Basij

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}}

The '''Basij''' ({{langx|fa|بسيج|lit=Mobilization}}), formally '''''Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin''''' ({{langx|fa|سازمان بسیج مستضعفین|lit=Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed|label=none}}),<ref name="GlobSecNiruy">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/basij.htm|title=GlobalSecurity.org Intelligence: Mobilisation Resistance Force|author=John Pike|access-date=10 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430031747/http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/basij.htm|archive-date=30 April 2011|url-status = live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://www.aei.org/outlook/28666 AEI Outlook Series: What Do Structural Changes in the Revolutionary Guards Mean?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027235354/http://www.aei.org/outlook/28666 |date=27 October 2011 }}</ref> is a [[paramilitary]] volunteer militia within the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] (IRGC) and one of its five branches.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Forozan|first1=Hesam |year=2015|title=The Military in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Evolution and Roles of the Revolutionary Guards|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|pages=56–58|isbn=978-1317430735}}</ref> The force is named ''Basij''; an individual member is called ''basiji'' in the [[Persian language]].<ref name="IPP" /><ref name="Alfoneh">{{Cite web |title=Iran Primer: The Basij Resistance Force |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/10/iran-primer-the-basij-resistance-force.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=FRONTLINE - Tehran Bureau |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2019|7}}, [[Gholamreza Soleimani]] is the commander of the Basij.

The '''Basij''' ({{langx|fa|بسيج|lit=Mobilization}}), formally '''''Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin''''' ({{langx|fa|سازمان بسیج مستضعفین|lit=Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed|label=none}}),<ref name="GlobSecNiruy">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/basij.htm|title=GlobalSecurity.org Intelligence: Mobilisation Resistance Force|author=John Pike|access-date=10 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430031747/http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/basij.htm|archive-date=30 April 2011|url-status = live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://www.aei.org/outlook/28666 AEI Outlook Series: What Do Structural Changes in the Revolutionary Guards Mean?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027235354/http://www.aei.org/outlook/28666 |date=27 October 2011 }}</ref> is a [[paramilitary]] volunteer militia within the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] (IRGC) and one of its five branches.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Forozan|first1=Hesam |year=2015|title=The Military in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Evolution and Roles of the Revolutionary Guards|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|pages=56–58|isbn=978-1317430735}}</ref> An individual member is called ''basiji'' in the [[Persian language]].<ref name="IPP" /><ref name="Alfoneh">{{Cite web |title=Iran Primer: The Basij Resistance Force |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/10/iran-primer-the-basij-resistance-force.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=FRONTLINE - Tehran Bureau |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2019|7}}, [[Gholamreza Soleimani]] is the commander of the Basij.

A [[paramilitary]] volunteer militia established in [[Iran]] in 1979 by order of [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]], leader of the [[Iranian Revolution]], the organization originally consisted of civilian volunteers, often from poor, tribal, rural backgrounds affected by Post-Revolution economical and geopolitical issues,<ref name="Reuters-specialists">{{cite news |title=Iran's Basij force: specialists in cracking down on dissent |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-basij-force-specialists-cracking-down-dissent-2022-09-22/ |access-date=29 September 2023 |work=Reuters |date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005020602/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-basij-force-specialists-cracking-down-dissent-2022-09-22/ |url-status=live }}</ref> who were urged by Khomeini to fight in the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2 December 2011|title=Basij Militia|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/b/basij_militia/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515230642/http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/b/basij_militia/index.html|archive-date=15 May 2013|access-date=10 November 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Khomeini would occasionally refer to Basij as "The Twenty Million Army", claiming that about 75% of the time's population are Basijis. He would elaborate saying, that a country with 20 million of its people as their army, will be undefeatable.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://irdc.ir/fa/news/6388/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 | title=سیر تأسیس ارتش بیست میلیونی؛ از سازمان بسیج ملی تا نیروی مقاومت بسیج / روایتی از اولین مأموریت‌های بسیج در کشور | access-date=5 January 2024 | archive-date=30 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330145205/https://irdc.ir/fa/news/6388/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 | url-status=live }}</ref> Basij was an independent organization until 17 February 1981, when it was officially incorporated into the Revolutionary Guards organization structure by the [[Iranian Parliament]]<ref name=":1">{{Citation|first1=Ali|last1=Alfoneh|title=Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards Is Transforming Iran from Theocracy into Military Dictatorship|publisher=AEI Press|year=2013|page=49}}</ref> in order to end the [[interservice rivalry]] between the two, according to [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]].<ref name="IPP">{{Citation|editor=Robin B. Wright|title= The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|year=2010|isbn=978-1601270849|pages=62–65}}</ref>

A [[paramilitary]] volunteer militia established in [[Iran]] in 1979 by order of [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]], leader of the [[Iranian Revolution]], the organization originally consisted of civilian volunteers, often from poor, tribal, rural backgrounds affected by Post-Revolution economical and geopolitical issues,<ref name="Reuters-specialists">{{cite news |title=Iran's Basij force: specialists in cracking down on dissent |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-basij-force-specialists-cracking-down-dissent-2022-09-22/ |access-date=29 September 2023 |work=Reuters |date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005020602/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-basij-force-specialists-cracking-down-dissent-2022-09-22/ |url-status=live }}</ref> who were urged by Khomeini to fight in the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2 December 2011|title=Basij Militia|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/b/basij_militia/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515230642/http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/b/basij_militia/index.html|archive-date=15 May 2013|access-date=10 November 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Khomeini would occasionally refer to Basij as "The Twenty Million Army", claiming that about 75% of the time's population are Basijis. He would elaborate saying, that a country with 20 million of its people as their army, will be undefeatable.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://irdc.ir/fa/news/6388/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 | title=سیر تأسیس ارتش بیست میلیونی؛ از سازمان بسیج ملی تا نیروی مقاومت بسیج / روایتی از اولین مأموریت‌های بسیج در کشور | access-date=5 January 2024 | archive-date=30 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330145205/https://irdc.ir/fa/news/6388/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 | url-status=live }}</ref> Basij was an independent organization until 17 February 1981, when it was officially incorporated into the Revolutionary Guards organization structure by the [[Iranian Parliament]]<ref name=":1">{{Citation|first1=Ali|last1=Alfoneh|title=Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards Is Transforming Iran from Theocracy into Military Dictatorship|publisher=AEI Press|year=2013|page=49}}</ref> in order to end the [[interservice rivalry]] between the two, according to [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]].<ref name="IPP">{{Citation|editor=Robin B. Wright|title= The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|year=2010|isbn=978-1601270849|pages=62–65}}</ref>