The Islamic Coalition Party (ICP; ) is a

conservative liberal Conservative liberalism, also referred to as right-liberalism, is a variant of liberalism combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or simply representing the right wing of the liberal movement. In the case of modern con ...

political party in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. The ICP is the pivotal organization within

Front of Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader Front of Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader (), formerly known as Islamic Aligned Organizations () is a Coalition of Iranian Principlist political groups. The group which consists of a wide range of traditional conservative parti ...

and is considered a

lay Lay or LAY may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada * Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France * Lay, Iran, a village * Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community * Lay Dam, Alaba ...

ally of the influential

Combatant Clergy Association The Combatant Clergy Association () is a politically active group in Iran, but not a political party in the traditional sense. It has never been registered as a political party; however, it acts as a fragmented caucus and has actively operated ...

. Though still very active and influential, the organization experienced a gradual elimination from political power after rise of new conservative rivals in the 2000s and some analysts dismiss it as something of a dinosaur heading for extinction. One of the oldest among the active parties in Iran, the coalition represents older generations of conservatives, and its main base of support is among ''

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 cultur ...

'' merchants and shopkeepers in Grand Bazaar of Tehran and other cities, ''

petite bourgeoisie ''Petite bourgeoisie'' (, ; also anglicised as petty bourgeoisie) is a term that refers to a social class composed of small business owners, shopkeepers, small-scale merchants, semi- autonomous peasants, and artisans. They are named as s ...

'', and traditionalist clerics. It is probably the only political organization in Iran which possesses an organic relation with such a social base.

Morteza Motahhari Morteza Motahhari (; 31 January 1919 – 1 May 1979) was an Iranian Twelver Shia scholar, philosopher, lecturer. Motahhari is considered to have an important influence on the ideologies of the Islamic Republic, among others. He was a co-found ...

member of the Party was from 1978 until 1979, the Chairman (Head) of the

Council of the Islamic Revolution The Council of the Islamic Revolution () was a group formed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to manage the Iranian Revolution on 10 January 1979, shortly before he returned to Iran. "Over the next few months there issued from the council hundreds ...

. Since 1979, ICP members have held high government offices and are influential players in the

economy of Iran Iran has a mixed economy, mixed, centrally planned economy with a large public sector."A survey of Iran: Stunted and distorted". ''The Economist'' (2003) It consists of hydrocarbon, agricultural and service sectors, in addition to manufacturing ...

, dominating

Iran Chamber of Commerce Industries and Mines The Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) is a non-profit non-governmental institution, established to facilitate economic growth and development in the country. ICCIMA is a forum in the field of industries, mines an ...

(ICCIM) and having "a say in the appointment of the

minister of commerce A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial poli ...

". The party has also interactions with

Mostazafan Foundation The Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution () formerly Bonyad-e Mostazafan va Janbazan (Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled or "MFJ") is a charitable ''bonyad'', or foundation, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the second-largest commerci ...

Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation The Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (Persian: کمیته امداد امام خمینی) is an Iranian charitable organization, founded in March 1979 to provide support for poor families. The aim is to help such families regain financial stability ...

and

Mashhad Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...

-based

Astan Quds Razavi Astan Quds Razavi () is a bonyad based at Mashhad, Iran. It is the administrative organization which manages the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions which belong to the organization. The administrative apparatus of Astan Quds Razavi is con ...

. The ICP is affiliated with

parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...

s for boys and girls.

History

The ICP played a vital role in the success of the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

. Following the revolution, it reduced its activities many members joined the

Islamic Republic Party The Islamic Republican Party (IRP; , also translated Islamic Republic Party) was formed in 1979 to assist the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini in their goal to establish theocracy in Iran. It was disbanded in 1987 due to internal confl ...

as leading members, resuming its activities after the latter's dissolution in 1987. The party had some 90 parliamentary seats in 2006, according to

Mohsen Sazegara Mohsen Sazegara (; born 5 January 1955) is an Iranian journalist and pro-democracy political activist. He was the founder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. He held several offices in the government of ...

International affairs

The ICP has an office for its international affairs headed by Mehdi Soli, succeeding Hamidreza Taraghi. The party held a forum on unity of Islamic parties in 2015, participated by

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

among others. It sent congratulations to the 12th National Congress of the

Communist Party of Vietnam The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is the founding and sole legal party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Founded in 1930 by Hồ Chí Minh, the CPV became the ruling party of North Vietnam in 1954 and then all of Vietnam after the col ...

and also maintains good relations with the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

, as well as the

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

and

government of North Korea A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

.* *

Leaders

Notes

References

External links