Voting begins on an Islamic republic

The activist with experience in Lebanon joined the new government and helped connect Iranian and regional liberation movements.

Thousands demonstrated in Tehran after statements requiring hijab in government workplaces.

Participants insisted that those who had opposed the Shah should help define the freedoms and social order of post-revolutionary Iran.

The protests exposed tensions among Islamic, socialist, nationalist and feminist interpretations of emancipation.

Women workers, students and professionals organized meetings and marches despite harassment and political pressure.

For supporters, the vote translated the revolutionary overthrow into a direct act of popular sovereignty.

Some groups endorsed the new republic, while others criticized the yes-or-no format or called for a boycott.

Women's participation affirmed their visible role in the revolution and in deciding the formal structure of the new state.

After the referendum count, 1 April was declared the founding day of the Islamic Republic.

The result ended the hereditary political order and replaced it with a republic grounded in the revolution.