Introduction
The Feda'iyan-e islam movement was begun in Iran after the Second World War. Even though it was marginal insofar as it never established a real popular base, even amongst the youth, and it was not well received by the religious schools and the ulemas – the Feda'iyan-e islam movement had an important impact during the period of the nationalisation of petroleum in Iran. The Feda'iyan built up the hope of an Islamic regime and legitimised the use of violence, in particular in assassinations of those they saw as their political adversaries. They saw “violence as a political act to protect and purify the community, [achieved on the one hand against] groups or individuals [considered as] heretics or infidels etc [and on the other hand] against behaviour [deemed to be] deviant.”
