The Iranian Elite

The Iranian Elite

The Gist

The Iranian Revolution of 1979, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, turned America’s strongest ally in the Middle East to its biggest adversary. There are three basic reasons for the Revolution: 1) the rapid westernization of the country, 2) an overheated economy that finally reached its breaking point and 3) the wide income gap between the rich and poor. The last ‘grievance’ has actually gotten worse since the Revolution. Recently, the Huffington Post (among others) wrote about a popular Instagram account that chronicled the life of Tehran’s moneyed elite (which has apparently been unaffected by worldwide sanctions on the Islamic Republic). Matt Lauer of the Today Show also highlighted the “other side” of Iran. The elite is peppered with many clerics who have become very rich since the Revolution (so much so that Forbes had them on their cover a few years back). In fact, many saw the election of laymen Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a signal to the establishment that the people were tired of their shenanigans. A counter Instagram account featuring the less glamourous lives of the masses, show the vast differences between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in Iran. Many believe these economic inequalities, not discontent over the lack of personal freedoms, is what will be the catalyst for change in the country formerly known as Persia…and now you know the gist.