Shaktah 1

Sammy Shaktah
Professor Star Glover
English 114 B
2 March 2015
Essay 1- Religious Revolutions
Imagine being told how to wear your clothes, what you can buy, what you can learn, and
what you have to believe in. During the Islamic revolution in Iran, this dreaded thought became a
reality. Freedoms of all the Iranian citizens soon were taken away by the government as a part of
the Islamic revolution in Iran. A good example of this exact situation took place in the graphic
novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. As many people didnt like how their rights and freedoms
were being taken away, riots and protests broke out against the government. The now escalated
tensions only made matters worse between civilians and the now oppressive government. The
religious revolution in Iran was meant to only make lives more enriched yet turned out to be a
malignant form of cultural imperialism which resulted in mass murders of Irans own citizens.
Horrible corruption caused oppression, sexism, and radical national tyranny based on teachings
of their extremist/fundamentalist-supported interpretation of Islam.
As we all know, history repeats itself. Being aware of the world we live in today is very
crucial to preventing the past from reoccurring such as the way it happened during Marjanes
childhood, living through the Islamic revolution in Iran. Today a similar situation is emerging
from Iraq and Syria. A radical Islamist group known as ISIS which stands for the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria, is trying to control people under Islamist sharia law. This is similar to what has
happened in Iran. To make matters worse, ISIS wants to control the whole world, instead of just
one nation. We are already seeing the same effects happen in Iraq and Syria such as what has

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happened in Iran, however more extreme. ISISs plan on a world-wide Islamic revolution has
already resulted in genocides killing any Christian who lives in the middle east, as well as people
of Jewish faith and even Muslims who do not agree with the revolution which ISIS is forcing.
America as well as other worldwide superpowers need to take more action to make sure these
racial revolutions do not succeed in their efforts. Satrapis story shows how oppressed she was as
she lost her freedoms. In todays world, ISISs purposed revolution are terrorist threats since they
are a terrorist group trying to gain support of their revolution by oppressing, and killing anyone
who disagrees with them.
Why does this matter? Imagine living in a world which Marjane lived in growing up,
going from freedom to living in an Islamist dictatorship. She couldnt even sing her nations
national anthem, wear what she wanted, hold a boys hand in public, and was forced to live
around government - forced interpretation of Islam. Looking at what ISIS is doing today is by far
worse. ISIS is killing children, systematically murdering Christians, and even Muslims. ISIS
hopes to control America and the whole world. Even though that is a very hard thing to do, they
are doing crazy things to get here. ISIS burned down a 1,800 year church known as Green
church, as well as the tomb of Jonah to show their religious intolerance if you disagree with
them. ISIS also burned down Mosques and synagogues. In the same way Marjane said guards
would force and control citizen through violence, this shows how ISIS has done the same and
worse. They control women and oppress them, and force a way of a religion on everyone under
their control while killing the rest.
Marjane shows her horrific similar experience of mass slaughters as read on page 39,
segment 6. "There were so many killed in one of the neighborhoods that a rumor spread that
Israeli soldiers were responsible for the slaughter... but in fact it was really our own who attacked

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us (Satrapi 39) as well as After black Friday, there was one massacre after another. Many
people were killed. (Satrapi 40). Showing the comparison between ISIS killing its own people
under its control and the Iranian government killing its own people, both deaths are results of not
supporting the revolutions. ISIS for all its sophistication is an organization that carries out
beheadings, mass executions, the abduction of women and children, and even
crucifixions.(Marshall) In the same way that the Iranian government had guards, ISIS has a
military. In efforts to stop ISIS from spreading globally, nations need to definitely collaborate
together and fight against the ISIS forces. America has provided assistance with air strikes
against ISIS, as well as help from Jordan and Egypt and other allies. Efforts need to be stronger
and taken more seriously to prevent more deaths of innocent people. War crimes against
humanity have already been placed on ISIS.
On the other hand, some Americans claimed that America does not need to be involved in
another war and we should not get involved. However, ISIS has now stated that America is an
enemy of theirs and they plan on attacking on American soil, as well as attacking the Vatican
City in Italy. As many countries along with America are getting threats, it becomes necessary to
protect and defend ourselves. In Persepolis, many people fought back by rioting, attacking, and
protesting against the Islamic revolution. Ways nations like America can fight back are by
sending in air forces, ground troops, as well as intelligence. Also, for those who do not support
involving our troops, we also have drones which are war planes with no pilot or troops inside
which are radio controlled. As efforts in Persepolis helped defend citizens against the guards and
their revolution, nations around the world are protecting themselves from ISIS by also fighting
back.

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All in all, the actions of the past are certainly being repeated today. ISISs similar acts of
violence and oppression have evolved from the acts of the guards of the Islamic revolution in
Iran. Many lives have been affected negatively as well as fatally, similar to what Marjane had
experienced. In efforts to stop more horrid events such as corruption, oppression, cultural
imperialism, threats to our national security, and genocides, we must make a stronger national
effort to prevent the malignant spread of the worlds most lethal cancer, called ISIS.

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Works Cited
Marshall, R. (2014). ISIS: A new adversary in an endless war. The Washington Report on Middle
East Affairs, 33(8), 8-10. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1635437082?accountid=7285
Marjane Satrapi - Marjane Satrapi - The complete Persepolis - New York - Pantheon Books 2007