The ʿAshura protests of 2009 also warrant their own chapter because of the profound meaning with which history infused them. The chapter presents a case study of post-Islamism in the person of Ayatollah Montazeri, who was originally an architect of the Islamic system but had become one of its severest critics. After a period of trial and error, the goal of the post-Islamist trend had become to save Islam from the state by fusing it with plurality and rights instead of dogmatism and duties. Montazeri died in December 2009—six months after the initial uprising—by which time repression by the state had either radicalized protesters or suppressed more moderate voices. The seventh day of mourning for his death fell on ‘Ashura 2009, and the ensuing day of action fused the two events, drawing on both the Iranian Revolution and wider Islamic history to imbue the protests with particular meaning.

Chapter 1 provides a theoretical introduction to the Green Uprisings of 2009, situating the Green Movement in a genealogy of Iranian history that is informed by the country’s past, and especially by the Iranian Revolution of 1978‒1979. Since the Iranian Revolution draws on specific moments of Islamic history, including the Battle of Karbala, this history is summarized for introductory purposes. Through this history and historiography, the reader can assess the lesser-known victories that have long-term implications for the future of Iran’s experiment with Islamic government—the “post-Islamist turn.” The chapter also makes the case for the research methodology of the book, and includes an outline of the five subsequent chapters. It ends with an important disclaimer in terms of who can speak for such a multi-faceted history so recent that it is still connected emotionally to countless people.