The Hojjatiyeh Mahdavi Charitable Society in Iran, 1953–1984 "A Study of Its Origins, Motivations, and Stance toward the Islamic Revolution in Iran"

Abstract

In the mid-twentieth century, Iran was undergoing profound political and intellectual transformations as a result of the impacts of World War II (1939–1945) and its aftermath. Numerous religious and political movements emerged during this period, among them the Hojjatiyeh Mahdavi Movement, which arose from these societal shifts and developments. This association was founded in 1953 by Sheikh Mahmoud Halabi, a cleric from the city of Mashhad, who had previously been influenced by the national movement led by Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh in early 1951. However, Mossadegh’s fall in August 1953 opened the door for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to manipulate Iran’s religious currents, allowing the Hojjatiyeh Society to operate with an anti-Bahá’í agenda while refraining from political activity. Many considered this a tacit agreement with the religious establishment, thereby securing the society’s support for the Shah’s threatened throne. Nevertheless, this arrangement did not last, and the society came into conflict with the Islamic revolutionary momentum following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, ultimately leading to the suspension of its activities in 1984.