Abstract
In Iran, people belong to the sect of Twelver Islam, which is the main branch of Shi'a Islam. The Twelvers believe that Ali was the supposed direct successor of the Prophet Muhammad, he was the first Imam, being the rightful leader of Muslim faith, while the Sunnis acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph. In Shi'a Islam, the twelfth Imam, or the Mahdi, is somewhere on earth, and will come back to make the world perfect under Islam.
The Islamic revolution of 1979 brought down the Pahlavi dynasty, bringing in a new and unprecedented form of government never before seen in Iran.
What are the roots of this new government ? How was it able to take power ? Is it something completely new, or perhaps it is something rooted in the Iranian Shia society ?
