By Mohsen Pakaeen
It is important to pay attention to two important factors for understanding the reasons behind the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution.
1. The Islamic Revolution of Iran was against internal tyranny and its most important discourse was religious democracy in the direction of people’s control over their fate. In the Pahlavi period, Iranian people did not have sovereignty over their fate, the representatives in the National Assembly and the Senate, were appointed selectively and by order. People were deprived of freedom of speech, freedom of the pen and thought. The revolutionaries and the noble people were sent to prison and tortured. Islamists and particularly the fighting clergymen faced many limitations and fears. Lack of freedom of speech was at its peak and the security organization of SAVAK had intruded into people’s private lives and gatherings and meted out harsh treatment toward the dissidents.
From the very beginning, Imam Khomeini revealed his anti-tyranny position and introduced and uncovered the monarchy as the symbol of dictatorship and tyranny. The most important feature of the Islamic movement was its fight against tyranny and its attempt to keep and spread religious democracy by holding numerous elections.
2. The Islamic Revolution was against foreign domination because in the Pahlavi period, Iran’s dependence on foreign powers including the US, Russia, and France in different cultural, political, economic and military dimensions was at its highest level. Any of these countries plundered the country’s national resources.
According to Imam Khamenei, the current leader of the Islamic Revolution, “there is no greater humiliation for a nation than dependence…The Iranian government during the inauspicious idolatrous Pahlavi regime, a humiliated and corrupted regime stuck in the swamp of dependence was born dependent in origin.”
During the Pahlavi period and after the 28th Mordad coup d'état, Iran turned into one of the countries devoted to America and executed the White House and European policies in the region.
In the military field, the Iranian army and its commanders were under the control of American generals, who played the role of the Persian Gulf gendarme to prevent the dominance of the Soviet Union in the region. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the conditions were transformed and considerable developments occurred particularly during the Holy Defense against Saddam’s invasion. The outcome of the imposed war appeared in the defense industries and the development of self-confidence in the defense industry. Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the greatest deterrent missile powers that is both indigenous and under the management of internal forces.
In the Pahlavi era, Iran was the strategic ally of the Zionist regime to obtain the West’s approval and by selling oil, started the war machine of Zionism against the oppressed people of Palestine. Another customer of Iran’s oil was South Africa, which continued its life by relying on the apartheid system and killing the blacks. Ferdinand Marcus, the Philippines dictator also led an all-out war against the oppressed Moro Muslims in the southern Philippines.
A significant achievement of the Islamic Revolution was the elimination of reliance on foreigners and gaining independence. The slogan of “neither the East nor the West-(but) the Islamic Republic,” as well as “Independence, Freedom—the Islamic Republic” were what the Iranian revolutionary people asked for in their homeland and their movement in the path to progress and excellence.
With the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the hands of foreign countries particularly America were cut off the rich mineral and oil resources of Iran, the sale of oil to Israel and South Africa was stopped and, gradually, the Palestinian nation and the Muslims interested in the freedom of Quds emerged victorious and became hopeful toward the future after years of failure in the three decades of war with the Zionist regime.
Accelerated disintegration of Apartheid and independence of Namibia were the most immediate effects of the Islamic Revolution. The effective measure taken by Iran, i.e. stopping oil export to South Africa was promising to the oppressed blacks fighting against racism. Iran’s support for the SWAPO liberation movement also proved effective in the independence of Namibia as the last colonized country in Africa and the symbol of Iran’s support for anti-racism struggles.
Iran’s independence led to the undeniable influence and presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in western Asia today. Today, Iran as a stabilizing and anti-terrorist power is the main obstacle to the realization of the arrogant goals of America and Israel in the region. ISIS and other terrorist groups escaped from Iraq and Syria with the blessing of the Islamic Revolution and Israel is on the route to isolation and awaits a destiny like that of the Apartheid system. Yemen is fighting against the Arab intruders with Iran’s spiritual support, and Afghanistan enjoys Iran’s support against the illegal presence of the US in this country.
Independence was a significant and influential achievement of the Islamic Revolution. The Iranian nation will handle all its problems particularly the cruel sanctions relying on this endowment and lack of dependence on foreigners and will move along the path to excellence and progress relying on its internal resources.
One of the outcomes of the country’s independence was in the economy, which led to the country’s self-sufficiency and lack of dependence on foreigners by relying on the internal capabilities and moving in the path to making the economy resistant.
Imam Khomeini proposed the theory of Wilayat-e Faqih (The Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) as a new phenomenon in the international system and Islamic method of ruling to maintain freedom and religious democracy and preserve the country’s independence. He emphasized that supporting this principle leads to the maintenance of the Islamic Revolution. For this reason, the opponents of the Islamic Revolution are shedding doubts over this progressive principle and have focused their attacks on Wilayat-e Faqih.
Imam Khomeini pursued the development of a revolutionary spirit in the Iranian nation in line with this purpose, which was further pursued by Ayatollah Khamenei, his worthy successor. Being a revolutionary is in conflict with people’s indifference to their fate and keeps them in the defense of the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian homeland.
Today, the Islamic Revolution of Iran is more powerful and influential than ever in its path to creating a new Islamic civilization.