Islamic Republic of Iran 20th Anniversary of the 15th of Khordād 1963 Uprising

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN on 5th June 1983 issued a First Day Cover stamp  commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 15th of Khordād 1963 Uprising. The stamp shows inset images of Qasr Prison in Tehran where  Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was imprisoned, Khomeini and the protestors who supported his views. The stamp carried a value of 10 riyal. The postmark cancellation originated in Tehran. Interesting, the English and French text state the Gregorian date for this FDC release, whereas the Farsi (Arabic script) states 15th Khordād 1963.

 

The demonstrations took place on 5 and 6 June 1963, (or the 15 Khordād according to the Iranian calendar).  The protest occurred after the arrest of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who had earlier denounced  Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Israel in a manifesto signed by him and eight other clerics. Although the police and military ultimately quelled the unrest, the events established the importance and power of (Shia) religious opposition to the Shah, and it elevated Khomeini as a major political and religious leader. Fifteen years later, Khomeini would lead the Iranian Revolution and overthrow the Shah, thus ending the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty and establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The roots of this uprising began when the Shah of Iran announced "The Revolution of the Shah and the People" or the White Revolution. It was referred to as white due to it being a bloodless revolution. These plans were to make social and economic changes in Iran.  On 26 January 1963, the Shah held a national referendum for 19 rules of White Revolution. The rules of this revolution were land reforms, nationalisation of the forests and pastureland, privatisation of the government owned enterprises, profit sharing, extending the right to vote to women, formation of the literacy corps, formation of the health corps, formation of the reconstruction and development corps, formation of the houses of equity, nationalization of all water resources, urban and rural modernisation and reconstruction, didactic reforms, workers' right to own shares in the industrial complexes, price stabilisation, free and compulsory education, free food for needy mothers, introduction of social security and national insurance, stable and reasonable cost of renting or buying of residential properties, and introduction of measures to fight against corruption. The Shah announced this revolution as a way towards 'Modernisation'. Also, other sources believe that the Shah could give legitimacy to Pahlavi dynasty with his White Revolution. The revolution caused a deep rift between Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Iranian Shia religious scholars, Ulama. They claimed these changes were a serious threat to Islam.

Source: Wikipedia