Basij The Basij ( ; full name Sazmane Basij - e Mostaz ' afin , literally " The Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed " ) is a paramilitary volunteer militia established in 1979 by order of the Islamic Revolution ' s leader Ayatollah Khomeini . The original organization comprised the civilian volunteers whom the Ayatollah Khomeini urged to fight in the Iran - Iraq war . The force consists of young Iranians who have volunteered , often in exchange for official benefits . Currently Basij serve as an auxiliary force engaged in activities such as internal security as well as law enforcement auxiliary , the providing of social service , organizing of public religious ceremonies , and policing of morals and the suppression of dissident gatherings . " Basij " is the name of the force ; a " basiji " is an individual member . The Basij are set up as subordinate to , receiving their orders from , the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to whom they are known for their loyalty . They have also been described as " a loosely allied group of organizations " including " many groups controlled by local clerics . " They have a local organization in almost every city in Iran . History . Origins . During the Iranian revolution , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a decree founding the Basij as " a large people ' s militia " , in November 1979 . He is reported to have stated that " a country with 20 million youths must have 20 million riflemen or a military with 20 million soldiers ; such a country will never be destroyed . " This " people ' s militia " was established on April 30 , 1980 . The Basij was open to those above the age of 18 and below the age of 45 , and all women in that age category . According to author Baqer Moin , the group " which was formed as a civil defence force , but in practice became a grass - roots intelligence organisation , was largely made up of young boys aged between ten and sixteen and , during the war , unemployed old men , some in their eighties . " During the Iran - Iraq War hundreds of thousands volunteered for the Basij , including children as young as 12 and unemployed old men , some in their eighties . These volunteers were swept up in Shi ' i love of martyrdom and the atmosphere of patriotism of the war mobilization . They were encouraged through visits to the schools and an intensive media campaign . The Basij may best be known for their employment human wave attacks which cleared minefields or draw the enemy ' s fire . It is estimated that tens of thousands were killed in the process . Some reports have the Basiji marching into battle marking their expected entry to heaven by wearing plastic " keys to paradise " around their necks . The typical human wave tactic was for Basijis ( often very lightly armed and unsupported by artillery or air power ) to march forward in straight rows . While casualties were high , the tactic often worked . “ They come toward our positions in huge hordes with their fists swinging , ” an Iraqi officer complained in the summer of 1982 . “ You can shoot down the first wave and then the second . But at some point the corpses are piling up in front of you , and all you want to do is scream and throw away your weapon . Those are human beings , after all . ” According to Dilip Hiro , by the spring of 1983 the Basij had trained 2 . 4 million Iranians in the use of arms and sent 450 , 000 to the front . Tehran Bureau estimates the peak number of Basijis at the front at 100 , 000 by December 1986 . By the end of the war between 700 , 000 - 800 , 000 Basij volunteers were sent to the front . In 1985 the IRNA put the number of Basijis at 3 million . Duties after the war . By the end of the war , most of the Basijis left the service and were reintegrated back into their lives , often after years of being in the front . After the war , the Basij was reorganized and gradually developed into one of the Islamic regime ' s " primary guarantors of domestic security . " By 1988 the number of Basij checkpoints dramatically decreased , but the Basij were still active in monitoring the activities of citizens . They enforce hijab , arresting women for violating the dress code , arrest youths for attending mixed gender parties or being in public with unrelated members of the opposite sex , seized ' indecent ' material and satellite dish antennae . In 1988 college Basiji organizations were established on college campuses to fight " Westoxification " and potential student agitation against the government . Basij members played " a central role " in breaking up the student riots in Tehran in 1999 . They were also instrumental in quelling several outbreaks of ethnic unrest in the oil - rich province of Khuzestan , which is home to the majority of Iran ' s ethnic - Arab population . Basij also act as an emergency management service , being mobilized in case of earthquakes or other natural or human - made disasters . It may supplement law enforcement by setting up street inspection posts in urban areas to intercept drug smuggling and potential insurgency . The Ashura Brigades are reported to have been created in 1993 after anti - government riots erupted in various Iranian cities . These Islamic brigades were made up of both Revolutionary Guards and the Basij and by 1998 numbered 17 , 000 . Revival . According to the New York Times , after the spontaneous celebrations following Iran winning a spot in the World Cup soccer championship in 1998 , and the student protests in July 1999 , the Islamic government felt that it had lost control of the streets , and " reinvented " the Basij to correct this problem . Giving a slightly different timeline , GlobalSecurity . org reports that it was under the administration of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad ( elected in 2005 ) that the Basij appeared " to be undergoing something of a revival . " In late September 2005 , the Basij staged a series of urban defense exercises across the country . Its first deputy commander announced the creation of 2 , 000 " Ashura battalions " within the Basij that will have " riot - control responsibilities . " Some speculated the " revival " of the Basij was connected " with preparations for possible civil unrest . " The Iranian Government has drawn up a number of different plans to keep the Basij alive . Among these plans is the emphasis on ideas such as Development Basij ( Basij - e - Sazandegi ) . Fars News Agency reported . " Among the most important tasks of the Basij are boosting everlasting security , strengthening development infrastructures , equipping resistance bases , [ and ] increasing employment , " Hejazi added . He described the prohibition of vice and the promotion of virtue in society as the " divine policy " of the Basij . Along with the Iranian riot police and the Ansar - e - Hezbollah , the Basij have been active in recent years in suppressing student demonstrations in Iran . The Basij are sometimes differentiated from the Ansar in being more " disciplined " and not beating , or at least not being as quick to beat demonstrators . Other sources describe the Ansar - e - Hezbollah as part of the " loosely allied group of organizations " that make up the Basij . Some believe the change in focus of the Basij from its original mission of fighting to defend Iran in the Iran - Iraq War to its current internal security concerns has led to a loss in its prestige and morale . According to an unnamed " seasoned analyst " quoted by csmonitor . com , " You define yourself by your enemies , and those were the superpowers back then . . . . But now they are fighting young people who put gel in their hair . That ' s the enemy . So it ' s demeaning , and not at all elevating for their self - image . " The Basij came " under the formal authority of the Revolutionary Guard ( IRGC ) commander in 2007 and were incorporated into IRGC ground forces in 2008 . " 2009 election protests . Mir Hussein Moussavi , opposition presidential candidate in 2009 , has " decried the violence carried out by the Basij " during protests following the disputed presidential election , complaining that the basij attack the demonstrations " with hoses , clubs , iron bars , truncheons and sometimes firearms , " ` just before the police show up . ` The tactics used by the Basij against election demonstrators have been described as involving choosing " targets at the edges of the crowds , going for the vulnerable and unwary stragglers , " attacking " surreptitiously . . . jumping demonstrators as they return home on darkened streets at night , " and also wielding " tiny knives or razor blades to use against protestors from behind their backs . " There have also been reports of poor performance by basij after the 2009 election , with some basij failed to suppress demonstrations , " deserted their assignments " , and being unwilling " to beat up neighbors who protested against the election result by chanting ` God is great ` from their homes . " According to Tehran Bureau , " from June 22 onward , the Basij constituted only a minority of the forces cracking down on protesters , " after having had " trouble maintaining order in major urban centers " particularly Tehran . This was thought to be a reason for the replacement of commander Hossein Taeb and the Basij ' s formal integration into the Revolutionary Guards ground forces in October 2009 . Following the protests , Hojjatoleslam Hossein Taeb , commander of the Basij , " cautioned " Iranians that the US was " hiring agents and mercenaries in an effort to continue its plots for a soft overthrow of the Islamic Republic , " according to the Iranian Fars news agency . Taeb has also stated that the anti - government riots " killed eight members of the Basij and wounded 300 others . " Syrian Civil War 2011 - Present . Bashar al - Assad ' s connections to Ayatollah Khomeini and Syria ' s role as one of Iran ' s crucial allies prompted the involvement of Basij militiamen in the ongoing Syrian Civil war . The Basij militia , similar to Hizballah fighters , has been working side by side with the Syrian army against rebel forces . Such involvement poses new foreign policy challenges for a number of countries across the region , particularly Israel and Turkey as Iran ' s influence becomes more than just ideological and monetary on the ground in the Syrian conflict . The Basij involvement in the Syrian Civil War reflects previous uses of the militia as a proxy force for Iranian foreign policy in an effort to assert Iranian dominance in the region and frightens Salim Idriss , head of the Free Syrian Army . Organization and membership . Organization . Subgroupings of the Basij include the Pupil Basij [ " Basij - e Danesh - Amouzi " ] , the Student Basij [ " Basij - e Daneshjouyi " ] , the University Basij , the Public Service Basij [ " Basij - e Edarii " ] , and the Tribal Basij , ( aka " Basij - e Ashayer " or the former tribal levies incorporated into the Basij ) . In the Student Basij , middle - school - aged members are called " Seekers " ( " Puyandegan " ) , and high - school members are called the " Vanguard " ( " Pishgaman " ) . Tehran Bureau also lists a " Basij of the Guilds " [ " Basij - e Asnaf " ] , and a " Labor Basij " [ " Basij - e Karegaran " ] . Basij has been called " a quasi - decentralised network " . Its organizational structure and training " varies from one province to another , according to the nature and severity of the potential threats identified by the IRGC and Basij commanders in different regions . " The Basij have " branches in almost every Iranian mosque " , with rooms marked " Paygah - e - Basij " or Basij base , " which serves as a kind of Islamic club where students study the Koran , organize sports teams and plan field trips . " According to the Tehran Bureau , the Basij " statute distinguishes between three types of members " : Basij form the fifth branch of the Army of the Revolutionary Guard , and the " three main armed wings " of the Basij are the Ashoura and Al - Zahra Brigades , the Imam Hossein Brigades ( composed of Basij war veterans who cooperate closely with the IRGC ground forces ) and the Imam Ali Brigades ( which deal with security threats ) . According to Radio Free Europe , the " backbone " of the Basij comprises 2 , 500 Al - Zahra battalions ( all women ) and Ashura battalions ( male ) , numbering 300 – 350 personnel each . The IRGC aims to arm 30 percent of these battalions with semi - heavy and heavy weapons . However , all members of the battalions are trained to use light arms and rifles . They are trained " in riot - control tactics and how to deal with domestic uprisings , " and officially tasked with " defending the neighborhoods in case of emergencies . " In addition , since 2007 the Basij have established " 30 , 000 new combat cells , each of them 15 - 20 members strong , named Karbala and Zolfaqar " . The cells " cooperate closely " or in emergency situations are " controlled by " the Revolutionary Guard . Commanders . The current commander of the Basij is Mohammad Reza Naqdi , who replaced Hossein Taeb in October 2009 . Hossein Taeb was appointed commander of the Basij on July 14 , 2008 . The first deputy commander General Mirahmadi was formally installed on 4 September 2005 . The Tehran commander is Seyyed Mohammad Haj Aqamir . The deputy Basij commander for Tehran , General Ahmad Zolqadr , was formally installed on 5 September 2005 ; the new Basij commander in Tabrizi , Brigadier General Mohammad Yusef Shakeri , on 29 September 2005 . Size . Estimates of the number of Basij vary , with its leadership giving higher figures than outside commentators . According to RFERL , According to a former commander of the Basij , Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi , the strength of the force in 2004 was 10 . 3 million . By 2007 , its strength stood at 12 . 6 million . The current commander of the Basij , Hasan Taeb , told the semi - official Fars news agency on November 25 that the force now numbers 13 . 6 million , which is about 20 percent of the total population of Iran . Of this number , about 5 million are women and 4 . 7 million are schoolchildren . . . . In fact the Basij may be able to mobilize no more than 1 . 5 million men and women of military age . An earlier study in 2005 by a Washington think - tank , the Center for Strategic and International Studies , put " the number of full - time , uniformed , and active members at 90 , 000 , with another 300 , 000 reservists and some 1 million that could be mobilized when necessary . " Duties and activities . In their capacity of maintaining law and order , Basiji act as " morality police " in towns and cities by " enforcing the wearing of the hijab ; arresting women for violating the dress code ; prohibiting male - female fraternization ; monitoring citizens ' activities ; confiscating satellite dishes and ' obscene ' material ; intelligence gathering ; and even harassing government critics and intellectuals . Basij volunteers also act as bailiffs for local courts . " Duties may vary by province , with Basij deployed against drug traffickers in the eastern border regions , banned goods smugglers in Hormuzgan and Bushehr , and " carrying out border - guard duties " on the border with Iraq . As of 2008 , " government construction and economic projects can be contracted to the Basij " , and in 2010 , " thousands " of basiji " were educated in blogging and filtering of dissident websites " on the internet . Benefits and profile of members . According to a 2006 report from Globalsecurity . org Basij membership is thought to comprise " mainly boys , old men , and those who recently finished their military service , " while in 2009 the New York Times describes them as " ranging in age from high school to about 30 years old . " Benefits for members of the Basij reportedly include exemption from the 21 months of military service required for Iranian men , reserved spots in universities , and a small stipend . Members of Basij are more likely than non - members to obtain government positions , especially security related positions within government controlled institutions . Many Iranians reportedly join Basij only to take advantage of the benefits membership and to get admission to university or as a tool to get promotion in government jobs . In past elections militia members have voted for both hardliners and reformists . President Ahmadinejad enjoys significant support from militia members , many of whom have benefited from his policies . As the Basij is a volunteer paramilitary organisation , most Basiji are not permitted to carry a firearm except for special requirements . This means that only about 25 % of Basij carry firearms , usually an AK - 47 . However there is no rule saying that they cannot use any other weaponry , an issue which has brought major controversy . Human rights and political activism . Politics . In theory the Basij are banned from involvement in politics by the Iranian constitution , but its leadership is considered active , particularly during and after the 2005 election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . According to American state - sponsored broadcaster RFERL , " Basij support contributed to Ahmadinejad ' s victory in the 2005 presidential election " . In the March 2008 parliamentary elections , the Basij and IRGC commanders " openly backed Ahmadinejad ' s principalists ( osulgarayan ) " . In February 2008 , Major General Jafari was quoted as saying that " the principlists are in control of the executive and legislative branches and , God willing , the judiciary will soon follow suit . " Hasan Taeb , then deputy commander of the Basij , similarly stressed that Basij members should have a " maximum presence " in the elections . Supreme Leader Khamenei , to whom the Basij have been described as very loyal to , described Basij as " the greatest hope of the Iranian nation " and " an immaculate tree " .