’ isn’t mentioned in this video. I read it for the first time for a class in College last year, and it was both enlightening and wonderfully illustrated. I just hope that someday, there can be peace between our nations.

1 reply

@damekenneth7098

8 months ago

Really and incredibly thoughtful, well researched, written and produced video. I learned a lot and will watch this video again. Iran fascinates me. I have a strong wish to visit what is supposed to be a beautiful country. Your video was deeply informative. Thank you so much. Ken

@Eodbatman

8 months ago

22:52 is that Freddy Mercury in the front row there?

3 replies

@arminsumansky8614

1 year ago

Excellent video Ryan, I am really glad you touched on this fascinating, yet not often talked about, topic. As a half-Iranian, thank you!

PS: I noticed several times in the comments, that you did not want to elaborate on certain topics or issues, because of time constraints. Thats totally understandable, but perhaps you could make some supplementary videos or shorter context-adding videos for your YouTube members, which would be supplementary to your main channel content:)

Just a thought:)

@chesthoIe

1 month ago

I learned a bunch, looked most of it up and it holds, amazing job. No notes. Thanks for bringing me history I didn't know, and having the heart to point that at today.

@tannerhagen774

1 year ago

Kierkegaard spoke of faith beautifully where it is unconditional. You can take everything from me, do anything to me, but the one thing that you cannot take is the faith. It is not that I had a bad day and therefore do not believe or happened upon some luck that I do, it is unconditional.

I think this is why many oppose faith as a concept as there is indeed a dangerous component underlying where there is no sense of compromise. Faith and politics should be separate and if anybody is of faith I don’t see why one would want to dirty such things with the messy world of politics. A person’s faith can lead to lots of pro-social actions, noble actions, selflessness, but place that faith element in a “sick” mind boy can it go wrong.

1 reply

@imtesalurrahman1676

9 months ago

Beautiful video Ryan. The way you explained the Abrahamic religions, Islam, patriarchy and iranian history, and how you framed and layered it all down is just amazing.

@emiliodvsoto

1 year ago

Keep up the amazing work, your videos are just so mind blowing. A big hug from Mexico 🇲🇽!

1 reply

@SirFatDuck

8 months ago

Hey Ryan, thank you for the clear, well-structured analysis delivered without sensationalism. The pacing and tone of the narration suit the subject matter well. Subscribed, and looking forward to more work of this quality.

@kelvinj279

1 month ago

so Dune from Frank Herbert is basically Iran history

@ariadnathurman2383

4 days ago

I wish there was audio in other languages. This is such a fantastic documentary that everyone should be able to watch and understand.

@cabbytabby

1 year ago

Thank you for covering Iran

@jackcrook4435

1 month ago

Jeez your channel is good. Just incredible.

@TUPELO_HUNNY

1 month ago

Isn't it crazy that we've allowed a few people who lived thousands of years ago and who suffered from schizophrenia to have so much influence and cause so much death and destruction throughout time

1 reply

@simonling1005

1 month ago

What was the political reasoning behind staying neutral in the world wars? Seems like this was a pivotal and important period?

Also no mention of the USSR influence?

1 reply

@matthewhamilton5010

2 months ago

Stopping by to let everyone know that Whole Foods apple juice is awful. Don’t buy it.

3 replies

@tanvilega5994

2 days ago

They're constantly citing divine will & conjoining God with governance & behavior of people. What kind of Divine or God will allow killing & such huge oppression of people just because they don't agree with their ideology? It's done in every religion to instill fear of God in people & make them not disagree with the fake authority.

@happyinscarolina

8 months ago

It seems that man's interpretation of religious text is biased, giving them all the power. There is nothing in Islam that prevents women from attending school. Driving cars, going out alone, etc. As I grow older I'm seeing that religion is the cause of a lot of suffering and mean-spirited behavior.

2 replies

@anki_yt

2 weeks ago

Everytime there is an unstable country in the world u find there has been a history of British Russia or USA poking their noses there

1 reply

@AG-tj8ew

2 months ago

A thorough and well explained summary. Thank you, I have learnt a great deal.

@jsharp3165

1 year ago (edited)

Theocracy always ends in repression.

@Eternal_Tinsel

1 year ago

Transition at 18:34 was magnificent

@名氏无-l6x

2 months ago

What you choose yourself is your faith; what you are born with is just a shackle.

@solmlb1

1 month ago

The best, most balanced documentary have watched in several years. Thank you ! 😊

@cliffbroadway1088

1 year ago

Babe wake up new Chapman video just dropped

1 reply

@twa9342

1 year ago

Awesome content as always

@YassAlizadeh

1 year ago

Wonderful and wonderfully timely video; however, there was some misjudgment about Pahlavis probably due to your research via ideologically motivated & propagandist “academic” texts on the Pahlavi era that purposefully or not, categorically misrepresent Iran’s monarchy & downplay the incredible development of the nation under the two Pahlavis.

@Jessica-w7f2d

1 month ago

Thanks for the miniatures, such a rich base of poetry and balance

@KatieLHall-fy1hw

1 year ago

Interesting on how upset this video makes people. Was an interesting one, thank you for making it!

@_Amarin

1 year ago (edited)

What I will never understand is why religious people, especially muslims, care so much about how other people choose to live! Like follow your religion, live as you wish and believe in what you wish but ffs LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE ALONE! Like what do you gain if you beat & torture someone into following your cult? If your life is so perfect and you're so loyal to your cult, why can't you just keep doing that instead of sticking your nose into others' business? I already know the official reasons for this bs "God says so", but I'm interested in such psychopaths' personal reasons. Like why can't y'all live and let others live too ffs?

10 replies

@JavaT3700

1 year ago

Thanks Ryan!!!! A gift

@sforza209

8 months ago

11:39 why tf is dude holding a 🍆 is his hand?! 😂

1 reply

@laithsaleh9825

8 months ago

34:41 Important to note that those who thought the Shia clergy had the right to lead in the absence of the 12th Imam but to do it in a way that had a limited relationship with government were not Iranians Shias themselves. This idea comes from Western orientalists who observed Shia clerics as quietest and then assumed that "true" Shiism was apolitical. Therefore, Khomeini was seen as a radical diversion from the norm, which is arguably not accurate. Clerics had been politically influential in the past such as in the Constitutional revolution and there's nothing in the history of clerical jurisprudence that says a cleric ruling themselves is out of the question. It seems like it was always a possibility, it's just Khomeini was the first to carry it out.

@rsbharadwaj

10 months ago

What a brilliant lecture! Thoroughly enjoyed it during my walk.

@just_being_phil

1 year ago

Imagine being governed by God’s representatives on Earth, but still living in misery. Now that’s something…

2 replies

@marloc2019

3 months ago

Interestingly it's well cited the US influence on Iranian politics while it is sadly (in my opinion) overlooked the Soviet one on Marxist side of Islamic revolution.

1 reply

@tfogarty55

1 year ago

Hi Ryan. I really enjoyed this video, but I'm wondering if you could speak to your heavy use of AI images? It seems to me that there is potentially a problem in using doctored images in the context of discussing historical events. I don't think that there is anything in this video that is brought into question by their use, but it may be a good opportunity to begin a discussion about this. Thanks.

Ryan Chapman

3 replies

@BayouBlooms

1 month ago

Excellent breakdown and very timely to come across my suggested videos

@Scarface4TX

1 year ago

The first 12 minutes was eye opening for me; knowing how important law is to Islam helps to understand (partially) what makes radical/conservative Muslims tick. Why they make stern rules.

Also, the video's title was a bit of a misnomer IMO. It's really a history of Iran in general, but I learned a lot anyway. Thank you Ryan!

1 reply

@Burnbluebird

1 year ago

I'm an Iranian and I already knew most of this but hearing it in one place like this made me realize how absurd our situation is. I mean...I was threatened to be explellled from uni because a voice told a man to kill his son some thousands of years ago?

@tanthomas94

2 months ago

#freeiran !

@olustrings

12 days ago

the algorithm brought this gem to me... after 1 year and still relevant

@chillin24-7

10 months ago (edited)

This is a very excellent video, and I am deeply grateful for the amount of research you put into talking about our history accurately.

The part where you mentioned how the people of Iran always called it by this name and how it was because of the Greeks that we were known as Persians really blew me away. This is a small fact that a lot (and I mean a LOT) of Iranians don't know, and it always upsets me. But when you brought it up in your video, I was certain that you’ve really done your research, and it gives credibility to your video for me. (I would say that there are one or two very minor parts I do take issue with, but I'll overlook them in favor of how good this video was!)

I just want to give everyone a brief explanation of Iran's state at the moment, since I think the conclusion in the video doesn’t really cover the whole problem we've been facing for the last 50 years or so. As an Iranian, our issues don't just lie with the Islamic regime and its forced principles, but also with the mullahs who tell everyone that they are “governing” the country. (by mullahs I'm referring to the religious leaders, the elites, and the mafia). When in reality, all they are doing is sowing chaos, stealing money and resources from people, and killing them when they show displeasure with their ways.

They made our lives a living hell and show no remorse or responsibility for it. They don't even care about religion themselves; they just use it as a front to rob us and take everything for themselves without facing the consequences, all in the name of a god they tell us to worship.

Furthermore, they damn the foreign countries they're at conflict with, but simultaneously send their children to live in those same countries so they can have a better life. Because they are very well aware of how There is a significant gap in the quality of life in this country compared to others . And when we bring up all of our issues, they tell us to leave our own country if we don't like them instead of stepping down.

They've tried to brainwash Iranians through our lackluster education system and propaganda, and their efforts to erase our history and culture. The only reason that Iranians now know better is thanks to the Internet, which they've filtered severely, but the people still found a way to access the filtered data through other means (thank God for that).

All of this to say that Iranians hate this system not only because of how oppressed the women are, but also because we are facing a crisis on every front you can imagine:(economically, socially, enviormentally, etc..). Also, the number of atrocities they've committed against innocent people is so numerous and horrifying that people just want them de@d at this point. But people have no access to weapons and have no means of standing against them without facing an unimaginable number of casualties. So, the people have no means of actually making them go away, however much they want to.

Thank you again for this video; it was really amazing to listen to it.

1 reply

@kenwarner

1 year ago

Keep an eye on Reza Pahlavi's social media presence...

@adamfeliciano7000

1 year ago

I hate the morality police. No Religion 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

@leora_sar

8 months ago

Thank you so much for making this. Not only informative but done with real care. 🙏

@saramohammadi5418

1 month ago

They are brutally killing people in Iran.

Speak up

2 replies

@Bubble998Grunge

1 year ago

I think the video is great, but I take issue with the coverage of the “Shah versus Mossadeq” dynamic and Operation Ajax, which I think was a little too reductive. Granted, there was a lot to cover, and simplification is necessary, but I think nonetheless this is worth digging into.

By 1953, Mossadeq himself was an autocrat who had lost his popular support. The CIA and MI6 did support the Shah’s preferred prime minister, but they didn’t have to work too hard to convince Iranians that Mossadeq had to go—he was already disliked.

First, to be clear—he was never elected democratically. You were careful not to say that he was a democratically elected leader, but it bears explicit clarification. A majority in the Majlis—parliament—backed him, and so the Shah appointed him. But it’s worth noting that the vast majority of Iranians did not vote for members of the Majlis. Did Mossadeq aspire to expand suffrage? Sure, but he also had authoritarian/autocratic tendencies (see below).

Second, by 1952, Mossadeq had burned through his support among urban working class supporters—he was very disliked, albeit in part because of the consequences of the embargo

Quick aside—the British imposed an EMBARGO, not a blockade (no military force was ever used, and a blockade is an act of war—an embargo, like that imposed on Cuba and on Apartheid South Africa, is not an act of military force, but an economic refusal to do business).

Third, as his political popularity declined in 1952, he went full autocrat/leaning to dictator. He was operating on emergency powers and jailing scores of political opponents without any semblance of what we would think of as due process.

Could one rationalize the above, saying that under the circumstances his authoritarianism was an unfortunate but necessary means to a democratic end?

Sure, but it’s worth pointing out that the Shah’s apologists made much the same argument—that in a country with little democratic and liberal tradition, authoritarianism and autocracy was necessary in order to push Iran towards progress (industrialization, women’s participation in society and the economy, etc.).

2 replies

@pdxlasher

4 months ago

Finally I found a historical documentarian who uses books, reliable source material, and impartiality to share their content. I'm so tired of the 21st century American moralist inserting their bias into everything (even things that happened over 2000 years ago). Like bro, we don't need you to constantly signal to us that you think sex with minors is bad-- we get it, and we agree-- but can we please just learn the FACTS about ancient Sparta's rites of initiation and military training please? So in this case, I want to learn about Iran AND about Islam (the FACTS), not the documentarian's personal moral treatment of it.

1 reply

@spyk_316

3 months ago

What an incredible documentary!! Bravo man bravo!!! I really hope you make some money out of this!! This is really top notch, I'd say film making.

@humanmerelybeing1966

1 year ago

Are you going to resume your Project 2025 video now that it's likely to be a feature of the forthcoming administration?

Ryan Chapman

1 reply

@pharisp

11 months ago

Wow. That's some quality content. Indians should watch this.

1 reply

@NoName-OG1

8 months ago

Unfortunately during watching this - the US just bombed Iran. In accordance the orders of Israel…

@Tukadmunggabaliutara

4 months ago

I enjoyed this video and your calm voice makes it easy to grasp the content😊

@momirno

1 year ago (edited)

A great video. It was very comprehensive for the length of the video. There are of course lots details and nuances that are worth mentioning and discussing that could not simply fit in this video.

What I would have liked to see more highlighted here is the recent developments within Iranian society, which are still ongoing, and understandably, difficult to research for a non Iranian. Although the 2022 movement was mentioned earlier in the video, I would say this video captures the image up until the early years of khamenei's rule, specifically if we want to describe the Islamic government as stable as you did at the end.

But now the situation is far from stable. The divide between the people and the regime is ever increasing. The society has been changing from traditional patriarchy, the modern liberal values are accepted and popular more than ever, the approval of Islamic clergies are lower than ever and people have become less religious. These changes are even more pronounced in the younger generations and specifically in Gen z, in contrast to the government run by the much older generations. the government is suffering from very deep corruption that has lead to various economical, energy, environmental, societal crises that it is simply unable to handle. The economy is failing due to mismanagement, corruption and sanctions, and their foreign policies have failed as their allies and proxies are falling in the region.

It's increasingly evident that this regime in its current form can not continue to exist for much longer and the question is what will happen and how. There are various possibilities, including another revolution and a democratic regime change, regime change in case of a war with the US and Israel, reform happening from within after the death of the current Supreme leader, and so on. the future is very unclear now, but one thing is for certain. Iran will be a secular society and hopefully a democratic one.

@Nikunikuniku583

8 days ago

Man you make good videos. Anyone can push gritty fact filled videos and we have many doing that. But i think yours is the rare few that humanizes the story, the way it makes you deeply feel for them. Keep making such videos that tie facts with emotions. We are in dire loss of humanity.

@aaronfire359

1 year ago

I'm so happy that most of the Iranians still in Iran and the Iranian diaspora that fled in 1979 are calling for the return of the Shah! Javid Shah!

@irinavelitskaya2895

9 months ago

Excellent video! Thank you! ❤

@thesandownclown

1 year ago

As Hegel said: “In Persia first arises that light which shines itself and illuminates what is around... The principle of development begins with the history of Persia."

Personally, I believe that as long as Iran will be in struggle, the world at large cannot become a better place.

Much love and respect to Iran from Europe!

1 reply

@cruztraveler

6 days ago (edited)

Do not take this video too seriously when it regards theological history as myth. This video starts with a mischaracterization. Smh

1 reply

@luminethetraveler8822

7 months ago

As a Turk I find this to be very interesting, and I feel like Iran and Turkey have a lot in common. Learning about the history of Iran is very interesting, but also sad

@vanillagorrilla

1 month ago

Thanks Ryan this really helped me figure out the whole thing….its so confusing

@vanidesai9422

9 months ago

All in all religious dogmatism and west’s greed ruined Iran. I feel for the people of Iran and I feel for Reza Khan.

2 replies

@showmedoctorjesus

8 months ago

زن، زندگی، آزادی

@joeblow5588

1 month ago

Say no to political islam

@LINJIANGJINGMINGMARIALINJIANG

7 days ago

thank you for this fantastic video!!

@briancordero7674

1 year ago (edited)

The challenge in the modern world is freedom versus morality. Every culture and tradition has its version, but Western values make the same claims to the universality of both morality and freedom. The threat of nuclear weapons, economic sanctions, and global media influences is the means to making these false claims seem true to its vulnerable victims that seek an alternative to political and economic subjection by bullies .

1 reply

@the_Analogist4011

1 year ago

As a Sunni, I never knew much about Iran other than their government were Twelver Shia, about which I know a little.

What I find interesting in the Sunni tradition, particularly with the Hanafis is an implied separation between religious and state authority, but which still acknowledges the importance of state authority in the distinction between Darul Islam and Darul Harb.

I am told many traditional notions of Hanafi law have been abandoned in recent times, but I find the Darul Harb vs. Darul Islam framework to still be quite relevant here in the US. Traditional rulings in relation to finance and jumuah reflect the reality on the ground for Muslims in the US, that a higher order of Islam may exist elsewhere but not here. It honestly reminds me a bit of Marxist theory which recognizes that lower orders of communism have to be achieved before higher orders.

As it is right now this higher order of Islam appears available to the upper class of Muslims in the US, but only to them. I think this is why there have been so many Muslim groups which have gravitated towards Marxism, but I don't know much about them either

@OmarOmaGamer

8 days ago

Why are you lieing about the western puppet dictator?? He worked for the benefit of Britain.

@TheWhitehiker

8 months ago

Good job, Ryan--

cogent and descriptive.

@IchbinTatare

9 months ago

Thank you for covering this sensitive topic and not being scared of the term "Islamophobia".

Love from Iran ❤

@Youngsoldier93

10 months ago

9:40 "The Quran is a long text full of contradictions." All I needed to know

2 replies

@greentea6013

8 months ago

Religion itself is a blight upon humanity.

@Crazypaizy1

8 months ago

Wonderful channel. Fact-based, well-sourced, informative, and engaging. Not unbiased (nothing is) but biases feel fair and flow logically from diverse, critically-evaluated sources.

@sherekaweston8495

1 year ago

It's funny how you can tell the people who are atheistic when they speak. Just how they speak about religion (any religion) is quite telling.

@nobrkes

11 months ago

muhammad was never real

@christus_salvator77

4 months ago

Jesus Christ is Lord! Repent, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be baptised in His name, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit! (Acts 2:38)

The time for salvation is NOW!

God bless!

@shannonmccann3297

1 month ago

Was that Martian exert from Chomsky's Media Control? Thanks for the excellent video and overview. :)

@jacksonwangspapillong4217

10 months ago

Am I the only one who thinks that... bringing back their own religion would be....better??? Like don't get me wrong I'm not Islamophobic but I feel like the day Zoroastrians are allowed to live there freely, or a person of any other religion, that will be the day when dogmatism of their current govt will be ceased. Secularism is very much needed in countries like Iran

@middle_pickup

1 year ago

Good. You've shown what theocratic autocracy is. Now do Israel.

2 replies

@serravacyn-sigarda

1 year ago

“Britain is a lot like the colon of the world. It turns everything it touches into shit.” -Singaporean comedian

1 reply

@sixpackhandle

8 months ago

Balanced, informative and suddenly very relevant.

@Ghost_PM11

8 months ago

Iran is about to adopt a form of government known as parking lot.

2 replies

@Augusto__Grassi

9 months ago

Here in Brazil, we are bombarded with the idea that the world's problem is liberalism, fueling anti-American and anti-European sentiment year after year. When I was younger, I rebelled against modernity. I felt a lot of resentment and anger. I believed that everything was wrong. Being absolutely certain about what the real problem in the world is is very seductive. Today, I thank all the people who fought against the tribal sentiment inherent in our species, recognizing that we have these defects, such as moralism, revenge, power. Today, I can say that liberalism is the best we have so far. And because it goes against so many human tendencies, I am surprised that it was ever implemented. It could never have happened. We could be like Iran.

1 reply

@lord_voldemort44

8 days ago

boy do i have some news for you

1 reply

@Al1rezaRahmani

3 months ago

Damn, what a well put together video.

Great job.

@iwntd7628

10 months ago

9:40 where are the contradictions tho...? this video has some pieces of misinformation (I am not a shi'i and do not really keep up with their [Iran's] politics).

2 replies

@JeyPeyy

9 months ago

I'm from Sweden, and we have been quite generous with immigration the last couple of decades, although we're not very generous at the moment. What I can say is that all Iranian immigrants I have met have been very friendly, very intelligent and hard working people. This is not true for all immigration groups. I've always wondered why iranians stood out among the immigrants, but this video explains a lot of it. The ones who came here were middle class people who were against islamic rule.

Such a beautiful culture honestly, I'm constantly awed. It's so sad to see it destroyed by fundamentalism.

1 reply

@kelvinkennedy7135

7 days ago

Religion is the worst thing to ever happen to humans

@TheFluffyKitty

8 months ago

Thank you for presenting an account with minimal bias and which shows the perspective of all sides in this matter.

@memeet6702

1 year ago

Not Iranian shariah law, it is Islamic shariah. Iran and Islam not same. Iran has a history 3x older than Islam.

@crestfire8008

10 months ago

As an ex Muslim, the core problem is islam

3 replies

@HelmetOfHonor

1 year ago

Sounds like Project 2025....

1 reply

@HorridBeing

1 month ago

I especially enjoyed watching you fight with a fly‼️

@jrrystone1398

7 days ago

Religion is wild. People really just believe shit

@KailamiMwiinga

4 months ago

CIA instigated and funded

2 replies

@tommygun80127

7 days ago

Religion is the biggest and most destructive lie ever sold to the human race.

3 replies

@cicero7409

4 months ago

That was the best quick rundown of Islam I have ever heard.

@lamaraleachman5910

11 months ago

Religion is a hustle....

@leonidas9696

8 months ago

Religion: Fighting over who has the best imaginary friend 🥴

@drr21

4 months ago (edited)

For me, an atheist from Brasil, it's hard to believe how Iran, home of the legendary Persian people, with their rich culture and traditions, including their ancient spiritual beliefs, allowed themselves to be colonized by Islam, a belief that originated in Saudi Arabia. They were acculturated... perhaps it's time for Iranians to reclaim the former splendor of their people.

1 reply

@kiyanrassouli

8 months ago

Thank you for the video. I’ve never heard this story narrated so factually and eloquently.

@AuntieMamies

1 year ago

No dictatorship more oppressive than a theocratic dictatorship. And when you're talking about Abrahamic religious government that's always gonna be horrible for women. This is fascinating. Free women everywhere ♀️🫶💪🤜

150

12 replies

@guillaumeasselin5394

4 days ago

Very very good video, i watched it back then, re watched it now. You make insanely good content Sir ❤

@Cicatrixce

8 months ago (edited)

Brilliant video essay. I’m learning so much through your videos and so glad they are there for everyone to see and educate themselves. #Powertothepeople

@bloodfarer

1 year ago

my grandparents were part of the large group of iranians who fled the revolution. they came to england, where i was born and raised. thanks for such a well researched and informative video. i learned a lot. i hope every day for a liberated iran, for things to be safe for women, and so i can finally visit my family there. 🤍

@hannahreitsch9663

5 months ago

Beyond pleased with randomly finding this channel. Within the first 10 minutes Ryan was able to explain things to me so eloquently and fluently that I was instantly hooked.

Perfect thing to listen to while getting ready for bed/ falling asleep. Also getting ready for the day and many other mundane daily things.

Great for eternal learners who enjoy learning about history/religion.

One last thing I must address, I am BEYOND TIRED of people referring to dogs as just trash. I understand Muslims are not fans of animals and don’t have the capacity to love anything but themselves. I also understand they are not the only group of people who are ignorant to how incredibly therapeutic and lovely animals are, in particular dogs. Dogs are much more honorable than devious humans.

Dogs are loyal, and deserving of love. There is a reason for the saying “Dogs are man’s best friend”

I’ve never had a dog do me wrong.

It’s really their loss, anyone who rejects animals/ dogs.

1 reply

@sabkabaap1758

11 months ago

12:15 Pakistan Afghanistan is part of South Asia not middle East

1 reply

@uc6115

10 months ago

Without a doubt a very well-produced video, but I would also say a very non-critical, Westernized one, that lacks some vital parts of today's Iran:

1. Islam was indeed forced upon Iranians. The idea of organic conversion to Islam in Iran is a complete lie, which only exists because the victors get to write the history. You failed to mention how the Arabs forced us to forget our original language and culture. They even have condescending words for us Iranians ('Ajam' and 'Majoosi') from the time of the Islamic invasion, which are words they still use to refer to us to this day. There is still a grave bitterness amongst Arabs that we Iranians managed to preserve our culture and language despite their invasion.

2. The constant battle between our pre-Islamic and post-Islamic culture is such a vital key to understanding Iran. For example, many of Iran's most famous poets were Muslims, but they also preserved our pre-Islamic values and would write poetry about some very non-Islamic things, such as pouring wine on the prayer rug. Or even intercourse between men. And of course our beloved national epos, Shahnameh, is a book that looks back at our pre-Islamic history with a deep sense of longing and the conclusion that Islam destroyed the greatness of pre-Islamic Iran.

3. Young Iranians today have seen the light and have a completely different perception of Islam compared to their parents and grandparents. If you visit Iran, you'll be utterly surprised at how non-religious young Iranians are. They are seeking their pre-Islamic roots and are fed up with Islam, which they view as a foreign Arab religion. This is not only the result of the Islamic government, but also a result of literacy and education. Half a century ago, the Iranians that advocated for our pre-Islamic roots (Kasravi, Hedayat and Fereydoon Farrokhzad) were all Iranians that had an academic background - something that wasn't easy to attain at the time. Nowadays, most Iranians have one.

@oanaursacherascanu

2 months ago

Great explanations. Thank you for the documentation. But I would have liked to hear something about the Baha'is

@HareemxMir

1 year ago

The Quran explicitly states in multiple verses and chapters that it is a complete code of life, providing guidance for all aspects of living—from daily habits like eating, sleeping, and cleanliness to leadership and broader societal matters. It remains relevant for all times until the Day of Judgment. While conflicts have led to sects within Islam, the Quran itself offers comprehensive and unified guidance for Muslims.

@StuckNoLuck

1 year ago

Pro-Tier Manufacturing of Consent

3 replies

@Rambo-BE

1 year ago

Muslim - To submit

Well… At least this religion is honest aboot making you a slave and not shrouded in mystery like the other religions.

That’s the only good thing I can say aboot this crap.

3 replies

@HilaryMurewerwi-h9c

7 months ago

Thanks so much presenter, you are a credible documenteer. I appreciate your foreword about your work. No work is 100% perfect so to speak but your integrity and objective approach to this subject is above board. I liked it and indeed am inspired

@asadujjamanakul

11 months ago (edited)

Mention some contradiction of Quran? 9:40

3 replies

@EconomyPoliticsLegal

7 months ago

Similar to Mafia Rule

@naftalikleinman

9 months ago (edited)

The Bible already calls iran, Persia. Right at the beginning of the book of Genesis, the Persian Gulf is called, the Persian Gulf. In the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy, it is mentioned about the borders of Israel, that it will reach till the Persian Gulf. In the book of Kings, King Cyrus rules Persia.

All of this, is still way before the Greeks.

@jamespalmer6278

1 month ago

Very interesting to watch this again at this time.

@Cor6196

1 year ago

The Christian Right here in the U.S. has begun the process of imposing its religious beliefs — especially about sexual expression and women's rights — on the entire population. One of the side effects of this push is like what's going on in Iran: more and more people, especially the young, are moving away from Christianity, which they see as oppressive and dictatorial.

For now, religion is winning here and in Iran, but in the long run, it may become so despotic that it loses its holy image and the power to enforce its will on everyone.

@JordoGarcia

8 months ago

As a Christian I believe in the same God as the Jews, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I do not believe in the god of Islam

2 replies

@ismahane8218

9 months ago (edited)

As muslin women myself , religion is spiritual it's between you , your soul , and god , my religion is not violent nor forced if it is than you are named muslim for people not god

Politics shouldn't be mixed with religion,

Islam is based on peace , you can't be violent to achieve peace even for a period of revolution

And most importantly you can't build a healthy spiritual connection with god by indulging fear into people

2 replies

@windokeluanda

8 months ago

You are brilliant! So well explained!👏

@markpozsar5785

9 months ago

Iran is the best example that liberal democracy canot be reached through an oppresive secular dictatorship. It just empowers the 80 IQ religious opportunists and sociopaths like Khomeini who will bring an even worse system with them.

@Southern21076

1 year ago

Founding myth?

Wholeheartedly biased towards religion right say.

1 reply

@Seanshaw001

1 year ago

Iran is not 95% Shia. It was in 1979 but not anymore. Our cultural territory is not islamic and never was. It has always been only three phrases : good words, good thoughts and good deeds

3 replies

@royergonza1021

8 months ago

Good job! (I think the disclaimer should have a bit more screen time. Perhaps 20-30 seconds)

@PhilARK

8 months ago

Hi Ryan really good concise information, just to point out as others have done though that Jews and Christians worship the same God which is not the same god as Islam.

Also the story of Abraham is not a “myth”

Christianity in Iran is now widespread and still underground as punishable by imprisonment or death but figures suggest upto maybe 1 million

Pray for freedom for Iranians

1 reply

@purelica

1 day ago

Thank you for the documentary. I appreciate it as I don’t know much about Iran’s history and want to learn. As a kid in Vietnam, I loved Persian fairytales and when my family immigrated to America, I only heard Iran, and for the longest time, didn’t know Persia and Iran were the same country. BTW, the older generation of the Vietnamese still refer to Iran as Persia (Ba Tư). It really is a magical place in our hearts, who had a chance to read One Thousand and One Nights, Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, etc. as kids. I wish all Iranians will have their freedom soon. They are a beautiful people and deserve to be free and preserve their rich history and legacy.

@trevorvialpando5204

4 months ago

This dudes seriously good

@Alcani3ca

11 months ago

Leftist allied themselves with Muslims, created a communist revolution because they hated the country, Muslims murdered leftist and banned all leftist parties that allied with them and formed a dictatorship. Nothing new and the same fate that awaits England and the entirety of the UK if we dont do something about it.

1 reply

@OwnerOccupiedSlumlord

8 months ago

This isn't much different than Christian nationalist belief

1 reply

@joeybulford5266

4 months ago

We need to take note and not let America become a theocracy either.

@jamessimon3433

4 months ago

Yet another incredible presentation of a vast and nuanced topic which can be enjoyed by people from all levels of knowledge.

@TheForeignersNetwork

1 year ago (edited)

Respectfully, I think you bite off a bit more than you can chew when you make videos like these. There is a lot of nuance that is skipped over, and in some cases, you simply present half-truths or incorrect information.

1. Islam is not the only religion that imposes its morality in the form of state law. There are still many countries in the world that profess state Christianity, even if their laws in the modern era are mostly secular. In fact, most of Europe was under a Christian Papal dictatorship in the post-Roman middle ages and renaissance, and much of the secular liberalism that we see there today was the result of intense violent struggle against state religious rule. Also, Israel is another great example of a state with state Judaism--For example, you must be Jewish to obtain Israeli citizenship, and Jews are not allowed to marry either Christians or Muslims in Israel. To claim that Islam somehow has a greater tendency towards moral dictatorship than any other religion is, quite frankly, misguided and incorrect.

2. The way that you frame the Iranian people's struggle as being between "secular modernity" and Islam itself is very disingenuous at best, and at worst, it's quite Islamophobic. If you recall, Iran has been majority-Muslim throughout the entire modern era, regardless of which government was in power. Islam itself is not against modernity, and in fact, the Islam practiced in Iran is, in some ways, more liberal than the Wahhabism or Salafism of neighboring Sunni countries. The type of Islam that was promoted by the Khomeini regime was explicitly designed to exploit the fears of the public while maintaining maximum influence and control among Khomeini's inner circle. It's hard to understate just how brutal the Shah's regime was in the run up to the revolution--Khomeini brandished Islam as a panacea solution to Iran's problems, and many people were willing to conform to his version of Islam as long as it meant lessened foreign interference in the country's affairs. That obviously backfired, but in other words, the general public's opinion of the Islam practiced by the Iranian ulama varies widely, and Iran's state Islam is not necessarily representative of the privately held views of the majority of the population.

I would encourage you to think long and hard about how this sort of "clash of civilizations" analysis can be harmful when assessing the political situation in the Middle East. It is a region that has been relentlessly exploited by both western nations and religious fundamentalists, when in fact the majority of the public simply wants to live in peace. Most people there believe in a version of Islam that is culturally compatible with at least democracy if not a secular state (such as in Turkey), and Islam itself is not the primary force that is preventing what you call "modernity." Instead, the instability in the region is caused by a wide array of political factors that stem from both imperialism and the reactionary backlash to perceived foreign influences attempting to take away people's autonomy. To contrast modernity with Islam as a whole is a very orientalist and condescending view that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially when so many Muslims live in secular states throughout the world without issue.

2 replies

@rickymendez5398

5 months ago

Bad error to start off the video. Muslims , Christians, and Jews do not all worship the same God. Christians recognize Christ as God and not a mere prophet

3 replies

@pauladuncanadams1750

8 months ago

This is why Project 2025 is so dangerous.

@raulblaga61

8 months ago

Amazing piece of work!

@naftalikleinman

9 months ago

You are mistaken about Judaism. The Torah was written divinely by G-d.

2 replies

@hecosean

1 month ago

The funniest thing here is reading the comments where all 3 religions get pissed about saying they have the same God. When all 3 proclaim the same God from ancient text and diverged. Religion was a mistake.

4 replies

@ellaw356

8 months ago

Side note..Jews and Muslims do not worship the same God.

2 replies

@karakan1578

6 months ago

From 02.25 to 10:45,is the most accurate short description of Islam I’ve ever heard,… How it’s different from other Abrahamic religions is also explained excellently ,by pointing out to Koran’s role…. Kudos Ryan…

@vasipro

8 months ago

3:40 "Businessman" as in pedo and mass murderer. Lost respect for your work.

1 reply

@W1N5ONyt

6 months ago

the 3 religions do not share the same God

@goebor2422

11 months ago

You skipped over a lot and down played western influences and atrocities in Iran

@chiefswife1212

4 months ago

The beach boys said it best!!!!

@marcelofalconi4841

8 months ago

This documentary starts off giving a false "fact" by saying the 3 religions have the same God... Nop, muslims don't have Yaweh... They have Allah... Totally different origin and character.

3 replies

@TiiiBiiiMeows

9 months ago

That was a cool documentary 😊

@akirtirem

10 months ago

Thank you for this video. It is very well made

@hvnbrght

9 months ago

The wrongs of the Islamic Republic does not justify or whitewash the Evil and Imperialism of the West wrought upon the Iranian state, democratic process, and people. The hatred by them towards US and deep mistrust of everyone is fully justified.

@dylanstephens4075

8 months ago

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE goes to the father except through him.

1 reply

@JoeyD386

8 months ago

Stopping at 3:09. Christians do NOT share the same God as Muslims and Jews. Our God is a triune God made of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

@Sota572

4 months ago

Jesus is God, I have decided to become a Christian ✝️

1 reply

@mortalterrorRE

7 days ago

Well, let’s see what happens now.

@Geoff-q5n

8 months ago

Great program . Thank you .

@safaa9654

8 months ago

Incredible video!!

@kristiananastasiou9015

8 months ago

Very good video, thank you for your research. The images at 22:43, 22:50, 22:55, and 39:11 are poorly ai-enhanced and the originals would have been better.

@AmirhoseinHerandy

1 month ago

Thank you for this.

@stefansurcel457

1 month ago

RON 25.00

Thank you for your work!

@bethpent8851

8 months ago

Excellent i learned so much Thank You!! Please do one on the Saudi Goverment i think their Suni but im not sure. But i would find that very interesting!!

@loganlabbe9767

5 months ago

Life hack for doing your own research is to watch a respected expert react to the videos you want to watch. You dont know what you dont know, and they can give pushback and backstory when someone is being deceptive.

@geniemiki

5 days ago

What a clutch algorithmic tecommendation

@dayeKerry

5 months ago

Fantastic presentation.

@katiempojer

8 days ago

When I was in undergrad one of my professors was a former “diplomat” and he had done time in Iran. Left right before revolution and had nothing but great things to say about its people

@robertculshaw120

8 months ago

Why is this not more widely available and publicly broadcast?

@MacStringer

9 months ago

This is great! Can you do Saudi Arabia next? Or maybe a video on the Arab Spring

@DIEKALSTER8

8 months ago

That intro text alone made me subscribe.

@jennyobyrne2731

8 months ago

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I remember watching the events of 1979 on the television, as a young girl. I found the history of the two sections of Islamic belief really informative and was unaware of the Russian and British involvement until now. One can only wonder if the deposed Shah had distributed the country's oil wealth more fairly would events have come to their present state today? I really enjoyed your documentary style. As a woman who has enjoyed the social, economic and educational opportunities presented to me as an equal living in the West, I feel for the women of Iran.

@BobandWeave83

8 months ago

Excellent video

@Elvykiung

9 months ago

Hope you will have more videos with recent world issues.

@riddlezastra1496

5 months ago

11:39 i thought that dude was flipping them off for a sec .. 😂😂

@wiltovert

8 months ago

Thanks a lot shepherd Abraham. You did well to stir things up for these humans. Well played, KDA secured.

@Chefdeeze

8 months ago

Really good breakdown

@TheGlobeGem

9 months ago

A BIG THANKS FOR MAKING SUCH A GREAT VIDEO. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😎

@ScottCox-j7z

4 months ago

Very professional video.

@lisk3822

8 months ago

An exceptionally well-done documentary. I never knew the reason behind many of the Iranian problems, and why the Americans were taken hostage. But today, I believe Iranians are held hostage by a religion steeped in policies from the middle ages. I hope changes can be made, especially for women, who as we all know, hold families together.

@DebbyL-c1h

8 months ago

This was an excellent primer on Iran and it also filled in some gaps in my knowledge of Islam.

@whoisdamaris

5 months ago

Incredible video, Iran 101, dare I say.

@a90l92

1 month ago

Thank you for this fascinating history of Iran! I’m neither Iranian nor Muslim, but am deeply interested in Iran’s incredibly complex political history as it relates to the 20th and 21st century. As I listen to this, Iranians are rising up against the current regime. God and Allah bless those who simply want peace and liberty.

@goodgog27

8 months ago

Excellent job

@draytonblackgrove

8 months ago

Great video.

@party320

5 days ago

3:12 as a Christian all are welcome. We recognize the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. We are not saying no one is allowed. I just interpreted what he said I wanted to make sure as a ambassador of Jesus.

@GordonoRamo

6 days ago

The different sects of Islam have always been confusing to me. This explained quite a bit of context for what's going on today, thank you. Prayers for all innocents on both sides.

@Dasedmoresf-y2f

3 months ago

Thanks for breaking it down step by step.

@eytrix

8 months ago

"Businessman" is a funny way of saying "Warlord".

@newAdam-IHS

8 months ago

I just learned something new about Iran

@kienk-o1o

5 months ago

This was so easy to follow.

@xxviiinc7833

8 months ago

I am now studying everything I can about Iran due to current events thank you for this

@mouseandryforever6848

8 months ago

I worked with an Iranian woman who was so nice and modern. I remember feeling good that she got out of Iran so she could live and work in Canada

@xanderkai6353

8 months ago

your video cured my ADD. I was willing to sit here for at least another hour.

@DAGO7H_UR

8 months ago

50:45 hopefully soon we find out

@atomkraft69

8 months ago

37:16 That's the dog.... 🤣🤣

@italosouza2011

1 day ago

How do I feel whenever I see a documentary or read a book about the modern/contemporary History of Iran? I simply just want to cry.

Iranians seem a people with a splendid past, but now condemned to suffer dominated by foreign countries or internal dictatorships, sometimes both combined.

It took me a long time to understand how sad has been their path throug the last centuries. And now I'm devastated because, in the end, I came to a bitter conclusion: it's unlikely that something are going to change.

As a human, this idea tears my soul apart.

@WuTangKlanKiller

8 months ago

Here to learn

@MittieWatts-o5u

4 months ago

This video was fun and informative.

@georgias2157

4 months ago

Thanks for not using AI voice.

@Lonnie.Stoudt

8 months ago

maybe next up, ""How Iran’s Theocracy Was Overthrown; an Indictment of Theocracy over Humanity (or How A Fallen People Reclaimed Their Humanity from Dogma, Zealotry and Naked Avarice."

THAT would be a program worth ANY price of admission! Also, a great thru-line for sequels, as we work our way a little bit west to Israel, north into Germany, then Russia, then the great Gold-Standard of religious and institutional hypocrisy, the USA... MY home, which I have been waiting over 60 years to see a proper exposé and repudiation of.

@froggy-y7y7

2 weeks ago

In 2016 when I was 13 I had an internet friend, a girl from Iran. We talked often, and one day she stopped replying. We were both goth kids. I miss her I hope she is okay.

@bernhartschmieder9401

7 months ago

I will never understand how Sean connery became the dictator of iran.

1 reply

@austinseavers2200

1 month ago

YouTube gave me a crazy amount of ads on this video

@brenmanock

5 months ago

Excellent analysis of irans history. Thanks

@carmelaguanciale6620

8 months ago

Sounds like there is not much difference between Islam and Christianity

@arminlp1

1 month ago

As an Iranian, I believe that, for the most part, we never truly became Muslims in 1400 years. It now seems we are the first nation to overthrow an Islamic regime for a secular one. I also think we Iranians are indebted to the Pahlavis however, the generation of 1979 never understood this because they had never experienced a worse situation. Later, you could always see the shame and regret on the faces of our grandparents, but I guess they were too tired to rise up again. What a waste of life for later generations. The cost of their ignorance 47 years ago is the mass murder of over 30000 people today.

@BuddhaL0rd

8 months ago

Great day of travel mate, decent price for the hotel. I think the long train journey will have helped with the jetlag, so hopefully you get a good night's sleep.

@tomstephens2689

8 months ago

Thank you!

@robertculshaw120

8 months ago

In every society or culture created by humankind, whether it validates itself as interpreted from a higher power or not, the most valuable tenet is always individual self interest and how the individual negotiates successfully with other individuals.. Whether the goal is simply survival, but then when that is achieved, adoration wealth power, etc, etc... The ideal of a religion is always to rise above these natural human instincts, and yet organized religions always simply mirror those traits.

@CanisLupusItalicus

4 months ago

Super interesting

@khalimata13

1 month ago

Thank you!!!

@aadityakiran_s

7 days ago

Where did you get the music for this episode?

@TOSKA-c6b

7 days ago

This is awesome, one more Lego set I can’t afford

@fatimamona2297

2 months ago

Short answer: Iran democratically elected president gets overthrown by USA

@rogergordon7958

1 month ago

$4.99

Thanks!

@william4202

8 months ago

What a interesting video! Would anyone care to recommend a book that covers the same information?

@dariusx4829

3 days ago

Abraham was a mythical figure? 🤔

@nasrinhfz6337

1 month ago

We have been through hell and still are…unfortunately they are still killing peoples in the streets

@balabalapisanggoreng9501

6 months ago

Theocracy is dope

@bryandavis4682

4 months ago

Stellar, as is routine for your research and presentation, Ryan. I am taken by continued critical praxis offered in your leading comment on widely offered opposing views. I would add, as commentary for both views, the ability to present such material (as in this video) must, by definition, be considered heretical if one is to abide fundamentalist faith. That truth exists is, to me, untenable. I love your work!

@CharityDowers

3 days ago

13:17 Does anyone know the musical piece in the background?

@kmaulden1986

2 weeks ago

How painful this is to watch today. Perhaps you'll do a second part at some point, covering the horrors that are currently happening there now

@SkProductions56

8 months ago

Yet another case study for Imperialism indefinitely stunting a peoples.

@westcoastweird455

8 days ago

Algorithm is feeding me something useful for once 🎉

@arunramesh8133

2 months ago

26/12/25

@JoshThomasMcBeater1469

2 weeks ago

As an American. My heart hurts for those affected who wish to live a simple, independent life.

@Pichiiiiiiiii

5 months ago

Thank youuuu

@xXwikiwiki001Xx

8 months ago

very topical

@j0ofez

1 month ago

The word "الدباءَ" in miskat al-masabih 4180 should be translated as "gourd" rather than "pumpkin" - pumpkins are from the americas, and no species from the americas existed in the old world prior to 1492 at the earliest.

@Sub-0o

1 day ago

Hot take: I personally think the origins of religion are somewhat similar to modern-day politics—an instrument used to organize and control societies. If I’m being blunt, the main difference between a cult and a religion is often the scale of followers and the legitimacy society grants it. Religion that teaches good moral values and offers guidance in life can be positive, but it’s hard to ignore how many problems in the world today are carried out in its name.

@GlobalPowerplays-i9d

1 month ago

Very detailed

@prof.marcelcosta

8 months ago

Fucking WONDERFUL job you’ve accomplished my brother. 🎉❤

@riodweber

1 month ago

28:36 on is the modern history important stuff

@LaggyMcStab

8 months ago

How sneaky of Khomeini to use phrases that appealed to the public without getting into his true intentions 36:45. "Islam is for equality and social justice" for the democrats, "Islam will eliminate class differences" for the communists. I wonder had his book been more popularly read that the public would have been wise to those tricks.

@persidas5626

3 weeks ago

a new video is needed because there is a reveloution going on in iran, leaded by Shah's son the crown prince reza II.

@SriKeshava

8 months ago (edited)

Thank you for a concise, educated and unbiased history on Iran 🇮🇷 Someone pls send this to Ted Cruz and DJT so they can learn something

@Lafeolamom

8 months ago

This US bombed Iran yesterday.

@JDris08

6 days ago

Uncle Sam just cracked his knuckles at the smell of a country primed for some good old fashioned democracy

@frentilintritura9045

7 months ago

Well I know that Israel and Iran is actually a reflection of each other now

@jamescannon7935

8 days ago

"How Iran Became a Theocracy" 1 year later: Not for long...

2 replies

@ccburro1

6 days ago

Note—Fundamentalist Christians believe that the Bible is the “Word of God”.

@ssamuelchong

1 month ago

is it okay to request a video covering purely all 3 abrahamic religion?

@JoyceyQueen

4 days ago

Every religion polices morality lol

@Juciwaters

3 months ago

Koumeni sounded like a Republican lol

@asilem143

4 months ago

Problem is One witness is not good enough to be believed as truth or to be followed.

In court we need two or more witnesses but their testimony should be the same in order for it to stand as trurh.

Muhammad is witnessing quran but he is ONE WITNESS so why follow one witness man?

The Bible is written by so many men but theey tell same words/testimony which Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is The Son of God (God in Flesh) who sent to earth as our Savior to save us from our sins and from the Wrath of God to come, because He loves us, we are saved by His Grace not by our works because our works always fails because no human is 100% perfect.

Lets use our wisdom that God gave us.

Do we choose one witness or so many witnesses?

Again in courts, one witness does not stand as truth, it is rejected by any good judge.

@ghazaala2907

1 month ago

Dear chapman I’m reaching out to bring urgent attention to the brutal repression happening in Iran. Here are some key points:

Mass killings of innocent civilians by security forces.

Internet shutdowns lasting over 10 days, with mobile services and SMS completely cut off for several days.

Disturbing footage from Kahrizak morgue showing victims of state violence.

The Iranian government is actively silencing people, but the world must know. Your voice can help amplify this urgent issue and bring justice to those suffering.

Please help spread the word and raise awareness about this crisis.

Thank you for your support.

@aryobarzan007

2 months ago

I am iranian. i cried at last minutes of videos. we are so unlucky nation......

@philiphuebner9565

8 months ago

$5.00

Thanks!

@BrianDennington

1 month ago

Does a technocrat observe and manipulate my inquiry about theocracy online?

@luctuose

8 months ago

All my love and thoughts go out to the Iranian women and the men who support their freedom to live as equals. <3

@sfi.7a

1 month ago

how the turntables

@ETRdotTV

8 months ago

Excellent video, highly recommended to help those of us in the west to understand the situation of June 2025.

@Uncanny-svk

1 month ago

As relevant as ever now 22.01.2026.

@aarohiarora3257

8 days ago

can you make a video on hinduism ??

@CameronHurst45

2 months ago

They do not all worship the same God

@backflipinspace

7 days ago

So Mohmmad Reza Pahlavi brought economic reforms, but was opposed to religion; which got him kicked out. Rohollah Khomeini brought the opposite, a theocracy. But people started opposing that too. Seems neither gave a choice of freedom. But if one gives that choice, it also brings conflict. I guess humans have no escape from that.

@rynor7132

6 days ago

the "Founding Myth???"

@katiempojer

8 days ago

Iran is a fascinating place

@phdtobe

3 months ago

8:22 They establish “warship”?

@tomatopastefever3769

8 months ago

With all these historical backdrops, every conflict revolving around religious beliefs suddenly became petty, mundane, and simplistic, almost to a child-like level. But maybe it always has been, and those involved in such conflicts just believes that it is something more.

@patrickdougherty7349

8 months ago

music too distracting for me...will turn down sound and read subtitles

@jordananthony3910

8 months ago

You should do a video on how Iran has been months away from nuclear weapons for the past 30 years! Would be a good watch

1 reply

@DiplomacyLab

7 months ago

impressive

@Kartrampage

8 days ago

jetzt nicht mehr. die Büchse der Pandora wurde von der usa und israel geöffnet und ich hoffe das es nicht zum 3. ww kommt. die Planung von Geopolitik geht weit über ein leben hinaus. ca alle 80 bis 100 Jahre kommt es immer wieder zu solchen Ereignissen des Wandels druch agression

@rabindrakhatiwada3558

6 months ago

Nation building and state building concept evolution ?

@CmdmddmmTkrmenemmem

5 months ago

Multi-language captions make content discoverable internationally.

@atrociousliar3314

4 months ago

To make a good man do evil things, you need religion.

@LouiseAus10

8 months ago

I couldn't help but giggle when Mohd was identified as a "businessman."😂😂😂

@timh115

8 months ago

I really cant describe what just happened, but i watched your video and half way through the beginning i couldnt get rid of the following thought:

what if it really is the same god and what if we actually live in „paradise right now“ but we „lost it“ long ago because the test of humanity is to see through this division in different teachings of religion. The test is to realise what is told in every religion as the main leading truth. Compassion and Harmony!

And we choose daily, since religion began to not achieve heaven on earth because we overcomplicate scripture and by that forget the core message and fight and kill over specifics.

Just my thought tho

@Nemain9s

1 month ago

FREE IRAN

@paatunghoyajd

8 months ago

Always turn to the HISTORIC narrative to see the humanity in others. There is always a story behind how people came to be where they are now. Intolerance is developed due to insecurity. As an Indigenous American, I can understand the feeling of loss of culture to modernity. Why certain aspects of cultural preservation will demonize education and exposure to different cultures or ideas. Thank you for explaining their political history even if it was a brief overview.

2 replies

@makylemur7019

4 months ago

ISLAM DELENDA EST.

@santumi2298

8 months ago

10:32 that's so random lol

@nanehater8606

3 days ago

Amen

@Justauser6072

2 months ago

1979 revolution was a disease

@Reannification

8 months ago

Heartbreaking

@janshelton189

8 months ago

What is the name of the book referenced here?

@showtime4956

1 day ago

Very insightful, very timely, hopefully, after the War, women will not continued to be severely restricted by legal frameworks based on Islamic law. For example, child marriage (girls as young as 13, or younger with permission), halved inheritance shares, education, and control over their bodies.

@heatherf6713

8 months ago

Clay, I love your take on this issue and your extrapolation to wider society. It is time to make all racism equal. We can acknowledge historical racism and move forward.

@kanojo1969

7 days ago

Any religion that wants to be the state religion will find itelf being used by the state, not the other way around. No religion with values worth considering wants any role in the state at all.

@mgntstr

5 days ago (edited)

Iran did not become a Theocracy, it was conquered by Muslims.

New Flag. New Language. They did not become a Theocracy, Iran fell.

2 replies

@YkramNamelloh

8 months ago

At 30:38 you had just described how America and Britain performed a coup in order to prevent the oil industry being nationalized, and now you say they nationalized it right after that?

2 replies

@ReynaMirez

8 months ago

hmm, interesting timing for youtube to recommend this to me

@Mr--_--M

8 months ago

Sooooo just like all the others.....some guys made it up and it went viral.

@LaTiaFav

3 months ago

We do not share the same God… at all 😂

@Canonfudder

8 months ago

Religion has laid the persian culture low.. what all the empires couldn't archieve (Alexander, the ottomans, the turks) - they did to themselves. Paranoid mumbling about colonialism, while themselves happily colonizing and genociding minorities has brought them to this low point in history.

@Loveandjoy88

3 months ago

Long live Iran!! The only ones fighting against a genocide

1 reply

@xaxaxxe_11

2 months ago

26:34 I feel like the patriarchal beliefs that already existed in the society were reflected in the religious text. If I'm not mistaken, the Hammurabi law, which existed in Mesopotamia, were one of the first texts to have patriarchal beliefs in them. Maybe these religions adopted those patriarchal beliefs and reinforced it even more. Which of course just shows that these mainstream religions don't really follow a divine or good creator.

@luctuose

8 months ago

25:44 what an unbelievably based man. 😌

@billcage7409

8 months ago

The Iranian people are good. All of us will see that clearly once this demonic regime is removed

2 replies

@larrydugan1441

11 minutes ago

Excellent documentary.

Clearly demonstrates how incompatible Islam is with western liberal democracy.

@DeSjaan

3 months ago

Hi Ryan, or anyone who might know, where can i found info about the painting at 11'48"?

Ryan Chapman

3 replies

@priyavksingh4187

9 months ago

₹179.00

Thanks

Ryan Chapman

1 reply

@user-ej1dh3hb6l

8 months ago

The real reason: CIA installed puppet, the previous shah, sold his own people for personal wealth and power. Persians/Iranians turned towards theocracy because they didn't want to get robbed anymore.

1 reply

@chrism3790

2 weeks ago (edited)

Revolutions are dangerous times.

Power hungry figures are on the prowl, and will seize the moment.

Iranians wanted to overthrow their king, and ended up with an autocratic theocracy instead.

Stalin did the same during the Bolshevik revolution, Napoleon during the French revolution, Mao in the Chinese revolution, Castro in the Cuban revolution, Pot in the Cambodian revolution, Chavez in the Bolivarian revolution...

It's an all too common pattern.

@bigbluebuttonman1137

4 months ago

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but there are those in the US who don't believe the separation of church and state was even intended (it was).

I don't believe it would become this bad, and present efforts to minimize the separation are at times...farcical (look up White House Faith Advisor), but this impulse has to be fought everywhere it shows up.

@MB1992maboyyy

1 month ago

The Quran has many contradictions?

@victoriavilardo6677

8 months ago

The will of God is not to tell other Nations "death to Israel" and "death to America". That is not God's will

@BetweenSessionsYT

1 month ago (edited)

Deep, to the point, and impartial. I appreciate the effort you have put into making this valuable video.

However, in the end, you pose a question: 'Who are Iranians? Are they a national group? A religious group?' It is so painful that the answer is still vague for non-Iranians.

For a large majority of Iranians, it is so clear: We are a nation with more than 5000 years of civilization and written history. Iran is an amazingly multicultural country, where people of different ethnicities and creeds have lived peacefully for centuries. We are not defined by our current ruling regime's religion. Modern political Islam is just about 120 years old, the last 47 years of which have been the nightmarish tyranny of the Islamic Republic. But being Iranian goes beyond this regime.

This is what Iranians all around the world have been trying to say for years, and what millions of people in Iran are shouting on the streets right now (January 2026).

@RobertoAllen

8 months ago

I think a lot of Iranian citizens are quietly supporting Israel’s current campaign against their leadership (and wmd proliferation).

@trogdor8942

8 months ago

The Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th century was also Shia.

@phil_soria

8 months ago

What book is 45.09?

@y047anuragyadav4

4 months ago

Not all Muslim countries but always a Muslim country

@makeamericaplaidagain

8 months ago

Awsome historical documentary on a nation few of us understand anything about. I recall the US media showing Khomeini over and over and over for a few years and then he vanished from our sight. I have studied Hiter, Mussolini, a bit of Mao and Pol Pot and have been studying Xi Jingping, Netanyahu, Orban and Trump (who is really just a puppet for the donors behind the Heritage Foundation).

What blows me away is they all use the same tactics on the confused and hungry masses. This forces the educated and those who see through the lies who can affor to leave to pack their bags or be arrested or killed for daring to ask questions.

Those who sleep in the USA and ignore reading a summary of the Big Beautiful Betrayal Bill says and take a stand now will learn first hand what dictatorship after it is enaacted into law.

@shitelébauwf

2 months ago (edited)

The more you know, the less judgemental you would be! I only see a chaotic world where imperialism wanted more resources with no consequences, and exploited nationes clinged back to their native values which in it's core were inhumane but a good force to fight back and unite their people. The implanted dictators were completely alienated from their own society although they might had good intentions for modernisation of their countries. How would you act in world where your own country needs more resources and other nations live in their primitive state with huge resistance against new world? Where there are many corporations with huge amounts of wealth and still hungry for more. This is the inheritance from old world and we are still dealing with bad consequences of bad intentions. During ww1 and 2 millions of iranian died because of famine because Soviet and Britain emtpied their food and grains depo to fund their wars. How would you react except rebel and rage? Dictatorships and corruptions were another tnt barrel for this current state. It makes you less and less judgemental and still seeing innocent people die for some BS man made values and morality.

@chess_player15

3 months ago

Would have been nice if you mentioned what happened to the Zoroastrians and how they had to seek refuge in far off lands such as India where most of them are now.

@lobotomite9767

8 months ago

Get ready for part 2, how it became a failed state

@FebaLiDo123

3 months ago

The Iranian flag is gorgeous

@Capitalism-took-our-dreams

5 days ago

All religions are fake and we need to stop kiIIing eachother over them

1 reply

@heldthelever

8 months ago

Theocracies should not have nukes

@Craig-gq9wd

8 months ago

3:09 I take your point but the New Testament explicitly teaches Jesus is the heir and fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise

2 replies

@Troy-Tempest

8 months ago

I live in a suburb in Sydney that has a large Muslim population. So many of the women cover up, even the odd burqa, plenty of chadors and loads of hijabs. I don't understand why, in a country where you DON'T have to wear any sort of covering, they insist on it. Yet there sisters in Persia would love to live without any sort of regulations.

1 reply

@AAA-o2v8h

2 months ago

Iran is the only country that has dared to attack Israel and the United States with force, so the United States knows that it cannot subdue Iran.

@aimeeshmaimee

3 days ago (edited)

Can someone help me understand something? The video says that the U.S. instated Mohammed Raza Shah as the autocrat and he went on to nationalize Iran’s oil. But they overthrew the Prime Minister for wanting to nationalize Iran’s oil. Would anyone kindly explain that to me?

@celticwinter

8 months ago

"... Though they may use different names -- and not always be aware of it -- they all share the same god. Where they differ, is who in believing who the heirs of god's promise are."

lmao, that is so unbelievably simplified, that the words barely transport meaning anymore

@AhoraMazda-p2d

8 months ago (edited)

I AM IRANIAN. YES TO KING 👑💖 CYRUS REZA PAHLAVIE II AND PAHLAVIEISM !!!!!!........

@jilsa2230

3 months ago

WOMEN LIFE FREEDOM!

@jamescanterbury6634

8 months ago

How ironic khomeni could be free outside Iran , and then come back and stop others from speaking

@IronJazz99

8 months ago

This was all caused by British Petroleum. What is going on in Africa today is related. All of the same players are there.

2 replies

@mattyk82

2 weeks ago

Iran will be a better place soon, keeping the good parts of believing in a religion but moving on from people who take advantage of pretending they represent a religion for their own sadistic benefits

@mo-b2n

8 months ago (edited)

All hail the Rizziest Rizzler on all the lands

@faroukology

8 months ago

I think your video is good in a sense. and to improve on it i highly recommend you seek some more clarity when it comes to understanding the Qur’an in english text as you might get more clarity if you seek good explanation from some Arabic speaking scholar and for the aim of unbiased information you might aim to seek scholars in some universities in your country. Your description of the Quran as being contradictive is acceptable in terms of reading it in english and viewing it in this misconnected idea.

@vincentodhiamboOumaOgunja

4 months ago

..not all messages are from God !

@Leftysanchez29

8 months ago

What’s the point of even having elected officials or supreme courts if there is a “supreme leader”?

@estefaniadarsi1740

7 days ago

Who is here after the Orange man green lit to 💣

@AndrewAnimaps

8 days ago

Ops...

@liciousmemes4567

8 months ago

Tony Hinchcliffe?

@geraldaugustus739

8 months ago

You almost nailed it, until the last 4 minutes. "Secular law arrived at through rational principles." is comical. It's law mostly made by evangelical dominionists and corporations. It might have started on a secular idea, but this was made 6 months ago. You should know better ;)

3 replies

@jamesz80

3 days ago (edited)

What I find interesting is that while Muslims believe their god is the same as that of the Christians’ God, Christians strangely reject that even though their God is also Abraham’s God.

1 reply

@saskiaguy1940

1 month ago

Myth?

1 reply

@bmw635csi

8 months ago

Factcheck at 2:50 . mouslim god is Allah= ( Al LAH ) Moon God 🌙. Al -lah=🌙, akbar god =⭐. ✝✡ god = Yah·weh ( I am ) ..

@GloomyEra

8 months ago

Damn.

@splitvisionz

2 months ago

When mentioning the movement to nationalize their oil you should also mention that the British were in control of the oil and there was evidence of scamming the people of Iran; manipulating the paperwork and profiting far more from the oil then what was being reported.

1 reply

@AjinkyaMaldikar

8 days ago

Has Britain intervened everywhere?

@jacobjerald6703

8 months ago

Judaism, christianity and islam do not pray to the same God. It simply can't be when the idea of God is different for each religion even if they pray to God with the same name. In other words, if hinduism adopted jesus and made a hindui version of jesus and if hindus prayed to that jesus, then it doesnt make sense to say christians and hindus are praying to the same God

@YouTabeYouTabe-s2s

6 days ago

business man...

@g236016

3 days ago

Would you still say America keeps religion out of politics? Seems like Christian groups have a very heavy sway on things.

@RoofusRoof19

5 months ago

Europe: the king has devine right form god

Iran: the king has rizz

@MrMonoyo

7 hours ago

... , and what do you know, the Nation State of Israel was also a Theocracy about 2000 plus years ago. hand-orange-covering-eyes

@snakey973

8 months ago

Religion- the ultimate mechanism of control

@abbysenll

3 months ago

35:50

@FestinaLente8

8 months ago

The separation of Church and State might be the greatest innovation in human history

@EvonneLindiwe

4 months ago

I see what Iran was... It was so beautiful, modern, with a rich history .. and with people who were whipsmart and warm.. it's so so sad what happened 💔

1 reply

@suzysandor3131

8 months ago

Yes fine but it is the Mosadeq part that wasn’t well explained he was in charge for a very short time? And now everything over again?

As a Jew I feel left out about their forever antisemitism! I guess pretty much the same in most Muslim countries

@boboakes980

8 months ago

Believing in myths has lead to untold war and ignorance

@Diamonddavej

8 months ago

Israel just attacked Iran (I just saw this: 0:18 GMT 13th June 2025)

@viv1622

8 days ago

2:59 The three horsemen of evil!

@giotto_4503

8 months ago

Bring Persia back.

@kaleb_wright9655

8 months ago

This video is not accurate about Christian beliefs.

@alexandrat9935

2 weeks ago

Айфон отключил мне сеть и Сбербанк онлайн. Теперь я без денег и даже не могу никому позвонить чтобы сказать об этом

@ZahirAbogroun

7 months ago

Ihave an objection if you don't mind . Prophet mohamed don't ask us to eat pumpkin. That Hadith is no true

@socii4103

1 month ago

Finally someone who doesnt eye-ran

@JoTracy

1 month ago

Jimmy Carter helped Iran to become a Theocracy

@cfsilva1719

8 days ago

Its not the us constitution based on christian ethics?

1 reply

@janemaher9121

8 months ago

👏👏👏

@ushaani8912

5 months ago

When the child overthrows the parent

@AngryHaiku

5 months ago

We absolutely don't pray to the same God but okay 😂

1 reply

@downsjmmyjones101

8 months ago

So they basically got stuck in the dynastic cycle? Overthrow one emperor for anither and then another and then another

@BrianDennington

1 month ago

Did Jordan Peterson really get ordered into reeducation?

@emilymaiwoo

8 months ago

💗

@Bddck

9 months ago

“That is at the heart of what separates it from secular governments, like that of the united states” well…not anymore 46:46

@harrycee656

8 months ago

The contradictions is the result of human hands in all religious text. Humans have contradictory views. God doesn't. This is why i am a diest.

@Adder0130

8 months ago

Excellent point that Iraq's invasion of Iran galvanized support around Khomeini. That gave him 8 years to further consolidate power before the war ended.

@JH-ck1nr

3 months ago

An excellent video and balanced. Islam is now trying to force its will and demands on many other countries that do not want it.

Plenty of Iranians left to get away from it, not their country.

Iran without it has so much potential.

@userwww5047

6 days ago

12:17 iranians history is older than 2500 years with connections to ancient civilizations in India and Mesopotamia.

@HilaryMurewerwi-h9c

7 months ago

Theocracy vs democracy under the banner of Islam is inconceivable....democracy and Theocracy can never share the same mantle. Muslims' claim that the Quran is God's direct speech doesn't put their scripture above misinterpretation, connotation and fallibility. Like the Bible and the Torah the Quran is controversial and ridden with contradictions( that's one of the factor I concur with presenter here). If at all the Quran had any superior presentation to its followers why do we have the Shia crossing swords with the Sunnis? Christianity easily blends well with any given society and myriad societies because its tenets are spiritual and directly an affair between God and a man's soul. In Christian stipulates that a man is a moral agent free to choose what is good or otherwise. Christianity doesn't impose itself on individual or community freedoms as long as those freedoms doesn't offend the next man. Christianity offers free platform to be different and respect the next man's different opinion. Now Islam seeks to control man hence it's difficult to separate it from secularism so there is no democracy to talk about under Islamic legislation

@hanumanares2020

1 month ago

Tldr: It was the USA

1 reply

@anniemcmillen940

3 months ago

I swear it's like creators haven't even dry read some of their content prior to posting. Listening to this is like hearing someone read something they are unsure of. You obviously don't believe what you're telling me, so wtf would anyone else?

@JeffreyTustin

1 month ago

Inner v/s outer jihad alike. Conflicting Nature itself and much more beautyfull than Gabriel .

@naqeebkakar6716

2 weeks ago

Whenever Iran has moved gradually toward progress, democracy, secularism, and constitutionalism, external intervention has disrupted that trajectory.

By the early twentieth century, Iran witnessed the rise of a new generation of leftists, nationalists, reformist statesmen, intellectuals, and tribal elites — each advancing different visions for the country’s future. Despite ideological differences, the political sphere remained pluralistic. Under the Qajar dynasty, democracy was imperfect and fragile, yet the Constitutional Revolution created a parliamentary framework and introduced genuine political contestation. Iranian society was evolving through debate, experimentation, and constitutional reform.

However, foreign intervention disrupted this fragile democratic process. British strategic interests — particularly in oil — played a decisive role in reshaping Iran’s political order. With the rise of Reza Shah, centralisation and militarisation intensified. While state-building and modernization projects strengthened national infrastructure, political pluralism narrowed significantly. The emerging urban political class and tribal leadership structures were suppressed in favour of a strong, centralised state.

Yet Iran’s deep intellectual and cultural heritage allowed another democratic opening to emerge after 1941. Political life revived, parties reappeared, and parliamentary competition expanded. This period reached its height under Mohammad Mossadegh, a lawyer, constitutionalist, nationalist, and secular politician. Mossadegh did not seek to abolish the monarchy; rather, he aimed to strengthen parliamentary sovereignty within the constitutional framework. He pursued a non-aligned posture between global powers and sought to assert national control over Iran’s natural resources.

His nationalisation of the oil industry — previously dominated by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company — marked a turning point. In 1953, Mossadegh was overthrown in the 1953 Iranian coup d’etat, orchestrated by British intelligence and the United States. He was imprisoned and then kept under house arrest for the remainder of his life. This intervention permanently altered Iran’s political trajectory.

Following the coup, the Shah returned with stronger backing from Washington. Over time, his rule evolved into an increasingly securitised and authoritarian system. Journalists, leftists, democrats, and nationalist figures were suppressed. political repression of the literate class deepened. Economic inequality and political exclusion widened the gap between state and society. As secular nationalist forces were weakened, a vacuum emerged.

Into this vacuum stepped the clerical establishment. With deep social networks extending from urban centres to rural communities, clerics offered a narrative rooted in religion, tradition, and resistance. Unlike fragmented democratic groups, they possessed organisational cohesion and grassroots legitimacy. By 1979, accumulated grievances culminated in revolution and the rest is before us .

Even after 1979, Iran might have experienced gradual political recalibration. However, the Iran–Iraq War — during which Iraq received significant American backing — entrenched militarisation and securitisation within the new regime. External threats strengthened hardline factions. Over subsequent decades, sustained confrontation between Tehran and Washington, alongside escalating hostility between Iran and Tel Aviv, reinforced a permanent security mindset.

Sanctions, regional proxy conflicts, and diplomatic isolation followed. These dynamics strengthened the role of the Revolutionary Guard and limited space for political reform. Yet despite structural pressures, Iranian society has demonstrated remarkable resilience. Education levels remain high, civil society continues to adapt, and women’s educational and professional participation — shaped by social resilience rather than state generosity — remains comparatively strong within the region.

Today, renewed escalation between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran risks repeating historical cycles of confrontation. If external pressure continues to collide with internal hardline rigidity, the consequences could be catastrophic for the entire region.

As a neighbour sharing deep cultural and civilisational ties, I sincerely hope that war is avoided. The Iranian people are one of the great intellectual and cultural treasures of our region. Their future should not be determined by geopolitical rivalries or uncompromising power struggles.

@Kevinterell

8 months ago

Finally a video that’s not A.I. !!!!

@AnitaMojarad

3 months ago

💔💔💔

@horsetowater

8 months ago

1:11 except of course Fiji

@mof5490

8 months ago

It’s wild to think that some Americans actually believe US is worse than Iran

1 reply

@marcrichter9160

8 months ago (edited)

There’s one factor you seem either ignorant of or unwilling to expose and this is that after British Colonialism latterly, the US Government and the CIA triggering all the wars and destabilising Iran’s society every time they tried to create a democracy.

1 reply

@Stadtpark90

4 months ago (edited)

44:18

@JenniferHayes-u7j

8 months ago

U packaged this nice without all the bad stuff. Still not true

@mala4222

4 months ago

aren’t you not allowed to show photos of mohammed or something ?? 😭

1 reply

@johnny.ezra.travel

3 months ago

From that Myth????

@user-nm9jz6nn7f

3 days ago

now it's about to be a nuclear dump

@LDJ-r8e

8 months ago

33:16

There it is. The pattern that just doesn’t stop. Sorry for nothing. I promise not to look into it any further lest I end up coming away w the most unacceptable option on planet earth.

@RainyDays_47

4 months ago

Religion is what keeps us in a small box, preventing us from reaching greather heights all for the inherent hunger for power over others in humans.

@NoEsLaMari-1997

4 months ago

I am yet to come upon a modern conflict that doesn’t involve England partitioning the country in random ways seriously

@FxSalvation

8 months ago

Pahlavis dropped the ball way too hard

@StabilityReport

4 months ago

Quite good; can be improved drastically though, if the bias of the author is sought eliminated. Try to envisage the difficulties in such undertaking.

A good start here is to ask yourself: what is the source of political stability? When you believe that the reign of Khomeini would have been challenged if they had not been attacked by USA/Soviet Union through Iraq, why do you come to such believe? What are the source of political homogenization? How does the layers of political identity (nationalism, theology, regional, and ethnic elements) form unity under the extreme pressure from first war, then sanctions regimes, now attacks by USA/Israel? After a few years of reaching into political science, do the story again: there are so many good elements; why not lift it out of the category of western propaganda? Commence by realizing how few liberally minded individuals and groups that are actually there in Iran today; demarcate the diversity that is there, describe the different interests on their own terms, instead of projecting your own categories onto the society you wish to portray: start out by seeking an understanding of why most Iranians would prefer the current political order to a fragmented state of anomy and western extortion, that is the goal of Washington/Tel Aviv; what your underlying discourse present as 'freedom'.

Anyway, great watching your work and you've got a new subscriber!

@robbedontuesday

2 days ago

"In God We Trust"... Who =illed JFK??

@JenniferHayes-u7j

8 months ago

We are saved by grace through faith not of our self

@the_pinkerton

9 days ago

the 1953 coup was just a disaster, wish the west wasnt so greedy to basically long term plunge iran into what it is today

@ac4524

3 months ago

It’s wild that Judaism and Christianity are based off a sheep herder supposedly being spoken to by god. The rest is just a form of control used by governments. Sorry if that offends people but religion is just insane

@lwagner1723

6 days ago

I would say that most people, even Christians today, believe that the Bible isn't God's word. As you've stated in your video around the 4min mark.

However, if you studied the Bible literally. The Bible itself claims that it is God's word, inspired by God and written down by man.

It's just that very few people actually read the Bible.️

2 replies

@justsam100

9 months ago

I did not know the full story of Iran and Islam, this was quite informative thank you.

Also, another reason for me to disapprove of Islam being exported to Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Of all the monotheistic religions, it historically is the most harmful to the development of society and enduring peace and justice.

@tnekkc

18 hours ago

People from Iran are extremely friendly.

@KePzez

1 month ago

Its stupidly funny to me, that on paper their train of thought seems to be pretty straightforward, simple, and good for the people. Then absolute power proceeded to absolutely corrupts.

2 replies

@abbysenll

4 months ago

2:32

@jackknife1796

5 days ago

And drama it is

@Genethagenius

8 months ago

Wow… the U.S. is the only country that offers to treat Khomeini’s cancer and his regime responds by storming the embassy & taking Americans hostage. Why does Islam always seem to produce this kind of thinking & these kinds of actions? It seems very prevalent in their societies.

1 reply

@abdullahiqbal8821

4 days ago

The amount of ads in this video is pathetic

@gorawesome1

1 month ago

From the old testament which is the word of God to all who dare put themselves as dictator, president for life, supreme leader, or pope in a theocracy based upon the abramic God:

1 Samuel 8:10-18

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

@PaulaMargretMarsh

8 months ago

Furthermore, Iran was Persia, and Zoroastrianism was foubded here, first, before Islam invaded centuries later.

@aliduyakubu4825

1 month ago

Islamic morality doesn’t apply to all, religion is not by force

@Capitalism-took-our-dreams

5 days ago

Normalize atheism

@lukasmakarios4998

8 months ago

First of all, although Islam CLAIMS to worship the same God as Judaism and Christianity, it does NOT. Muhammad was deluded and talking with an evil djinn who claimed to be God. Allah is not all-knowing, and he lies to Muhammad over and over. Allah even allows Muhammad to make up his declarations to suit his fancy. When pressed, Allah is forced to admit that Jews and Christians have valid Scriptures and should judge by them, not to be asking Muhammad to adjudicate disputes. Muhammad even received the Satanic verses from Allah. And ALL OF THIS applies only to the belief that Muhammad was a real person, and not a political propaganda construct invented by the Caliphs to support their wars and control their people. Apostasy is punishable by death?! How dare they say Allah is compassionate and merciful? Shame! Allah is NOT the same God as the One who loves those who seek Him and is loved by the Jews and Christians. Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God because He IS God.

2 replies

@curtisowen3233

9 months ago

I pity any community without a nude beach ⛱

@valarmorghulis5265

2 months ago

3 different gods

@TiiiBiiiMeows

9 months ago

6:47 most of humanity suffers because Man is afraid to feel and express emotions

@más-g7z

8 months ago

Amazing video! It's so sad that human potential is limited by these toxic ancient beliefs. The late, great Christopher Hitchens was right --religion really does poison everything

@DewyDough

5 months ago

Western feminists when it comes to supporting women’s rights in Muslim countries: 🙈🙊

@SammyMFsosaaa

8 months ago

So they’re technically in the Iranian dark ages??

@daniellemmons-f8u

8 months ago

Why do people think that this is bad? As a Christian, it seems like a better place to live in than the west. The west has always enforced religion and morality before the capitalists took over, in the medieval ages and after, and much of Islam is similar to Christianity, so Iran is a more Christian country than any country in the west, which has been taken over by liberalism, capitalism, communism, secularism, feminism, etc. They at least have moral police in Iran, in America here, it is the opposite, and people are encouraged to sin, and it is celebrated. Just look at pride parades. I would much rather live in Iran as a woman than the west.

@maureenkilbane9948

8 months ago

The same way the United Stares will become one.

@LFGeeS

8 months ago

I have never met a Persian who was a practicing Muslim.

@LeVsTerFPV

8 months ago

Hey in Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:20-26 and Surah Al-A'raf 7:137 it say the holy land of israel belongs to the suns of moses. So it is not entirely true that only the torah says that. For example Vers 21" God commands them to enter the Holy Land, which He has ordained for them, and warns against turning back.

@ZoniesCoasters

1 month ago

can't help but think of the Cristian nationalist movement here in the U.S. as I watch this. Looking at history it is clear that secularism is a common thread among prosperous nations and I fear what is to come as the United States looses grasp of that thread.

@thinkagain1187

8 months ago

…falls down.

@areyougonnaarresther

9 months ago

The US and Israel prefer dealing with phony religious zealots who use religion as a system of control like those in Saudi Arabia and HTS in Syria formerly known as ISIS or was it Al Quaeda. The USA and Israel created ISIS and Hamas and the Saudi Wahhabists and Hezbollah and the religious government in Iran by destroying all secular left forces and secular nationalist forces in West Asia, because those secular forces were trying to control resources and trying to benefit the people of those countries. The only religious government or movements the US and their proxy Israel don’t like now are the ones that still won’t sell out their countries to Western Corporate domination. Oh yeah, I forgot the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Quaeda. Literally the same playbook in every west Asian country. Th US and Israel love religious zealots when those zealots use religion to crush economic freedom.

@lenoreleitch5297

8 months ago

Right at the beginning, you might want to clarify the woman was arrested in IRAN, not Toronto. You show a photo of the Toronto skyline and say “at 6:30 pm Toronto time…” . Very confusing. Can’t be bothered watching after that.

@hessamstar

8 months ago

And here we are in 2025 back where we started. Just lost +40 years that’s all!

@Hoppieg

8 months ago

The Koran says it has to submit to the Torah.

@joydeepde9049

1 month ago

very nice analysis but few things: you seem like you are reading from a novel-ish script. This is not only monotonous but also, sometimes, hard to follow. Also secession and succession are two different words. You said secession for succession several times.

Great script for sure

@josephsmith872

8 months ago

This is what is happening in Northern Nigeria

@monacre1

8 months ago

Islam is not Abrahamic religion no linage to prove it. They don't preach same thing

@LittleMonkey425

5 days ago

It is crazy to think that any country the US touches just goes to shit. I believe you mentioned Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown because of his support for the Soviet Union, he is a moderate liberal democrat, whom not even the far-left liked.

What's even crazier is that this is not the first time something similar has happened, such as in Chile and other countries. What's scary is the similarities to here in the U.S.; the fearmongering of the left here, titling any of them as communists. The Right's tactics never change.

@razi1992

1 month ago

I'm 10 minutes into the video and it is not mentioned anywhere that Iran practices a form of Islam that is different to the majority of the globe.

The points made so far seems to have mixed up versions of Islam. Comes across as not well researched to anyone who have any idea at all.

@Lonnie.Stoudt

8 months ago (edited)

VERY nice work here, mostly well-balanced, aside from an unfortunate tendency to pander, linguistically, to modern "sensibilities" which favor opinion and modern dogma over the historical record of actual usage... if Iran was not KNOWN as Iran until the 20th century, the usage of the country's name should reflect that truth. Thus, Persia ought to be referred to AS Persia until the narrative passes the point of that term's usage. Respect history; call it Persia until it was NOT called Persia.

1 reply

@espvp

8 months ago

How is it that time and time again people far for the same clowns?

People, get this into your head: no matter the religion, the ethnicity, the political ideology (capitalist or communist, left or right) if a mortal man tells you that by putting him, and only him, in power he will be the solution to all your problems, he will not!

Societies improve through systems, policies, etc. not a single man.

@920WASHBURN

8 months ago

Ryan, in the future i would like to see "How America became a Technocracy".

2 replies

@GreenTimeEagle

8 months ago

The Persians are a wonderful people! I hope they achieve a wonderful society one day❤

@rogerkamben389

8 months ago

Iran could have become a democracy again but since they had decimated the political opposition, especially the secular left, the religious right won out.. but it took almost a year to get settled

@ahmedhakeem-o4u

1 month ago

Important thing you forgot to mention, the current Iranian regime is a Shiite regime, Shia's make less than 9% of Muslims and they're considered deviants by most islamic authorities or straight up not muslim by some, Shiite muslims have a very very different interpretation of the islamic law and how to rule , and most muslims would be offended that people see them as representative of islam and i am one of them , if you want to see a good example of an islamic caliphate rule look for rashidun empire and the empires that followed , in this day and age there is no caliphate , there hasn't been a caliphate since the fall of the ottoman empire and the molla shiite regime isn't a caliphate of islam.

@JeffreyTustin

1 month ago

Do not attempt to preach this that you yourself remain so ignorant in. And there's only One Creator. Of You and I as well as all that was and shall ever be. Eternal in that " Always was- Always will be"".!! Omnipotent/0mni-prescient/Omni- forgiving Gracious Virtuous King of Kings!!

1 reply

@abesto4576

8 months ago (edited)

For anyone wondering, that is not exactly what separates Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I wish you would at least preface your explanation by saying it is extremely simplified. Otherwise, fascinating video!

@SuZieCoyote

9 months ago

Religion is a grift by the power hungry. When it starts telling people how they have to eat and bathe, this is indicative of so-called holy men who just can't get enough power. When a woman is murdered for wearing a headscarf wrong, it has gone way too far.

@patmartin3563

3 days ago

So just another religion believing in something that just exists with absolutely no proof. Got it. They,at the extreme ,just so happen to believe the enemy should be killed

@arashado

7 months ago

shiaism and zionism are so similiar in very diffrent ways maybe thats why thay hate eachother so much

@nicusor112

1 month ago

Short answer is the American coup in 1953

1 reply

@Ashraile

8 months ago

Do you think, when the Iranian government is overthrown, either from within or without, that any of the religious nutcases there would reflect on how "God" could have allowed that to happen, if it was truly "God's" government? I'm no particular fan of Israel, but Israel is, empirically by many metrics, a much better candidate for what a neutral observer might classify as being "God's" government.

@caesersoberano1335

4 months ago

The bots of the bignose are in fire here😂

@stevend481

8 months ago

I feel bad for the citizens

@AshleyMaldonado-vp6eh

1 month ago

Christianity Islam and Judaism don’t share the same God. They might share the same origins but not the same God, Islam and Judaism don’t accept Jesus’s divinity and Christianity does. This changes everything in a Christian perspective because we do recognize Jesus a God in the flesh.

3 replies

@obeb787

8 months ago

Well there’s a bunch of parallels of this history and what’s going around in different countries around the world.

Stay woke!

@MarkWriter-z5j

1 month ago

One video claims ninety percent of the population wants a secular society and another claims ninety percent want a theocracy. So which is it ? Ninety percent for or against?

@michaelfishman3976

8 months ago

About the divinity of the Torah: though modern scholars heavily dispute it, traditional Judaism believes that the Torah in its entirety is the world or God, and Moses was merely the recording secretary. Ask an Orthodox Jew or a more traditional Conservative Jew, they’d tell you that the Torah we have today is the unedited word of God. Ask one who’s studied the Torah and its commentaries, they’d acknowledge that certain scribal amendments and glosses have been added over time—but the really devout ones would argue that it’s nothing that seriously affects the meaning—we are talking minor spelling differences or just certain notes added by the scribes. Push harder and they’d admit that some of the early commentaries do accede that some verses were edited in their entirety to fit an agenda. But they’d still cling to the Torah being a monolithic work by a single divine author.

2 replies

@droL_si_suseJ

1 month ago

For 1400 years the Muslims have been brainwashed, enslaved and lied to by their leaders about Islam!

@Softsoul.

8 months ago

@JasonConnerful

6 days ago

Your religious explanation for the birth of the big three religions was not entirely accurate

@JenniferHayes-u7j

8 months ago

News not news

@failedxpment

7 months ago

It’s not central to the point of the video.

But I would point out that calling the story of Abraham a myth is inaccurate as opposed to it being a real world event. The claim to being Jewish comes from their ability to physically trace their lineage back to Abraham

A second point, the three “Abrahamic” religions do not all follow the same God. I would argue that Christians and Jews may refer to the same God (YHWH) but they disagree on the deity of Christ (this is a whole other rabbit hole.)

Christians make the exclusive claim to God through Jesus Christ being God the son, different and conflicting than what Muslims and Jews claim.

Thank you for you video, just adding to help inform.

@Vaibhav-n7r

3 months ago

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

@vbrenes31

8 months ago

“From that myth…”

@mavmrb3

5 months ago

I just finished my higher (real) education watching this You tube Channel. Cost me nothing!

@Laughslots-22

3 months ago

I just want the Iraian people to be happy and fulfilled, they don't seem happy from what I've seen in the media. 😢

People of Iran, please know as an American, I do not want war with you. I want you to be free, happy, heard and better understood.

If the majority doesn't want its current leadership, then I do think we SHOULD do whatever it takes to free them.

I want to hear from the Iranians that aren't connected to their leadership, the average Iraian.

That is who I want to hear from the most.

If they really aren't happy with the theocracy they live under currently, then I do think America has a duty to help free them.

Give them the support they need, so long as they aren't the death to America crowd.

From what I've seen, they don't seem to want to be under this current leadership.

I don't want war, but if they really want change and are actually asking for it, then I think America should consider helping!

I pray often for the Iranian people. I hope peaceful resolutions can be found instead of war, but if it means war to free them, if that is really what they want, I think we should support them..

To the fullest.

I'm proud of the Iranian women who are standing up, taking those risks to pave the way for others.

Ladies, you have worth. You are NOT second class and you do matter. Good on you all for standing up for yourselves and your children. Please know there are many American women who support you!

Stand tall and strong ladies. Don't back down, not now... Not ever! Sending love from America.

1 reply

@haha.harrrryyyy

5 months ago

A religion should not impose any rules. It should be purely guidelines to discover oneself through God. It's not possible for Abrahamic religions to achieve this, but it would fix a lot of problems today.

@alibaokbah2960

9 months ago

“A business man name Mohammed” lol. He herded sheep until he received the prophecy.

@robinriebsomer4607

8 months ago

Some of us Christians believe that there has been no final revelation by God and that God is still being discovered. That discovery might be in modern poetry or modern assertions about civil rights ie Martin Luther King.

@therarebreeds77therarebree7

8 months ago

Make a video about how the Iranians got rid of their government and became cool with the US

@therealtulip

5 months ago (edited)

4:20 Actually, in Judaism, God’s message to humanity is not contained solely in the Torah (the five Books of Moses), but throughout the entire Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament), which also includes the Prophets and the Writings.

So, in effect, the Torah is, in fact, part and parcel of what Christians call The Bible, not separate from it.

This is a common misconception among non-Jewish Westerners.

@lasalletxnurse1

8 months ago

I am a Christian, i would not want to live in a “Christian Theocracy.” This could be perverted into a weapon worse than Iran. Pray for Iran…..they need it

@peanutbunnylolo

5 months ago

It's eerie that the US caused this in Iran, but brought it upon itself on it's own volition.

@rogerkamben389

8 months ago

Iranians suspected they cheated and demanded to inspect the books but Britain refused. Then Iran wanted to renegotiate the deal, but refused again. Mossadeq's party won the election on a platform of oil nationalization

@will_register

1 month ago

It is wrong that any should be homeless or go hungry. And animals for food should be treated better. God saves both man and animal alike.

@romperroller

9 months ago

In today's Iran, they have too many CHRISTIANS in prison for worship of JESUS. CHRISTIANS have no muslims in prison for their beliefs. Yes, I support ICC.

@rogerkamben389

8 months ago

Khomeini lived in France and was cared well for by DGSE.. however it seems he wasn't the puppet Westen Empire hoped he would be

@armandblake

8 months ago

God bless the Persian people, one of the greatest civilisation that walked the face of earth. Looking forward to the day they could celebrate their freedom on the street of the new Persepolis.

Love from Australia

@ifyoucantpullitpushitalong5425

8 months ago

Intolerant cultures will always beat tolerant ones. Hold strong religious people!

@elenagarnarev3007

1 month ago

I wish to Iranian girls and women (and other Islamic countries) the same rights Western women have. This is the only feminism i like and I approve

@zhcultivator

8 months ago (edited)

I wish Iran was a Secular Nationalist-Georgist Republic or an Islamic Socialist Republic or Islamic Democratic Republic but alas............

@TeaWithTambo

8 months ago

You failed to mention that it was Gabriel who came to Muhammed.

@beest_

8 months ago

This is a very good retelling (in English) finely washed historical events with regards to the 1979 revolution.

Details that are left out on purpose. For example the role of PLA, Palestinian Liberation Army , how they trained groups of radicalized youths.

PLA, supplying arms and fighters to make peace protests into gun fights. PLA shooting protesters to blame on riot police. (At that time Iran didn't have riot police, so the Army was used)

MEK group, mojahiden, were hand-in-hand with PLA. Even the name of this group means , armed fighters.

MEK, performing terrorism, blaming Savak . Putting a Cinema to fire and killing all

Tudeh group, a leftist group, worked on brain washing and infiltration of Universities.

Blue collar activists belonging to MEK, more affluent activists belonging to Tudeh.

Islamist and Communism (MEK and Tudeh) worked together to achieve revolution. Led by Khomeini , A comparative Alliance that still can be seen in Western Universities. Chanting Free Palestine, Gaza etc.

MEK group, split into two parts. The new group was Hizbollah - Pasdaran or currently known as IRGC .

IRGC started a violent cleanup against all previous alliances. Executions of 100k or more of "Political" prisoners.

After 40 years limits expiration of CIA secret files, we know that the revolution was funded by the US, the propaganda machine was managed by the BBC.

It's a very deep rabbit hole. This video is good because it's retelling the events but there're many things that are washed. This is the Regime's point of view of the historical facts.

@chrispapalia1769

8 months ago

A 51 minute video and you only get to the Islamic revolution after 40 minutes!

@think-about-it-777

8 months ago

Telling ya: StarWars costuming got everybody confused, thinkin terrorists are Jedi good guys. Whole generation be thinkn the middle east is like Tatooine, Osama Bin Laden is Obi-won Kenobi, Timothy McVeigh be like Han Solo and Militant Islamic revolutionaries are the Rebel Forces.

THEY AIN'T.

@ottobihrer732

8 months ago

The wet dream of Republicans to lead the USA like Iran is lead.

@diannatoma2831

3 days ago

Oh Religion…. Can be beneficial but corrupt.

@metaphysicallymotivated

1 month ago (edited)

Good video, however… Christians also believe the bible is the literal WORD of God. Same with Islam, the voice made manifest & spoken by prophets. So Islam doesn’t have an edge over Christianity or Judaism for that matter, also the Quran literally supports the integrity of the bible or “Gospel” as literally put by the man himself, Muhammad said so, In Surah 3:3, the Qur'an reads, “He has revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.” This is stating that the Gospels and the Torah corresponds with the Qur'an for it is “confirming” what was before it. There’s many contradictions though which is left for debate in scholarly talks and argued by theologians. However generally, it is accepted that the bible is true. The main point is that there is no unique edge or authority given to Islam as stated at 3:50-4:06 in the video over any of the other two. Other than that great video, definitely not written by a theologian. Great nonetheless. Keep it up!

@LOUXOWENS

5 days ago

I’m sorry but radical religions running a nation and population is just not sustainable , in this quick moment of life imaging being born in a country you did not choose and having to be forced to practice something you might not want to , I’m all for religious practice but not at the cost of killing , controlling populations. We are better than that as a human species

@이지민-j5w

5 months ago

@mr.x817 let's unpack this one by one,

1. In western world especially US, UK, CA and etc, u're not force to join the military. No one can force anyone into the military, unless u're talking about countries that have compulsory military services such as south Korea, but those countries are in active wars as of today, therefore they have their reasons, I don't know what made u think people in the west are forced into the military.

2. Vaccination is another thing that's not forced onto people in the USA, the government can't mandate u to take vaccines, which is why unvaccinated communities exist. Unless u're talking about vaccine mandate impose by workplace, well ur workplace can ask u to take vaccination that should keep u safe in ur job, u have the right to refuse, but they also have the right to fire u. Therefore make ur own déductions and come up with a decision

3. " People refuse to accept payment from the LGBT", they're offering money to people? I didn't know that, I think u mean people not wanting to be gay, well there's no law in this earth that forces u to be gay actually, no western nations forces people to be gay, we just accept that gay people exist and they live among us. U're not force to engage with them too, so I don't know what u're talking about.

In conclusion I will take that as u being ignorant not actually having any points other than liess

@Shaco.

8 months ago

You should have used Türkiye to compare it to Iran

@britneywangari7361

3 months ago

Sounds to me like the religion is a tool, a means to an end. oppressors will use whatever means they can to get what they want. why am I not surprised that is just about money and power

@Elcharararieli

7 days ago

Unfortunately the facts are not fully correct….

@soklot

8 months ago (edited)

So the people got what they fought for? Yet today they don't support the government if the polls are to be believed.

@Vormelon

8 months ago

Another conflict sparked in part by religion

@erinolson6368

8 months ago

Wrong.. Christian’s believe the Bible is god breathed. It is the true word of god. Jesus is a way for ALL to enter the kingdom. The Bible is quite incredible and most accurate unlike qoran. Torah is Old Testament laws . I recommend anyone read the Bible who hasn’t ❤

@faizanfayaz7274

1 month ago

Strange of you not mentioning role of C1A and mo$$ad

@jpin2469

8 months ago

It was Abram not Abraham.

@jaeslow1

8 months ago

Man what a good video, but yt is stacking it with an ad every 3 minutes, it's a absolutely ridiculous

@unkozeus

2 months ago

3:04 that is a horrendously false statement

@mgs2014

2 months ago

Cia betrayed Iranians

@GloryDaze73

4 days ago

Patriarchy, corruption, greed, infighting .... Iran will never be at Peace again.

@DavidSunseri

8 months ago

The Islamic Iranian government is supported by the country's great wealth. The "Supreme Leader" and the rest of the Islamic clerics control the army and militias that prohibit behavior that goes against the Koran. The only way to destroy this system is to overthrow the religious leaders and install a democratic system not based on their perverted view of humanity.

@davefennell4712

8 months ago

@fidelajani

8 months ago

predator tuh apasih? bukannya selama udah mens udah boleh ya hehehehehehe

@Paul-bd7fe

8 months ago

You butchered your summary of the religions involved

@BouncySlim1

8 months ago

Three minutes in and you said that the base of the three Abrahamic religions is a myth...... you also stated that Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in the same God.........they don't. How am i to believe anything you say in the video when you got this wrong???

I'mma play an uno card: Skip!

5 replies

@learning-g5n

2 weeks ago

free iran!

===

다음 글은 사용자가 업로드한 문서 “How Iran Became a Theocracy” 영상 대본을 바탕으로 작성한 요약 + 평론입니다.

라이언 채프먼 <Ryan Chapman>의 <이라크는 어떻게 신권 국가가 되었나> <How Iran Became a Theocracy>에 대한 요약과 평론이다.

요약

이란은 인류 역사상 가장 침략과 혁명이 빈번했던 국가 중 하나로, 2500년 이상의 유구한 역사를 지니고 있다. 이 역사는 크게 이슬람 이전의 고대 페르시아 시기와 7세기 이슬람 정복 이후의 시기로 나뉜다. 16세기 사파비 왕조는 시아파 이슬람을 국교로 선포하며 현대 이란의 정체성을 확립했다.

20세기 들어 이란은 서구의 영향과 근대화라는 거센 파도에 직면했다. 팔라비 왕조의 샤<Shah>들은 세속적 민족주의를 바탕으로 급격한 근대화를 추진했으나, 이는 이슬람 전통 가치와의 충돌을 야기했다. 특히 1953년 미국과 영국이 주도한 쿠데타로 모사데크 정권이 무너지고 샤의 독재가 강화되면서, 반서구·반제국주의 정서가 확산되었다.

이러한 혼란 속에서 루홀라 호메이니는 <벨라야테 파키> <Velayat-e Faqih, 이슬람 법학자의 통치>라는 혁신적 이론을 제시하며 혁명을 주도했다. 1979년 이슬람 혁명으로 샤가 축출된 후, 이란은 투표를 통해 이슬람 공화국 헌법을 채택했다. 이 헌법은 국민의 주권과 신의 권위라는 상충하는 원칙을 담고 있으나, 실질적으로는 최상위 권력자인 <최고 지도자>가 사법, 군사, 언론 등 국가 전반을 통제하는 구조를 확립했다. 결국 이란은 종교적 도덕을 법으로 강제하는 신권적 독재 국가로 변모하게 되었다.

평론

이 영상은 이란이 신권 국가로 이행하는 과정을 종교적, 역사적, 정치적 맥락에서 중립적이고 심도 있게 분석한다. 특히 이슬람의 법적 성격과 시아파의 특수성을 연결하여 현대 이란 정치를 설명하는 방식이 탁월하다.

첫째, 종교와 법의 일치성을 강조한 분석이 돋보인다. 이슬람이 단순한 신앙을 넘어 인간 행위 전반을 규제하는 법체계인 <샤리아> <Sharia>를 지향한다는 점을 짚어줌으로써, 왜 이란 정부가 도덕 경찰을 통해 개인의 삶을 그토록 세밀하게 통제하는지 근본적인 이해를 제공한다.

둘째, 이란 혁명의 동력을 내부적 요인과 외부적 요인의 결합으로 잘 묘사했다. 서구 제국주의의 간섭과 샤의 강압적인 세속화 정책이 어떻게 보수적인 이슬람 반발을 불러일으켰는지, 그리고 호메이니가 이를 어떻게 정치적 기회로 포착했는지를 명확히 보여준다.

셋째, 이란의 현재적 모순을 날카롭게 지적한다. 이란은 독립과 안정을 쟁취했다고 주장하지만, 이는 강제된 동질성과 탄압을 통해 유지되는 취약한 안정이다. 최근의 대규모 시위는 이러한 신권 통치의 도덕적 권위가 대중, 특히 젊은 세대 사이에서 심각하게 도전을 받고 있음을 시사한다.

결론적으로, 이 영상은 이란이라는 복잡한 국가를 이해하기 위한 훌륭한 입문서 역할을 한다. 종교적 신념이 국가 권력과 결합했을 때 발생하는 해방과 억압의 이중주를 생생하게 증언하고 있다.

How Iran Became a Theocracy - Y…

<How Iran Became a Theocracy> 요약 + 평론

1. 요약

(1) 문제 제기: 이란에서 종교와 정치가 결합된 이유

이 영상은 2022년 히잡 시위와 마흐사 아미니 사건을 출발점으로 삼는다.
도덕경찰에 체포된 여성의 사망 이후 전국적인 시위가 발생했는데, 이는 단순한 복장 문제라기보다 이란 체제의 핵심인 “종교적 도덕 국가” 개념에 대한 반발을 보여준다.

이 사건을 이해하려면 단순히 현대 정치가 아니라 이슬람의 교리, 이란 역사, 근대화 과정, 혁명까지 모두 살펴봐야 한다는 것이 영상의 기본 논지다.

(2) 이슬람의 기본 사상

영상은 먼저 이슬람의 핵심 개념을 설명한다.

핵심 특징은 다음과 같다.

유일신 신앙
신의 의지에 대한 복종
도덕 규범의 사회적 적용

이슬람은 단순한 개인 신앙이 아니라 사회 전체를 규율하는 체계라는 점이 강조된다.

특히 중요한 개념이 있다.

“선을 명령하고 악을 금지한다”

(Commanding right and forbidding wrong)

이 원리는

개인 윤리
사회 윤리
정치 질서

모두에 적용될 수 있다.

따라서 도덕을 사회적으로 강제할 수 있다는 발상이 이슬람 전통에 존재한다는 점이 이란 체제 이해의 핵심으로 제시된다.

(3) 샤리아와 이슬람 법

코란은 생활 규칙을 일부만 제공한다.
따라서 무슬림 사회는 다음을 통해 법을 발전시켰다.

코란
무함마드의 언행(하디스)
학자들의 해석
공동체 합의

이 과정에서 **법학자(울라마)**가 중요한 역할을 하게 되었다.

이들은 신의 뜻을 해석하는 권위를 갖게 되었고, 이는 훗날 정치권력과 연결된다.

(4) 이란의 역사적 배경

이란은 약 2500년 이상의 국가 정체성을 가진 오래된 문명이다.

주요 특징:

페르시아 문화
조로아스터교 전통
강한 국가 정체성

7세기 이슬람 정복 이후 이란은 이슬람 세계에 편입된다.

하지만 중요한 변화가 발생한다.

시아파 이슬람의 형성

이슬람은 두 갈래로 분열한다.

수니파
시아파

이란은 시간이 지나면서 시아파 중심 사회가 된다.

(5) 사파비 왕조와 시아파 국가

16세기 사파비 왕조가 등장한다.

이 왕조는

시아파를 국교로 강제

한다.

이 과정에서

성직자 권력 확대
국가와 종교 결합

이 이루어진다.

이때부터 이란은 시아파 국가 정체성을 갖게 된다.

(6) 근대화와 갈등

19~20세기 들어 이란은 서구의 영향에 직면한다.

특히 두 가지 흐름이 등장한다.

세속적 근대화
종교적 반발

팔레비 왕조(1925~1979)는 강력한 근대화를 추진했다.

예:

여성 히잡 금지
서구식 교육
국가 세속화

하지만 이는 많은 종교 세력에게 이슬람 전통 파괴로 보였다.

(7) 미국 개입과 반제국주의 정서

1953년 중요한 사건이 발생한다.

CIA와 MI6가 모사데그 정부를 쿠데타로 전복

이 사건은 이란 정치에 큰 영향을 미쳤다.

결과:

반미 정서 확대
왕정 독재 강화

이로 인해 이슬람 혁명의 정치적 토양이 만들어진다.

(8) 호메이니의 사상

혁명의 중심 인물은 루홀라 호메이니였다.

그는 새로운 정치 이론을 제시한다.

“법학자의 통치”

(Velayat-e Faqih)

핵심 주장:

이슬람 사회는 성직자가 통치해야 한다
종교 법학자가 국가 지도자가 된다

이는 전통 이슬람에서도 매우 급진적인 이론이었다.

(9) 1979년 이슬람 혁명

1979년 대규모 시위와 혼란 속에서

샤가 망명하고
호메이니가 귀국한다.

혁명 이후

왕정 폐지
이슬람 공화국 수립

이 이루어진다.

새 헌법은 다음 구조를 만든다.

최고지도자

권한

군대
사법부
언론
선거 감독

사실상 국가 최고 권력이다.

(10) 신정 국가의 구조

이란 정치 구조는 두 요소가 결합된 체제다.

민주적 요소
- 대통령 선거
- 의회
신정 요소
- 최고지도자
- 성직자 권력
- 후보 검열

따라서 이란은 완전한 민주주의도, 완전한 독재도 아닌 복합 체제가 된다.

(11) 혁명 이후 사회

혁명 후 이란은 다음 특징을 보인다.

언론 통제
종교 규범 강화
정치 처형 증가

특히 여성의 복장 규정이 강화된다.

하지만 동시에

교육 확대
도시 중산층 성장

도 나타난다.

2. 평론

(1) 장점: 역사 구조 설명이 매우 명확하다

이 영상의 가장 큰 장점은 이란 신정체제를 단순히 “종교 독재”로 설명하지 않는 것이다.

대신 다음 구조를 보여준다.

이슬람 사상
→ 시아파 역사
→ 사파비 국가
→ 근대화 갈등
→ 미국 개입
→ 혁명

즉 종교 + 역사 + 정치가 결합된 과정으로 설명한다.

이는 매우 설득력 있는 접근이다.

(2) 중요한 통찰: 종교는 단순히 억압 장치가 아니다

영상은 종종 서구 담론에서 보이는

“이란 = 종교 독재”

라는 단순한 틀을 넘어서려고 한다.

특히 강조되는 점은 이것이다.

이슬람 윤리는
단순히 개인 신앙이 아니라
사회 정의 질서로 이해되기도 한다

즉 많은 이란인에게

이슬람은

도덕
사회 정의
반제국주의

와 연결되어 있었다.

(3) 다만 서구적 시각의 한계도 있다

영상에는 일정한 한계도 있다.

예:

혁명의 사회경제적 원인 분석 부족
미국 개입의 영향 축소
이란 내부 지지층 설명 부족

예를 들어 혁명은 단순히 종교 운동이 아니라

노동
학생
좌파
민족주의

모두가 참여한 복합 혁명이었다.

이 부분은 상대적으로 약하게 설명된다.

(4) 이란 체제의 핵심 모순

이 영상이 제시하는 가장 중요한 질문은 이것이다.

이란은 무엇인가?

종교 국가인가
민족 국가인가
혁명 국가인가

그리고 또 하나의 질문이 남는다.

이슬람 도덕을 국가가 강제할 수 있는가?

이 질문은 오늘날 이란 정치의 핵심 갈등이다.

3. 결론

이 영상은 이란 신정체제를 이해하기 위한 좋은 입문적 역사 설명이다.

핵심 메시지는 다음과 같다.

이란의 신정체제는

단순한 종교 독재가 아니라

역사 + 종교 + 반제국주의 + 근대화 갈등

이 결합된 결과다.

그러나 동시에 이 체제는

민주주의
개인 자유
종교 권력

사이의 긴장을 끊임없이 만들어 왔다.

이 긴장이 바로 오늘날 이란 정치의 핵심 드라마라고 할 수 있다.

원하시면 이어서 다음 분석도 해드리겠습니다.

1️⃣ 이란 신정체제 vs 제국일본 국가신도 체제 비교
2️⃣ 이란 신정체제 vs 북한 체제 비교
3️⃣ 이란 체제를 지지하는 사회 계층 분석 (이 질문은 세진님이 이전에 하셨던 중요한 질문입니다)

이스라엘, 이란, 터키, 인도, 월남, 쿠바

Monday, March 9, 2026

라이언 채프먼 [이라크는 어떻게 신권 국가가 되었나] YouTube

요약

평론

<How Iran Became a Theocracy> 요약 + 평론

1. 요약

(1) 문제 제기: 이란에서 종교와 정치가 결합된 이유

(2) 이슬람의 기본 사상

“선을 명령하고 악을 금지한다”

(3) 샤리아와 이슬람 법

(4) 이란의 역사적 배경

시아파 이슬람의 형성

(5) 사파비 왕조와 시아파 국가

(6) 근대화와 갈등

(7) 미국 개입과 반제국주의 정서

(8) 호메이니의 사상

“법학자의 통치”

(9) 1979년 이슬람 혁명

최고지도자

(10) 신정 국가의 구조

(11) 혁명 이후 사회

2. 평론

(1) 장점: 역사 구조 설명이 매우 명확하다

(2) 중요한 통찰: 종교는 단순히 억압 장치가 아니다

(3) 다만 서구적 시각의 한계도 있다

(4) 이란 체제의 핵심 모순

3. 결론

No comments:

Post a Comment

The Talmud: The Secret History of Judaism's Fundamental Book - History Documentary - AT - YouTube

Report Abuse

Labels