Events in the Modern History of Iran

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz

The British-installed Pahlavi potentate, Reza Khan banning the Hejab
On January 6, 1936 AD, the British-installed Pahlavi potentate, Reza Khan, insulted the dignity of Iran’s Muslim women by banning the Hejab. Earlier he had forbidden Iranian men from wearing traditional clothes as part of his policy to deprive the Iranian nation of its cultural and Islamic identity. He was blindly emulating the western-dictated policies of the Turkish dictator, Kamal Ata Turk, who had also banned the Islamic dress code for women in Turkey. The Iranian ulema and freedom-seekers strongly opposed Reza Khan’s moves, risking imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom. When the agents of this unlettered soldier tried to unveil women on the streets, many respectable women of Iran vowed never to venture out on the streets in order to safeguard their dignity and Islamic values.

Iran’s Surrender in the World War II
On January 28, 1942 AD, following Iran’s invasion by British and Soviet forces in 1941 in violation of Iran’s neutrality in World War II, a trilateral treaty was signed between the three countries, according to which the Pahlavi regime agreed to put Iran’s ground, air, and sea routes at the disposal of Allied Powers in the war against Germany. Moscow and London pledged to leave Iran at the most eight months after termination of World War 2. The occupation of Iran by Britain and the Soviet Union inflicted irreparable damages on this country. After end of World War 2, the crafty British withdrew their troops but controlled the Shah and his regime, while the Soviet Union refused to leave Iran and tried to disintegrate the country by planting puppet regimes in the provinces of Azarbaijan and Kurdistan. The plot, however, failed and the Red Army was forced to leave Iran’s soil.

"Treaty of Turkmen Chai"
On 21st of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal in 1243 AH, the Russians occupied the city of Yerevan in Armenia after forcing the Iranian forces of Fath ali Shah Qajar to hand them over this area. The result of this setback for the Iranian army was the forcing upon by the Russians of the "Treaty of Turkmen Chai", according to which the inefficient Qajarid King, lost vast territories in the Caucasus and Azarbaijan including what is now called the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Muslim combatants of Iran launched the Va’l-Fajr-8 Operations
On February 8, 1986 AD, the Muslim combatants of Iran launched the Va’l-Fajr-8 Operations against the Ba'thist occupiers and after liberating Iranian territory crossed the Arvandroud or Shatt al-Arab waterway to take control of the Faw Peninsula on the Iraqi side of the border that shattered the morale of the enemy forces. Over 50,000 of the heavily-armed Ba'thist troops were either killed or wounded in this heroic operation while 600 tanks and 45 aircraft were destroyed. Saddam's Western and Eastern backers, who used to supply his forces state-of-the-art weaponry besides intelligence on movement of Iranian troops, were amazed and astounded by the speed and effectiveness of the Iranian defenders.