Iran in the 1960s
General Trends
Modernization is the watch word. However unpopular the Shah was with his own people, he instituted fairly democratic reforms: redistributing land to peasants, giving women the right to vote, and emphasizing education. Elementary school enrollment almost doubled.
Land reform took land from wealthy landowners and from religious schools and mosques. However, the land given to peasants did not reach a level of subsistence, much less actual profit.
Married women were given more rights.
All these may seem like positive, encouraging, albeit mostly ineffective, reforms. You may be thinking, "The people are warming to the shah. He's not that bad."
Wrong.
The Islamic conservative majority of Iran (along with religious leaders) resented the reforms, claiming they were Western and a challenge to traditional views. The plot thickens...
1964
High ranking Ayatollah Khomeini urged Iranians to avoid becoming a part of America's new colony. He proposed canceling:
women's suffrage
"corrupt content" on radio or TV shows
alcohol
The shah was declared to be an enemy of Islam, which resonated pretty well with the Iranian people. The shah exiled Khomeini, but his pamphlets and recordings were smuggled into the country, nevertheless.