This push towards the modern world would see the Shah going far beyond his constitutional powers and take on responsibilities and decisions that would exclude the input of other social interests such as those of the Shiite people, the Shi 'a clergy and the working class who saw modernization as an opposition to their way of life. This opposition to the Shah and his reforms came strongest from the Shi 'a clergy and in particular a priest name Ruhollah Khomeini who saw Mohammad Reza Shah as a pawn of the foreign powers. In response to a speech given by Khomeini, denouncing the Shah as a tyrant and his reforms as self-severance, the Shah had the priest detained in the city of Qom then arrested and transferred to Tehran on June 5 1963 (Vakili Zad,
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The Shah, in response, states in an article that Khomeini has behaved in a licentious manner and has worked in the interest of Great Britain, this sparks revolt and rioting on January 13, 1978. Dissidence and unrest continued through 1978 and in early December upwards total of 9 million people all over Iran march against the Shah and his monarchy (Kurzman, 2004). In an effort to calm the hostilities the then Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar urged Mohammad Reza Shah to leave Iran, on January 16, 1979 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family left Iran (BBC, 1979). Hours after the Shah’s fleeing of Iran the public wiped away any remnants of the Shah’s dynasty throughout Iran, additionally, Prime Minister Bakhtiar, who also opposed the Shah’s reign, dissolved the secret police, freed all imprisoned political dissidents, and allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran. Upon his return on February 1st Khomeini, wanting to sweep away the any connections to the former government, established an interim government of his choosing beginning with the appointment of Mehdi Bazargan to the seat of Prime Minister. In remarking on the establishment of the interim government Khomeini stated, “I will act against this government, With the nation 's support, I will appoint a state.” (1979) By February 11th the fighting in Iran was over, the military declared their neutrality and the
The Shah, in response, states in an article that Khomeini has behaved in a licentious manner and has worked in the interest of Great Britain, this sparks revolt and rioting on January 13, 1978. Dissidence and unrest continued through 1978 and in early December upwards total of 9 million people all over Iran march against the Shah and his monarchy (Kurzman, 2004). In an effort to calm the hostilities the then Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar urged Mohammad Reza Shah to leave Iran, on January 16, 1979 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family left Iran (BBC, 1979). Hours after the Shah’s fleeing of Iran the public wiped away any remnants of the Shah’s dynasty throughout Iran, additionally, Prime Minister Bakhtiar, who also opposed the Shah’s reign, dissolved the secret police, freed all imprisoned political dissidents, and allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran. Upon his return on February 1st Khomeini, wanting to sweep away the any connections to the former government, established an interim government of his choosing beginning with the appointment of Mehdi Bazargan to the seat of Prime Minister. In remarking on the establishment of the interim government Khomeini stated, “I will act against this government, With the nation 's support, I will appoint a state.” (1979) By February 11th the fighting in Iran was over, the military declared their neutrality and the