Reza Eyrumlu Ph.D., Associate Professor of sociology, Univarsity of Géteborg THE IRANIAN UTOPIA from the savior to the savior INVAND - LIT, SWEDENPublished by INVAND- LIT, SWEDEN Copyright © Invand- Lit and the author, 1999, All rights reserved. Printed in Sweden by: Nina Tryckeri, Uppsala. Tel: +46 18 123 933 Marketing: in Sweden by publishing firms: 1- Invan- Lit and the auther. Tel! Fax: +46 31 331 3823 2. Arash, Stockholm. Tel’ Fax: -46 8 294 130 3- Khayyam, Gothenburg. Tel: +46 31 7750 122, Fax: +46 31 246 322 in Germany by publishing firms: 1- Mehr, KGln. Tel: +49 221 219 090, Fax: +49 221 240 1689 2- Nima, Essen. Tel: +49 201 20868, Fax: +49 201 20869 in England by publishing firms: 1- Book press 4, Londan. Tel: +44 171 6027 569, Fax: ~44 171 602 9008 in Tran by - ISBN 91-630- 7589- xis book is the contnuaton of the research project about “Gander, (slam and Modamizaton- Istanbul and Teheran, the 1920s to 1890s", which was carried cut at the Department of mutual relation between the utopian and the Diet itice neat in tet the wo ideal ‘compete with the present situation in society. The competition becames even more strong. when the dissatisfaction among the people is large and intensive. This competition between the different (utopian and real) societies gives people strength and creatcs hopes and energy in order to change ‘the dominated present situation into a new future. In this meaning. ulopia functions as a symboli¢ road to the future. This is often used as a symbolic ground to the moral rules of the people, such as what is right and what is wrong. In thal way, the uiopia, the imaginary ideal society, is transformed into an important factor for the organization of the social life of people. Therefore. the study of the ‘structure of utopia and its content and changes give ‘the knowledge about the changes of society and social life. This is the reason for the interest of social scientists in the study of utopia.A summary of the book’s content his baok describes the belief of the utopia ideal society in Iran and its roles in the social life of people. It tells how changes in the social life characterive the ideal view and how the change in the content of the ideal view has repercussions in the relations in society. The book's discussion about the mutual interplay between the belief in the ideal and the cxisling society Icads a point of view of the historical perspective to a deep analysis of the socio- economic, cultural and political changing in [ran during the last decades (chapter 4). he general ideal about the future is responsible for the core of the new ideologics and thoughis. It is often expressed through new philosophics, new religious and new political and cultural conccplions. and realizations, By this. ihe utopian ideal view of society is formed into the real social life. In this way the utopia is constituted a source of new social thoughts. The history of the utopian believe in Europe and its repercussion in social life and sogial relations during the last centuries are an example of this. But the conversion from the wlopian to the rcal social life is often stopped by hierarchical and totalitarian social orders. Due to this, the utopian ideal will become a ccntral meaning for the people when it is not possible to express the ideas in the society. This is also the reason why the utopian. ideal about the prosperity of the future socicly plays even more active roles in the present totalitarian socictics. This explains the strong character of the utopian ideals in the Iranian society, when there is an historical traditional inheritance that “Onc Joses ones green head for ones red tonguc™ (Iranian proverb) (chapter dD. ccording to the book, the Shia- Islamic culture and traditions lic ‘as (he ground for mosi of the ideas aboui the ulopian society in Tran. During many years, ihe people in iran have been influenced by the belief in a “just ideal socicty”. thal according to the Shia- Muslims belief. will be created through the revelation of the Shiite 12th Imam. sAccording to this belicf . his revelation ts in its foundation obligatory and determined. The Shia- Islamic ideal society, the so called “Ultimate Society” (Akhar-c Zaman), as well as its obligatory and determined characicr. give people, im its tur. the thought that all aspects of the life are under a contunuous process of change. That is, “Life is like running water in a stream and all the actual present situations arc temporary and unreliable.” According to this belief, the utopian “Ultimate Socicty” will be built up at ute end of the continuous and definite process af change. ‘The Ultimate Society belongs only 10 the exposed Shia- Muslims and it will give them all that can be found in a heavenly paradise. the so called utopian deca country. The belicf im the Shia- Islamic is often uscd by the exposed people in order 10 compensate for the difficult situation in the hicrarchical and totalitarian Iramian sacicty (chapter 1. 2), ut ifthe Shusm represents the “Iranivation” of Islam, the belicf in the utopian Shia- Islamic “Ultimate Society” is built up also on the historical struggle between the different social groups in the post- Islamic hierarchical Persia Iranian socicty, The ideal socicty of the Mardakisis was one of the first that lived as a utopia for hundreds years. Mazdak led a deep revolution that had as a purpose to transform all ‘the “injustice” in the past- Islamic [ranian socicty to “justice”. The king and the people in the castle and the Zoroastrian religious Icaders, as well as the highest aristocrais had monopolized all resources from ‘ihe agricultural activities and trade. to slaves and women, The aristocrats owned so many women that the poor had such difficult conditions 10 accep! in order to be able to rent their women and slaves dunng a cenain period. The king kept all of the agricultural products afier the harvest, while many poor people died of hunger, ‘Mardak asked the king aboul how would a man be treated if he had ihe medicine fo the save another from a snake- bite but he would refuse (0 give it, The king answered. that the man should be pumished with death, As a result, Mazdak led the hungers 1 confiscate the kings Brananes, since he would have been punished in case if he would refuse the poor their living. As a conscquence, Mardak forced the King to accept the “equality” and “fraternity” of the citizens, as well as the shanng of every thing even of the women in the castle_ 6However. from then on, the aristocrats refused te accepi the consequences of the Maydakists “just society”. The conflict became more and more difficul. The Mazdakists were atlacked and many thousands of them Jost their lives in a single day. As a result. the old Persian aristocratic system had retumed. The old traditions where once again put into practice and the old hierarchical work distribulion was proclaimed sacred by the Zoroasirain religious Icaders, In spite of all these, the thought of a ~just socicty” and ~cquality” survived ainong the exposed people. ‘This thought was inherited from gencration to generation and it was restructured and rencwed and repeated during different times. As a result. the Mazdakisis “just society” survived as an utopian dream for the future, during many hundreds of years, The struggle between aristocrats and the exposed in Iran, has been going on during the long Iranian history and the Maydakists conditions. as the ground to the future ideal society. is actualized and renewed again and again (chapter 2.3). slam and its original idcal society fined well in the old past- Islamic utopian perspective in Iran. The organization of the Islamic society was however built upon the “inequality” between the different groups, among others between Muslims and atheists, Muslim and non- Muslim, masters and slaves, the rich and the poor. and berween man and women. In spite of this, the Islamic religious “fralemity” and “equality” resembled the defeated Mazdakism and ils wlopian social ideals. Therefore, the Islamic paradise. both the heavenly and the worldly, was casily tumed into a new utopian social ideal in Iran. But it did not a long time before the traditions of “real Islam” tmanifested, and dissolved the “ideal Islam” and its wonderful hopes and greal expectations among the people. This led the utopian shia- Islamic “Ultimate Society” (Akher- ¢ Zaman) to arise and replace the belief of both the heavenly and the worldly [slamic paradise. As a result. the different social utopias, ic. the utopia from the real traditional dominated Islam and the utopia from the oppositional Shia-