Society of Muslim Mojaheds ( fa, مجمع مسلمانان مجاهد, Majmaʿ-e mosalmānān-e mojāhed) or Society of Mojahedin of Islam ( fa, مجمع مجاهدین اسلام, Majma'-e mojāhedin-e eslām), alternatively translated as Society of Muslim Warriors, was a

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...

Islamist organization in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

founded in late 1948. Led by

Abol-Ghasem Kashani Sayyed Abol-Ghasem Mostafavi-Kashani ( fa, سید ابوالقاسم کاشانی ''Abu’l-Qāsem Kāšāni''; 19 November 1882 – 13 March 1962) was an Iranian politician and Shia Marja. Early life His father, Ayatollah Hajj Seyyed Mostafa ...

, the organization served as his multi-task religious, political, cultural, and social executive arm and mouthpiece. It was adept at mobilizing crowds for street control, gang fights, strikes and demonstrations. The society was founded after Kashani decided that his original militant

Fada'iyan-e Islam Fadā'iyān-e Islam ( fa, فدائیان اسلام, also spelled as ''Fadayan-e Islam'' or in English "Fedayeen of Islam" or "Devotees of Islam" or literally "Self-Sacrificers of Islam") is a Shia fundamentalist group in Iran with a strong activi ...

, was too single-minded and inflexible to act as a suave enforcer who could negotiate with various people. Unlike its ally

, Society of Muslim Warriors was not dogmatically

fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...

and also differed in base of support, drawing its support mainly from wealthy ''

bazaari Bazaari (Persian: بازاری) is the merchant class and workers of bazaars, the traditional marketplaces of Iran. Bazaari are involved in "petty trade of a traditional, or nearly traditional, kind, centered on the bazaar and its Islamic culture ...

''s, guild elders, small shopkeepers and

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

students. The two organizations revoked alliance in 1951. Society of Muslim Warriors called for the implementation of ''

sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

'', repeal of secular laws, protection of national industries and unity of Muslims against the West. The group supported

nationalization of the Iranian oil industry The nationalization of the Iranian oil industry resulted from a movement in the Iranian parliament (Majlis) to seize control of Iran's oil industry, which had been run by private companies, largely controlled by foreign interests. The legislatio ...

and was part of the National Front. It supported government of Mosaddegh from 1951 to late 1952, when it turned against the government and formed an alliance with the

Toilers Party of the Iranian Nation Toilers Party of the Iranian Nation ( fa, حزب زحمتکشان ملت ایران, Ḥezb-e Zaḥmatkašān-e Mellat-e Īrān; Zaḥmatkašān means ''proletariat'') was a social-democratic political party in Iran. Initially a member of the Na ...

lasting until 1953 coup d'état. The society won two seats in the

1952 Iranian legislative election Parliamentary elections were held in Iran in 1952 to elect the 17th Iranian Majlis. Conduct The elections were held by Government of Mosaddegh, who championed free elections and tried to minimize fraud by changing several governor-generals an ...

by Kashani and Qanatabadi.

References

Political parties established in 1948 1948 establishments in Iran National Front (Iran) affiliated parties Shia Islamist groups Iranian clerical political groups Islamic political parties in Iran Political parties in Pahlavi Iran (1941–1979) Political parties disestablished in 1955 {{iran-party-stub