School of War Ep 255: Roya Hakakian on the Islamic Revolution
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Dec 9, 2025 Roya Hakakian, an acclaimed author and journalist specializing in Iranian history, shares her insights on the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She reflects on life in pre-revolutionary Tehran and her family's experiences with antisemitism. Hakakian discusses Khomeini's rise to power, the pivotal shift from liberal ideals to religious extremism, and the international misinterpretations of Iran's revolutionary movements. She emphasizes the ongoing repercussions of the revolution, the regime's surprising resilience, and how it continues to influence global narratives today.
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Childhood In Tehran Before The Revolution
- Roya Hakakian describes growing up in Tehran with her father as a leading Jewish educator and principal of one of few Hebrew schools.
- She recalls a middle-class neighborhood lived peacefully with Zoroastrians, Baha'is and Shias before revolutionary antisemitic incidents appeared.
First Encounter With Revolutionary Antisemitism
- Roya recounts seeing a swastika painted near her home with the words "Jews get lost," which was her first introduction to Nazi symbolism.
- Her father silently shut the door, signaling immediate danger without dramatics.
When Bigotry Became Politicized
- Roya argues antisemitism in revolutionary Iran became politicized when Islamism and Marxism met and amplified each other's hostility.
- That fusion transformed traditional, local bigotry into organized, ideological persecution.
