From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Great Satan
Post-1979 Iranian epithet for the United States
Post-1979 Iranian epithet for the United States
"Great Satan" () is a derogatory epithet used in Iran to refer to the United States. Alongside the slogan "Death to America", it originated in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. While it is primarily an expression of anti-American sentiment, it has occasionally been used to refer to the United Kingdom, although the term "old fox" is more popular as a dedicated expression of anti-British sentiment.
The epithet was coined by Iranian religious leader Ruhollah Khomeini, who used it in a speech on 5 November 1979, one day after the onset of the Iran hostage crisis. In the speech, he condemned the United States as an imperialist power that sponsored corruption throughout the world.{{cite speech | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522133828/http://emam.com/posts/view/15718/Speech/ | access-date=22 May 2016 |archive-date=22 May 2016
Background
The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has a long history of espousing anti-Western sentiment as a result of interference in Iranian affairs by the British and U.S. governments. In 1907, an agreement signed between the British and Russian empires divided Iran into spheres of influence, infuriating Iranian public opinion.
46 years later in 1953, in response to the decision by Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh to nationalize the petroleum industry in Iran, the CIA and MI6 organized a coup d'état to overthrow his administration in favor of a pro-Western leader, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The Eisenhower administration was concerned that Mossaddegh's nationalist aspirations could lead to an eventual communist takeover of Iran. After widespread rioting and with help from the CIA and MI6, Mossaddegh was defeated and the Shah returned to power, ensuring support for Western oil interests in Iran and ending the perceived threat of communist expansion. General Fazlollah Zahedi, who led the military coup, became prime minister.{{cite web | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 19 July 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170719143716/http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB28/appendix%20D.pdf | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 7 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170807223904/http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB28/summary.pdf | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 12 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412231405/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/pg_346 | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 13 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210413142936/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/pg_416 | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 13 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210413150654/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/pg_420 | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 1 August 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200801063012/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/d339 | url-status = live | access-date = 20 May 2016 | archive-date = 15 October 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201015053627/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/d358 | url-status = live | access-date = 21 May 2016 | archive-date = 6 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170906200810/http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-coup-timeline.html | url-status = live | access-date = 21 May 2016 | archive-date = 4 October 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211004143345/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v10/d345 | url-status = live
In 1965, Ayatollah Khomeini was exiled for criticizing the White Revolution's decision to extend the franchise to women, initiate land reforms and the Shah's unpopular{{cite web |access-date = 21 May 2016 |archive-date = 4 October 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211004141540/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v22/d67 |url-status = live | access-date = 21 May 2016 | archive-date = 19 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210419203425/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/etc/cron.html | url-status = live |access-date = 21 May 2016 |archive-date = 27 March 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210327102243/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve04/d180 |url-status = live
Khomeini eventually returned to Iran and led the 1979 Iranian revolution. During the Iranian Revolution, demonstrators commonly chanted slogans such as "Death to Shah," "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic," and "Death to America".
Definition
"Great Satan" (United States)
Khomeini is quoted as saying on 5 November 1979: "[America is] the great Satan, the wounded snake." The term was used extensively during and after the Islamic Revolution, and it continues to be used in some Iranian political circles. Use of the term at rallies is often accompanied by shouts of "Marg bar Amrika!" ("Death to America"). It is used in academic journals.
"Lesser Satan" (Soviet Union)
Khomeini called the Soviet Union, the principal antagonist of the US during the Cold War, the "Lesser Satan" because of its atheistic communist ideology, and he said that Iran should support neither side of the Cold War.
"Little Satan" (Israel)
The State of Israel was condemned as the "Little Satan" in 1979 by Khomeini when he was addressing Israel's backing of the Shah, its close ties to the US, and the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi also stated that "Israel is the little Satan" in a July 1980 interview.
References and notes
References
- Wright, Robin B.. (2010). "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy". US Institute of Peace Press.
- Risen, James. (16 April 2000). "SECRETS OF HISTORY: The C.I.A. in Iran -- A special report.; How a Plot Convulsed Iran in '53 (and in '79)". The New York Times.
- Staff writer(s). (c. 1975). "The Battle for Iran (excerpt)". Central Intelligence Agency.
- David M. Watry. (10 December 2014). "Diplomacy at the Brink: Eisenhower, Churchill, and Eden in the Cold War". LSU Press.
- (13 February 2014). "Jus Post Bellum: Mapping the Normative Foundations". OUP Oxford.
- Staff writer(s). (7 December 2009). "How Iran's opposition inverts old slogans". BBC.
- Staff writer(s). (6 November 1979). "IRAN LEADERS BACK U.S. EMBASSY SEIZURE; Khomeini's Son Tells Students All American Ties Should Be Cut". The New York Times.
- Christopher Buck, ''Religious myths and visions of America: how minority faiths redefined America's world role'', page 136 [https://books.google.com/books?id=E8Cd5sfApM4C&pg=PA136]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20011119140521/http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/jfq_pubs/1509.pdf Iran & the Great Satan]
- "America's foreign policy: Manifest Destiny or Great Satan?". Contemporary Politics.
- Katz, Mark N.. (2010). "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy". United States Institute of Peace.
- (4 February 2011). "This Week in History: Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran - Features". The Jerusalem Post.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Great Satan — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report