Organization of the Oppressed or Organization for Oppressing: Analysing the Role of the Basij Militia of Iran
In post-revolutionary Iran, the Basij militia group has helped the leadership of the country maintain political control by recruiting, indoctrinating, and organizing Iranians. As a semi-official pro-governmental militia, the Basij has controlled Iran's society by (1) engaging in local defence,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
2012
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| In: |
Politics, religion & ideology
Year: 2012, Volume: 13, Issue: 4, Pages: 455-471 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In post-revolutionary Iran, the Basij militia group has helped the leadership of the country maintain political control by recruiting, indoctrinating, and organizing Iranians. As a semi-official pro-governmental militia, the Basij has controlled Iran's society by (1) engaging in local defence, (2) conducting surveillance, (3) policing society, and (4) suppressing dissidents. The militia group has also participated in national defence operations. Today, Basij members are organized into a clustered network of Basij bases, which are spread throughout Iran in order to control the society. Through eighteen branches, the Basij enrols and organizes the Iranian population in three different levels. In this paper, the reasons why the Basij became engaged in controlling Iran's population are discussed. In addition, the structure of the organization and the methods it uses to control the population are explained. Finally, the social and political impacts of the organization's efforts are explored. |
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| ISSN: | 2156-7697 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Politics, religion & ideology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21567689.2012.725661 |