Religion is sometimes just the clothes they put on -- exactly the point I've been making. The overthrow of the Shah was only possible through violence, using (not by coincidence) the same violent methods used by every despotism that rises to power.
“Religion is sometimes just the clothes they put on — exactly the point I’ve been making. The overthrow of the Shah was only possible through violence, using (not by coincidence) the same violent methods used by every despotism that rises to power.”
The movement against the Sha was political, but Khomeini’s agenda was not. While many groups coalesced together in the effort, Khoemini and his religious based gangs (1) eventually dominated them, (2) and as they took power and consolidated their religious rule (a) assassinated the political groups leaders, (b) arrested their followers, (c) suppressed their organizations, (d) jailed and exiled political organizers and (3) essentially hijacked “nationalism” and the general opposition to the Sha, subverting everything to their religious agenda.
You have it backwards when it comes to the Mullahs. Religion was not some clothes they put on for some other purposes, it was politics that was the clothes THEY put on to secure their theocracy.