The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr Manoucher Mohammadi

Most of the writers and the thinkers of the revolutions and especially the theoreticians of revolutions believe that a revolution is a transient phenomenon in the history of human beings. In fact, it has arrived into existence for the toppling of a political system and the establishment of a new one. Whenever the new political system is established, the mission of the revolution is accomplished and in fact a revolution itself will be converted into a system. Herein, the writer has tried to analyse this theory in the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

A revolution in the most comprehensive form which usually is known as the great revolution has fundamental differences with other political / social developments such as military coup d'etat, political reform, and liberation movements and it can be defined as follows:

A political/social revolution is a mass movement with violation in the direction of quick and fundamental change of the dominant values and beliefs, political institutions, social structures, leadership, governmental polices and activities of a society.

Formation of every revolution of this type includes the birth of a social power facing the governing political power. This is based on three pillars of the extensive appearance and participation of people, appearance of social leadership and the design of the ideology of the revolution.

While a revolution is an offensive, fundamental, evolving and destructive movement, the political power is a stationary structure and conservative which moves more toward institutionalization. A revolution has more and more an offensive status, whereas a system with its defensive status defends and protects its existence.

The Islamic Revolution is a distinct Revoution and independent from other World Revolutions.

Considering a revolution as the struggle of the social groups against the governing political system and political power as materialistic powers such as military, political, economic abilities and also international support and the social power with spiritual tools of power such as mass participation strong leadership and publicly accepted ideology, the review of the conditions and status of the conflict within the similar revolutions will give us this appropriate answer.

Reviewing and comparing the social, political conditions and status of France, Russia and Iran, one will notice that although there were some similarities among the conditions and abilities of the political system between the well-known French and Russian revolutions, but not only there was not such a similarity with the conditions and abilities of the political power in Iran and its social-political status governing Iran before the revolution, but in fact, opposite conditions existed in that country. For instance, while the French and Russian governments economically were in the worst situations, in fact, they were on the verge of final bankruptcy, the government of Iran due to the sudden and unpredictable jump in oil prices and thanks to the huge foreign currency resources and the financial abilities, was in the most suitable economical conditions.

The government of Iran and the Shah, despite the fact of bipolarism in international systems, and with the fact of the end of the cold war and the commencement of the tranquillity period and peaceful coexistence, were fully supported by both superpowers and other great powers and also the regional ones up to the last days of his government.

Whereas the Islamic revolution in Iran did not come automatically but this revolution was made by the will and determination of a nation and benefiting from a powerful leader and in united and in harmonious form especially during the early stage of the Shah's collapse. She believes that there is no doubt or even a place for discussion that the reasons for the upcoming of the revolution in Iran was different from what had occurred in the French, Russian and Chinese revolutions and there was a great difference between them.

This point takes us to the conclusion that in theory, the conditions and situations in Iran contrary to France and Russia, were in the most unsuitable condition for inflicting strike upon and topple of the regime of the Shah.

The revolutionists in Iran, in a quarter of a century, from the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1963, that is 15 years before and ten years after the revlution, had been benefiting from the indisputable, unchangeable, powerful and charismatic leadership of Imam Khomenini. His leadership had religious, political and social legitimacy. He was governing the hearts of millions of Muslims. This itself was one of the secrets of the stability and continuation of the revolution. This kind of leadership with the inspiration from the doctrine of Islam which was also the doctrine of the revolution was instituationalised within the principle framework of the Velayet Faqih, Jurisprudence, leadership. In this way, the continuity of the presence of the leader of the revolution went beyond merely the management of the political system.

The success of the revolutionary ideology of Islam has been a valuable parameter and it has been the distinguished elements of the world view of the Islamic revolution in Iran. This ideology was a powerful response to the recent political needs and, at the same time, disappointed the believers of the materialistic doctrines. This ideology was used with benefits from all the technological and experimental advantages and ideological and political movements of the west. In other words, this ideology had a remarkable advantage over communism which was in contradiction with religion.

Instead of creating a replacement for religion, as the communists did, the Islamic revolution utilised the active and progressive religion that existed and was equipped with ideological devices for struggle in the political scene. With this action they gave a great and outstanding help to the history of the world.

In this way, it can be seen that the secret of the victory of the Islamic revolution over the Shah's regime can be found in the maginficent management and the extensive application of the three pillars of the Revolution: that is, the people, the leadership and Islamic ideology. These factors could, contrary to predictions and calculations of the analysts and to the surprise of the entire world, bring the ancient and powerful kingdom to its knees and topple it.

As the historicial incidents and phenomena of three revolutions show, the victory of the French and Russian and even Chinese, Cuba revolutions not because of well-organised, strength and the power of revolutionary forces but because of the weakness of the then current governments.

Based on these comparisons, we can say that the glory and unique status of the Islamic Revolution of Iran is an obstacle to the application of these theories in the case of Iran. Wheatever was true about those revolutions is not necessarily true about this Revolution.

A quick review on the years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution shows that those who were involved in the revolution, wanted or unwanted, followed a path that Islamic Republic system not only was established as a new political system strengthened on the military, economic, and cultural pillars; but from this passage has made the necessary ground for the continuity of the movements and the hindrance of the stagnation of the revolutionary motions.

In the first year of the victory of the Revolution, and despite of all kind of crisis, with the motivation of the leadership of the Revolution all the legal institutions were established and completed with numerous elections. Because of the acceptablity of and popularity of the leadership of the revolution Imam Khomeini could have established all the above-mentioned institutions. He, instead, for the strength of the votes and with his astonishing power of futuristic views in all areas such as determining the type of government, the election of the Constitutional Experts Assembly, the approval of the above law, election of the President, election of the representatives to the Islamic Parliament referred to the votes of the people and established the foundations of the political systems. This method of action is extremely scarce in the history of revolutions.

The Islamic revolution is the first revolution in which in the chaotic conditions, but in a democratic way, prepared the background for the participation of the people for establishment of the political system. By doing so the future generation can not simply let a change and the destruction of the popular institutions by an order or command of a ruler.

The anti-revolutionary activities in different parts of the country with the foreign support and then later on the imposition of the war upon the country, imposed a situation upon the revolution by which the country had to provide a strong base in the pillars of the military system. A system that can prepare the country for facing invasions and potential internal and foreign enemies.

The leader of the Revolution first purged the unsuitable elements from the military and police organisations. By doing so, these organisations not only were not disintegrated but regained their prestigious status.

There is no doubt for anyone that the Islamic Revolution is a cultural revolution before it is a political and/or an economic revolution. It was a revolution for the revitalisation of religious values.

The Islamic Revolution, by returning to the values acceptable to that society, contrary to the imaginations of many western scientists, in relation to the passage of the religious era in the society made everyone surprised. In particular, adaptation of religious values to a modern society of the late twentieth century seemed impossible.

The Islamic Revolution, with the help of the thinkers and religious learned, and by using the committed experts, demonstrated that not only is the era of the domination of religion not over, but by considering the disappointment and despair of the western capitalistic societies and eastern communists, the time for returning to the divine nature of human being has arrived (ripened) which is appropriate to the sovereignty of culture and religious principles.