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1979 is regarded as one of the most significant events of the contemporary era.
Iran, Middle Eastern countries and the international community had witnessed the emergence of one of the most influential personalities in the 1970s.
Imam Khomeini appeared in Iran, but major features of his character converted this great and influential personality into an infra-national figure.
He always addressed the whole Muslim world and for this reason, he dealt with religion as a global issue.
Due to his particular attention towards religion as a global phenomenon, the Islamic movement made a constant progress and expanded in the Middle East region following the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
The Islamic revolution stepped in as a comprehensive system in the world arena and was quick to respond to modern challenges, complicated social faculties and human needs to religion.
The discourse of intellectual discussions that were formed following the success of the revolution, called into question some of the previous religious practices, which had been entirely detached from politics.
It also made the best use of several terminologies from other political disciplines and interacted with several in order to enhance the functions of Shia school of thoughts and scholars.
It also revolutionised the basic value systems and substituted pure Islamic values instead of the previously wrong approaches.
The Islamic revolution also intended to enhance people’s power and wanted to relieve them from the undesired state to an acceptable situation by employing changes in key faculties and institutions.
The method adopted by the Islamic movement in Iran was to materialise the potential capabilities and all out management of mass thoughts of the Islamic movement, and as a result, the Islamic movement made progress and went ahead very fast.
Roje Garodi, a French Muslim scholar, describes the Islamic revolution in Iran:
“Verily, the Islamic revolution led by Imam Khomeini(s) does not have any precedent in the past.
The various social revolutions that took place in various parts of the world over past course of time intended to change just certain political system(s).
“Most of these revolutions were stemmed from poverty and economic problems. The national revolutions were also mostly triggered by anger of nations from the exploiters and plunderers.
“The Islamic revolution of Iran included all these reasons, but it also carried new concepts and meanings as well.
“The new concepts not only forced out the government of exploiters, but also presented a particular world view and revolutionised the theory of confrontation between religion and science”.
The Islamic Revolution of Iran and revival of the Islamic Identity
According to several experts and researchers, the Islamic Revolution was one of the major factors that influenced the awareness of Muslims and enhanced Islamic activities in different Muslim societies.
The tendency of Muslim societies had concentrated on confrontation and opposition to the West and its allies during the 1980s and 1990s.
These developments should be dealt with as normal outcomes of revival movements and consequences of confrontational polices of the West against the Muslim world.
Emphasising on moral values will form new principles, which will prevent the US and European influence on Muslim societies.
Imam Khomeini(s), who revived political Islam and called it a pure Mohammedan Islam, harmonised between politics and the religion and brought Islam back in the heart of society and politics.
As a result, he reviewed abandoned literature and culture of Islam such as martyrdom, struggle for God, resistance and combat against tyranny.
The Islamic Revolution in Iran is an amazing phenomenon in the modern world that intended to revive Islam’s dignity among the Muslim world.
This revolution through reviving Islamic thought has made Islam and Muslims’ role in various social arenas prominent, and has placed the components of the Islamic identity as accepted reality against Western identity.
“The Muslims should find their identity and they must understand that they have an independent culture and personality.
“The exploiters have promoted a culture for us so we become unaware of ourselves. This provided them a chance to plunder our possessions and undermine our personalities”.
Characteristics of the Islamic Revolution
The Islamic revolution by displaying the potential of civilisation, presents a comprehensive and multi-dimensional system in areas of religious, political, economic, social and cultural worldview ideology that are perfectly political and modern on both the domestic and international arenas.
It will also further raise awareness among the oppressed and deprived people and create suitable seedbeds for self-awareness and self-confidence, and the Islamic awakening among the Muslim nations.
The Islamic revolution also emphasises the significance of freedom movements, including Islamic and anti-colonial struggles as new players in the international system.
It also insists on freedom ideals, social justice, and negation of external powers and necessity of dynamic management to handle the political and social changes.
Some characteristics of the Islamic revolution come under:
1. Freedom and people, backed religious system
According to Imam Khomeini(s), freedom from suppression and creating institutions, which can guarantee the liberation and public contribution in determining their political destiny are major objectives of the Islamic revolution.
Therefore, the Islamic revolution of Iran based on Imam Khomeini’s ideals will exemplify the people’s choices and selections in the region.
There is no way of a military coup or interruption by external powers in the model of the Islamic revolution, which forced out the former Shah’s regime and granted the people the right to elect their own representatives.
Imam Khomeini(s), the leader of the Islamic revolution, had frequently emphasised in his pre-revolution speeches, interviews and letters that the reason for our struggle against the Shah’s regime was due to his wrong and anti-Islamic agenda, lack of legitimacy and unpopularity with the public.
He insisted that the Iranian nation joined the Islamic movement not only to form an Islamic government, but also to have access to freedom and democratic government.
The Iranian people with all their power intended to relieve themselves from the suppression and oppression of the Shah’s regime, and wanted to have access to real and practical freedom, and experience national sovereignty.
Of course, people deemed it possible only through the establishment of the Islamic government.
Therefore, the people did not forget the slogans of “independence, freedom and the Islamic government” even at any one of those rallies.
Substance of people’s slogans was a clear sign of freedom and anti-repression tendencies and support for a democratic Islamic government. It became obvious that people deemed access to freedom and democracy their main objective, in the form of the Islamic government.
Besides the slogans, people also issued declarations at each of the rallies and announced their demands. Emphasis on freedom and formation of a democratic Islamic government was a common demand in all these declarations.
2. Strength of Unity
One of the outcomes of the Islamic revolution in Iran was the reinforcement of brotherhood among all the Muslims.
From the very beginning of the Islamic revolution, Imam Khomeini(s) called the people across the Muslim world to get united against their dictatorial rulers.
He considered the unity as a guarantor for the honour and endurance of the Muslim nations. He said in one of his statements:
“O, Muslims of the World! Who have faith in reality of Islam, you must rise up and get united under the flag of monotheism and teachings of Islam, and cut treacherous hands of foes and so-called superpowers from rich resources of your countries, and revive Islam and put an end to differences and selfishness. You Muslims possess all”.
3. Justice Seeking
Imam Khomeini(s) considers establishment of justice, expansion of individual and social justice, prevention from dictatorial systems, creation of rule of law and execution of justice-based regulations as major objectives of the Islamic revolution.
Imam mentions real examples of social and economic justice.
Imam considers the establishment of the rightful pro-oppressed government and global government Imam Maid (May God hasten his appearance) a necessity for implementation of those principles.
Offering favour and support for oppressed people, rendering services to ones and their delivery from clutches of suppressers, eradicating poverty and reducing the gap between rich and poor were, according to Imam, the vital steps for implementation of justice accession of oppressed people to their truthful rights.
4 Seeking Independence
According to Imam, independence has two dimensions. One of these is to eradicate colonial components and the other aspect is considered as a prelude to performance of a government, which means it should not be associated to East or West.
Great Imam exemplifies these great objectives by using expressions such as cutting off hands of foes from the Islamic states, abandoning friendships with the arrogant, removing dominance of colonial power and giving up laziness and weakness against these powers.
The above-mentioned expressions reflect a sense of independence against the colonial powers.
Imam Khomeini(s) believes that objective of the Islamic revolution is to relieve the country from axis of association with imperialism and to defeat the super powers.
Imam not only places special emphasis on cutting off the hands of criminal powers and isolating them, but also insists on countering the regional agents of imperialism and Zionism.
5. An independent identity (Neither East nor West)
Imam Khomeini(s) believes that independent identity of the Islamic revolution that distinguishes it from other movements.
The Islamic revolution was not associated with power camps of the East or the West and could resist against all powers through reliance on God the almighty despite shortage of military tools and weapons.
The great Imam frequently referred to the following Qur’anic verse to support his stance.
“How many little company hath overcome a might host by Allah’s leave! Allah is with steadfast.”
The honourable Imam(s) in this regard says as following:
“The other revolutions were associated with the East or the West, but the Islamic revolution of Iran relied on Islam and carried out signs of prophets and had not been associated with any power except God.”
Therefore, this revolution has been a constant target of the propaganda of western and evil powers.
The Islamic revolution bears independent characteristics while the groups with right or left tendencies drove the other revolutions.
Due to its non-independence on super powers, this non-associated revolution could overcome the strong military devil powers with the power of faith.
This all happened despite the fact that Iran was besieged by foes and had suffered from shortage of weapons.
The Islamic revolution has gained great achievements on domestic and international arenas.
It accomplished freedom, justice, democracy and republic for its own people.
The revolution also revived Islam and motivated Islamic movement in different parts of the Islamic world.
The Islamic revolution fulfilled the Imam’s ideals as it removed sectarian and ethnic tensions and instead raised awareness among the Muslims across the Islamic world.