Basij
Iranian paramilitary volunteer militia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Basij (Persian: بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization") or Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij (Persian: نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed"),[5][6] is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five branches.[7] The force is named Basij; an individual member is called basiji in the Persian language.[1][8] As of July 2019[update], Gholamreza Soleimani is the commander of the Basij.
بسیج | |
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![]() بسیج | |
Formation | 26 November 1979; 44 years ago (1979-11-26) (decreed)[1] 30 April 1980; 44 years ago (1980-04-30) (founded)[1] |
---|---|
Founder | Ruhollah Khomeini[1] |
Type | Paramilitary volunteer militia[1] |
Purpose | "To create the necessary capabilities in all individuals believing in the constitution and goals of the Islamic revolution to defend the country, the regime of the Islamic Republic, and aid people in cases of disasters and unexpected events"[1] |
Fields | Internal security, law enforcement, moral policing, military reserves[1] |
Membership | Over 25 million reserves (volunteers who hold membership)[2] 600,000 available for immediate call-up[3] |
Commander | Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani
or Unoffically Mojtaba Khamenei (alleged) |
Parent organization | None (1980–81) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (since 1981) |
Budget (1395 SH) | ![]() |
Staff (2005) | 90,000 (CSIS estimate)[1] |
Website | basij |
A paramilitary volunteer militia established in Iran in 1979 by order of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian Revolution, the organization originally consisted of civilian volunteers, often from poor, rural backgrounds,[9] who were urged by Khomeini to fight in the Iran–Iraq War.[10] 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.[11] Basij was an independent organization until 17 February 1981, when it was officially incorporated into the Revolutionary Guards organization structure by the Iranian Parliament[12] in order to end the interservice rivalry between the two, according to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.[1]
Today, the force consists of young Iranians, usually drawn from the traditionally religious and politically loyalist parts of Iran's society,[9] who volunteer, often in exchange for official benefits. With branches in "virtually every" city and town in Iran,[1][13] the Basij serve as an auxiliary force engaged in enforcing state control over society,[14] acting as a morality police at checkpoints and parks, and suppressing dissident gathering,[9] as well as serving as law enforcement auxiliary, providing social services, organizing public religious ceremonies.[15][16] The force was often present and reacting to the widespread 2009 Iranian election protests, 2017–18 Iranian protests, and the 2022-2023 Mahsa Amini protests.[17] The Basij are subordinate to and receive their orders from the IRGC and the Supreme Leader of Iran,[18][19] They are said to be "tightly affiliated" with the Islamic Republic's "hardline" political faction,[9] and "routinely" praised by the Supreme Leader,[20] but also called a "profound source of disquiet and rancor" among the general public in Iran.[21]
Basij, being part of the IRGC, is designated as a terrorist organization by the governments of the United States, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.[22]