 |
|---|
| Government of Islamic Republic of Iran |
The "Great Satan" (Persian: شيطان بزرگ, Sheytân-e Bozorg) is a derogatory epithet used in some Muslim-majority countries to refer to the United States. Alongside the "Death to America" slogan, it originated in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. While it is primarily an expression of anti-American sentiment, it has occasionally been used to refer to the United Kingdom, although the term "old fox" is more popular as a dedicated expression of anti-British sentiment.
The epithet was coined by Iranian religious leader Ruhollah Khomeini, who used it in a speech on 5 November 1979, one day after the onset of the Iran hostage crisis. In the speech, he condemned the United States as an imperialist power that sponsored corruption throughout the world.[1] Khomeini introduced the epithet as the larger of a pair, using the term "Little Satan" to refer to Israel, particularly in the context of Israel–United States relations. In the context of the Cold War, Khomeini used the related term "Lesser Satan" to refer to the Soviet Union, and asserted that revolutionary Iran should oppose the Americans and the Soviets alike.[citation needed]
- ^ Khomeini, Ruhollah (5 November 1979). American plots against Iran (Speech). Iranian Central Insurance Office Staff. Imam's Sahifeh. Qum. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
In this revolution, the Great Satan is America that gathers around other devils blatantly...If we see the US, this great Satan, raising chain and bringing the devils together around him, it is because the US grip over our country and our resources curtailed.