From Hasanak the Vizier to Mossadegh / Eliticide: A Historical Repetition of a Tragedy in Iran

According to Khabaronline News Agency, Amirreza Atasi wrote in Shargh: Why does the train of development in Iran always derail? This is a question that has taken root in the mind of every concerned Iranian, and the book ‘Sociology of Eliticide’ by Ali Rezagholi is one of the most influential and courageous attempts to dissect this old wound. This book, which has rightly become a classic text for understanding Iran’s chronic pains, with an engaging narrative and sharp analysis, claims that the root of this historical failure lies in an autocratic political structure that continuously sacrifices its reformist children.

This work has so deeply permeated the minds and language of Iranians that it has become a ‘discourse.’ This article, while acknowledging the book’s unparalleled power in raising this fundamental issue, intends to discuss its analytical foundations and show how this powerful narrative, while being very illuminating, leaves important questions unanswered.