When it comes to maintaining domestic security, the Islamic Republic relies not only on the Basij, a paramilitary organization now folded into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but also the Law Enforcement Forces, an often equally paramilitary national police force. In the excerpted address given to leaders of the Law Enforcement Forces, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei exposes many of the social vulnerabilities which he fears could erode the success and religious character of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Khamenei acknowledges major problems with drug use, rape, and sexual harassment, and complains about Iranian youth partying illegally. Here, paranoia infuses the ayatollah’s remarks, as he suggests a plot afoot in which “certain centers” purposely try to separate good Muslim youth from God. In this implication he is voicing a similar belief to that which has been propagated in the Sunni world by more radical factions of the Muslim Brotherhood and by Salafi clerics in Saudi Arabia, who denounce manifestations of Western culture permeating the Middle East as a deliberate plot to undermine Islam. Of additional concern to Khamenei is the behavior of the nouveau-riche who “get into expensive and fashionable cars and mess around on the streets.” Not addressed directly, but underlying this statement, is his concern that the families of these ostentatious youth have achieved their material success based on their connections to or participation in the government of the Islamic Republic.
Because of these myriad challenges, Khamenei charges the police not only with enforcing criminal codes, but also with promoting Islam. The Law Enforcement Forces may not, in theory, be as tied to religion as the Basij within the IRGC, but if Khamenei’s speech is any indication, that will soon change. Faced with a disenfranchised youth, it appears Khamenei could be setting the stage for a renewed cultural revolution.
from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1JeVm9P
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment