Thirty-four Years after Revolution: Stronger, Greater Iran

“Neither western nor eastern but an Islamic republic” was the famous slogan the Iranian Revolution firmed up… It was the slogan launched by the revolution founder Imam Khomeini (God bless his pure soul) after a long struggle to free Iran from the US-directed authorities and regime. The Imam survived an absolutely bitter struggle to establish an Islamic republic, which would depend on Islamic rules and develop gradually. Eventually, Iran would be a chief regional power confronting the powers seeking dominance over its riches and strategic location. 

Today, 34 years after the revolution, Iran acts as a regional key player rather than marginal.

Speaking of power, we can say the revolution made Iran present an outstanding modern, Islamic regime. Maintaining its slogans and titles, Iran further supported any resistance confronting the Zionist enemy and worked hard to unite the (divided) Ummah and bring Muslims together. So far, both the Iranian government and people have prioritized supporting the oppressed versus the oppressors, as in the case of the Palestinian cause (that Iran will continue supporting until it puts a nail in the Zionist occupation’s coffin). Iran has even incorporated this principle into its interior and foreign policies.

Revolution Developed Iran

What did Iran gain from the revolution? Several political observers analyzing the regional political movement agree that the revolution changed Tehran from an abroad-directed geographic land to an independent territory. Tehran’s decisions now seem weighty to the Arab and Western capitals. Iranian columnist and researcher Muhammad Sadek el-Husseini, as well as the imam of al-Quds (Jerusalem) Mosque in Saida, Sheikh Maher Hammoud, says the revolution shifted Iran into a modern and Islamic country at a time. Similarly, Arab thinker Moneer Shafik says, “The revolution made the Islamic Republic independent from the international capitalism and socialism.”

El-Husseini says, “Iran has become a regionally considerable power. Hadn’t the revolution taken place, Iran wouldn’t have been as strong, straightforward, and steadfast as today. Otherwise, Iran would probably have been one of the banana republics, like some call the Washington-dictated Latin-America republics.” For his part, Shafik believes, “The Iranian Revolution laid the foundations for the era of the regional “Islamic Awakening”; at that time, the revolution saved Iran from the oppressive reign of the Zionists’ ally and agent, the Shah.” Sheikh Hammoud now adds, “The revolution created an Islamic regime depending on religion and government rather than the US and the Soviet Union. The Iranian people rather than some kind of rebellion decided what the regime would be like.”

Whereas el-Husseini and Sheikh Hammoud believe that the revolution made Iran a regionally considerable power, Shafik disapproves, “At some specific stage, the reign of the Shah was considerable- though negative.”

Islamism, Success of Revolution 

But why did the Iranian Revolution succeed whereas the recent revolutions of the Arab states didn’t (though they were entitled with Islamic titles like the 1979 Tehran Revolution)? Well, el-Husseini, Shafik, and Sheikh Hammoud agree that one leader determined clear, uncorrupted goals for Iran. The majority of his people supported his calls, messages, and course of action; the widely spread corruption and oppression made them do so. Besides, Imam Khomeini’s character was so impressive that better contribution to the revolution outcomes was clearly made.”

Making more explanation, Sheikh Hammoud says, “No true leaders led the recent movements.” He refers to Egypt to compare its last revolution on 22 January 2011 to the Iranian model, “Egypt still relies on the US aids as “Camp David Accords” stated.” The imam of al-Quds Mosque in Saida sees that the Muslim Brotherhood made it to authority after assuring the US things would not change. In contrast, Imam Khomeini saw he was obliged to none; therefore, Iran was freed from the Western pressures and became economically independent. Iran didn’t even sign any political agreements, unlike the current Egypt. Now Egypt can’t be really dependent; instead of making a new strategy, Egypt maintains its alliance with “Israel”. But the Iranian Revolution was outstanding because it had a specific political strategy.”

Yet, Shafik says, “We must not rush evaluating the recent revolutions since it’s only the beginning. Besides, every country has its own characteristics, course of action, and circumstances and faces difficulties. But the revolutions haven’t yet made great change.”

Imam Khomeini

Imam Rouhullah Mustafa Ahmad el-Moussawi el-Khomeini was born in 1902 in (the Iranian) Khomein City.
After the Egyptian journalist Muhammad Hassanein Heikal interviewed him in December 1978, he described Imam Khomeini as “an outstanding personage coming from the seventh century (AD) to rest at the heart of the twentieth century (AD).”

As to the character and course of action of “the revolution launcher”, el-Husseini declares, “Imam Khomeini led two revolutions: a revolution of politics; and another of religion, creed, and fiqh. More specifically, Imam Khomeini revealed the positivity of awaiting Imam al-Mahdi (May Allah Hasten his noble reappearance); Imam Khomeini linked theories to practical acts, conducting a political movement- a struggle laying the foundations for the coming of the Awaited Savior.” El-Husseini then adds, “Imam Khomeini taught us the fiqh of ruling, as well as exterminating oppressors and establishing a just state- probably to a certain extent- since that laid the foundations for Imam al-Mahdi’s coming.”

Shafik, too, discusses Imam Khomeini’s greatly impressive character, “an absolutely outstanding, scientific, religious, political; most importantly revolutionary marja'” Shafik realized how deeply Imam Khomeini touched thousands of Iranians at the Friday prayers following the revolution. Imam Khomeini was fulfilling the Islamic goals he had been working on.”

Sheikh Hammoud concludes, “We can pronounce Imam Khomeini leader of all Islamic centuries. We must reflect upon his ability to integrate modernism and Islamic standards, in addition to his hard work as to wilayat al-fakih that’d lay the foundations for the coming of the Awaited Savior Imam al-Mahdi (Pbuh).”
The most significant achievements of the Islamic Revolution of Iran:

-exterminating the Shah’s reign and freeing the Iranian people from oppression

-achieving Iran’s political independence

-overwhelming the West and the East by the popular revolution

-supporting freedom movements all around the world

-linking religion and politics, presenting a bright model of the religious government

-preserving natural resources like oil, preventing the West from seizing them

-launching uprisings in all provinces of the Islamic Republic