Islamic law, and an important source of legitimacy that the modern government particularly emphasizes a division of Islam that distinguishes Iran from its neighbors; established as the state religion in the 16th century by Ismail; believes that the heir of Muhammad should be a hereditary position and thus fall to Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali the former believe that the government should take an active role in controlling the economy; the latter want to remove price controls, lower business taxes, encourage private enterprise, and balance the budget a division of Islam that originated after the religion's founder, Muhammad, died without a designated heir; this group favors choosing the caliph from the accepted leadership position at the top of Iran's government structure; seen as the imam of the whole community, representing the pinnacle of the theocratic principles of the state a government ruled strictly by religion the communist party of the masses that challenged Muhammad Reza Shah and gained most of its support from working class trade unions the bloodless coup of reformists of Ahmadinejad so named because it was meant to counter communist, or "red" influences; focused on land reform, with the government buying land from large absentee owners and selling it to small farmers at affordable prices; also extended voting rights to women, restricted polygamy, and allowed women to work outside the home an interest group for factory workers that operates with the help of its affiliated newspaper, Kar va Kargar (Work and Worker); holds a May Day rally most years the original state-sponsored religion of the Persian Empire; monotheistic worshippers who follow the Avesta as their holy book (thus being "People of the Book")  

1. sharia

Islamic law, and an important source of legitimacy that the modern government particularly emphasizes

2. Shiism

a division of Islam that distinguishes Iran from its neighbors; established as the state religion in the 16th century by Ismail; believes that the heir of Muhammad should be a hereditary position and thus fall to Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali

3. statists v free-marketers

the former believe that the government should take an active role in controlling the economy; the latter want to remove price controls, lower business taxes, encourage private enterprise, and balance the budget

4. Sunni Muslims

a division of Islam that originated after the religion's founder, Muhammad, died without a designated heir; this group favors choosing the caliph from the accepted leadership

5. Supreme Leader

position at the top of Iran's government structure; seen as the imam of the whole community, representing the pinnacle of the theocratic principles of the state

6. theocracy

a government ruled strictly by religion

7. Tudeh Party

the communist party of the masses that challenged Muhammad Reza Shah and gained most of its support from working class trade unions

8. white coup

the bloodless coup of reformists of Ahmadinejad

9. White Revolution

so named because it was meant to counter communist, or "red" influences; focused on land reform, with the government buying land from large absentee owners and selling it to small farmers at affordable prices; also extended voting rights to women, restricted polygamy, and allowed women to work outside the home

10. Workers' House

an interest group for factory workers that operates with the help of its affiliated newspaper, Kar va Kargar (Work and Worker); holds a May Day rally most years

11. Zoroastrainism

the original state-sponsored religion of the Persian Empire; monotheistic worshippers who follow the Avesta as their holy book (thus being "People of the Book")