The ideology of the Iranian Revolution has been called a "complex combination" of Pan-Islamism, political populism, and Shia Islamic "religious radicalism".[1]
The Iranian revolution expresses itself in the language of Islam, that is to say, as a democratic movement with a religious leadership, a religiously formulated critique of the old order, and religiously expressed plans for the new. Muslim revolutionaries look to the birth of Islam as their model, and see themselves as engaged in a struggle against paganism, oppression, and empire.
Perhaps the most important of the diverse ideological interpretation of Islam within the grand alliance that led to the 1979 revolution were traditional clerical quietism, Khomeinism, Ali Shariati’s Islamic-left ideology, and Mehdi Bazargan’s liberal-democratic Islam. Less powerful were the socialist guerrilla groups of Islamic and secular variants, and the secular constitutionalism in socialist and nationalist forms.[2]
The slogan chanted by demonstrators—"Independence, Freedom, and Islamic Republic" (Estiqlal, Azadi, Jomhuri-ye Eslami!)[3] — has been called the "pivotal yet broad demand" of the revolutionaries.[4] Revolutionaries railed against corruption, extravagance and autocratic nature of Pahlavi rule;[5] policies that helped the rich at the expense of the poor; and the economic and cultural domination/exploitation of Iran by non-Muslim foreigners—particularly Americans.[6]
Contributors to the ideology included Jalal Al-e-Ahmad, who formulated the idea of Gharbzadegi—that Western culture must be rejected and fought as was a plague or an intoxication that alienated Muslims from their roots and identity.[7]Ali Shariati influenced many young Iranians with his interpretation of Islam as the one true way of awakening the oppressed and liberating the Third World from colonialism and neo-colonialism.[8]
The author who ultimately formulated the ideology of the revolution though, was the man who dominated the revolution itself—the Ayatollah Khomeini. He preached that revolt, and especially martyrdom, against injustice and tyranny was part of Shia Islam,[9] that clerics should mobilize and lead their flocks into action, not just to advise them. He introduced Qur'anic terms—mustazafin ('weak')[10] and mustakbirin ('proud and mighty')[11]—for the Marxist terminology of the oppressors-oppressed distinction.[12] He rejected the influence of both Soviet and American superpowers in Iran with the slogan "not Eastern, nor Western - Islamic Republican" (Persian: نه شرقی نه غربی جمهوری اسلامی).
But even more importantly he developed the ideology of who would run the Islamic Republic, what form of government it would take. Khomeini believed strongly that Islam required the principle of velayat-e faqih, be applied to government, i.e. that Muslims, in fact everyone, required "guardianship," in the form of rule or supervision by the leading Islamic jurist or jurists—such as Khomeini himself.[13] This was necessary because Islam requires obedience to traditional Islamic sharia law alone. Following this law was not only the Islamically correct thing to do, it would prevent poverty, injustice, and the plundering of Muslim land by foreign unbelievers. But for all this to happen, sharia had to be protected from innovation and deviation, and this required putting Islamic jurists in control of government.[14]
Establishing and obeying this Islamic government was so important it was "actually an expression of obedience to God," ultimately "more necessary even than prayer and fasting" for Islam because without it true Islam will not survive.[15] It was a universal principle, not one confined to Iran. All the world needed and deserved just government, i.e. true Islamic government, and Khomeini "regarded the export of the Islamic revolution as imperative."[16] However regarding "export of revolution" he stated: it "does not mean interfering in other nation's affairs",[17] but "answering their questions about knowing God" [18][19]
This revolutionary vision of theocratic government was in stark contrast to the quietist Shiism that called for withdrawal from political life, or at least government, until the return of the Mahdi. And needless to say it was in conflict with the hopes and plans of Iran's democratic secularists and Islamic leftists. At the same time Khomeini knew a broad revolutionary base was necessary and did not hesitate to encourage these forces to unite with his supporters to overthrow the Shah.[20] Consequently, the ideology of the revolution was known for its "imprecision"[21] or "vague character"[22] prior to its victory, with the specific character of velayat-e faqih/theocratic waiting to be made public when the time was right.[23] Khomeini believed the opposition to velayat-e faqih/theocratic government by the other revolutionaries was the result of propaganda campaign by foreign imperialists eager to prevent Islam from putting a stop to their plundering. This propaganda was so insidious it had penetrated even Islamic seminaries and made it necessary to "observe the principles of taqiyya" (i.e. dissimulation of the truth in defense of Islam), when talking about (or not talking about) Islamic government. [24][25]
This split between the general and the specific elements of the revolution's ideology inevitably broke down the unity of the revolution as Khomeini abandoned taqiyya[26][27] and worked determinedly to establish a government led by Islamic clerics, while opponents of theocracy resisted. In the end the break was not fatal. The opposition was defeated and the revolutionary ideology prevailed.
Ideology in practice
Following the revolution, its ideology became apparent in social, economic and cultural policies.
In terms of dress, western-style neckties for men and uncovered hair, arms, and many other areas for women were banned. But there were non-religious changes as well, such as an emphasis on proletarian dress, manners, and customs, as opposed to Western aristocratic or bourgeois elegance and extravagance of the Shah's era. For example, observers noted in the early days of the revolution the "canteen-like" nature of restaurant meals, meant "to underscore the triumph of the Muslim proletariat." In men's dress, a judge described the "overnight transformation" in February 1979 of the Ministry of Justice in Tehran:
The men were no longer wearing suits and ties but plain slacks and collarless shirts, many of them quite wrinkled, some even stained. Even my nose caught a whiff of the change. The slight scent of cologne or perfume that had lingered in the corridors, especially in the mornings, was absent.[28]
^Islamism and education in modern Iran, with special reference to gendered social interactions and relationships 2012-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, H Godazgar:498.
^Iran: a green wave for life and liberty, Asef Bayat, 7 - 07 - 2009 2017-10-10 at the Wayback Machine accessed 14-July-2009
^Ebadi, Shirin, Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi with Azadeh Moaveni, Random House New York, 2006, p. 185, 41
Bibliography
Amuzgar, Jahangir (1991). The Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution: The Pahlavis' Triumph and Tragedy: 31. SUNY Press.
Arjomand, Said Amir (1988). Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran. Oxford University Press.
Abrahamian, Ervand (1982). Iran between two revolutions. Princeton University Press.
Benard, Cheryl; Khalilzad, Zalmay (1984). "The Government of God"—Iran's Islamic Republic. Columbia University Press.
Graham, Robert (1980). Iran, the Illusion of Power. St. Martin's Press.
Harney, Desmond (1998). The priest and the king: an eyewitness account of the Iranian revolution. I.B. Tauris.
Harris, David (2004). The Crisis: the President, the Prophet, and the Shah—1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam. Little, Brown.
Hoveyda, Fereydoun (2003). The Shah and the Ayatollah: Iranian mythology and Islamic revolution. Praeger.
Kapuscinski, Ryszard (1985). Shah of Shahs. Harcourt Brace, Jovanovich.
Keddie, Nikki (2003). Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution. Yale University Press.
Kepel, Gilles (2002). The Trail of Political Islam. Harvard University Press.
Mackey, Sandra (1996). The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation. Dutton.
Miller, Judith (1996). God Has Ninety Nine Names. Simon & Schuster.
Moin, Baqer (2000). Khomeini: Life of the Ayatollah. Thomas Dunne Books.
Roy, Olivier (1994). The Failure of Political Islam. Carol Volk (trans.). Harvard University Press.
Ruthven, Malise (2000). Islam in the World. Oxford University Press.
Schirazi, Asghar (1997). The Constitution of Iran. Tauris.
Shirley, Edward (1997). Know Thine Enemy. Farra.
Taheri, Amir (1985). The Spirit of Allah. Adler & Adler.
Wright, Robin (2000). The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil And Transformation In Iran. Alfred A. Knopf: Distributed by Random House.
Zabih, Sepehr (1982). Iran Since the Revolution. Johns Hopkins Press.
Zanganeh, Lila Azam, ed. (2006). My Sister, Guard Your Veil, My Brother, Guard Your Eyes : Uncensored Iranian Voices. Beacon Press.
December 27, 2022
ideology, iranian, revolution, main, article, iranian, revolution, ideology, iranian, revolution, been, called, complex, combination, islamism, political, populism, shia, islamic, religious, radicalism, iranian, revolution, expresses, itself, language, islam, . Main article Iranian Revolution The ideology of the Iranian Revolution has been called a complex combination of Pan Islamism political populism and Shia Islamic religious radicalism 1 The Iranian revolution expresses itself in the language of Islam that is to say as a democratic movement with a religious leadership a religiously formulated critique of the old order and religiously expressed plans for the new Muslim revolutionaries look to the birth of Islam as their model and see themselves as engaged in a struggle against paganism oppression and empire Bernard Lewis Islamic Revolution Perhaps the most important of the diverse ideological interpretation of Islam within the grand alliance that led to the 1979 revolution were traditional clerical quietism Khomeinism Ali Shariati s Islamic left ideology and Mehdi Bazargan s liberal democratic Islam Less powerful were the socialist guerrilla groups of Islamic and secular variants and the secular constitutionalism in socialist and nationalist forms 2 The slogan chanted by demonstrators Independence Freedom and Islamic Republic Estiqlal Azadi Jomhuri ye Eslami 3 has been called the pivotal yet broad demand of the revolutionaries 4 Revolutionaries railed against corruption extravagance and autocratic nature of Pahlavi rule 5 policies that helped the rich at the expense of the poor and the economic and cultural domination exploitation of Iran by non Muslim foreigners particularly Americans 6 Contributors to the ideology included Jalal Al e Ahmad who formulated the idea of Gharbzadegi that Western culture must be rejected and fought as was a plague or an intoxication that alienated Muslims from their roots and identity 7 Ali Shariati influenced many young Iranians with his interpretation of Islam as the one true way of awakening the oppressed and liberating the Third World from colonialism and neo colonialism 8 Contents 1 Khomeini 2 Velayat e faqih 3 Ideology in practice 4 See also 5 References 5 1 BibliographyKhomeini EditThe author who ultimately formulated the ideology of the revolution though was the man who dominated the revolution itself the Ayatollah Khomeini He preached that revolt and especially martyrdom against injustice and tyranny was part of Shia Islam 9 that clerics should mobilize and lead their flocks into action not just to advise them He introduced Qur anic terms mustazafin weak 10 and mustakbirin proud and mighty 11 for the Marxist terminology of the oppressors oppressed distinction 12 He rejected the influence of both Soviet and American superpowers in Iran with the slogan not Eastern nor Western Islamic Republican Persian نه شرقی نه غربی جمهوری اسلامی Velayat e faqih EditMain article Islamic Government Governance of the Jurist But even more importantly he developed the ideology of who would run the Islamic Republic what form of government it would take Khomeini believed strongly that Islam required the principle of velayat e faqih be applied to government i e that Muslims in fact everyone required guardianship in the form of rule or supervision by the leading Islamic jurist or jurists such as Khomeini himself 13 This was necessary because Islam requires obedience to traditional Islamic sharia law alone Following this law was not only the Islamically correct thing to do it would prevent poverty injustice and the plundering of Muslim land by foreign unbelievers But for all this to happen sharia had to be protected from innovation and deviation and this required putting Islamic jurists in control of government 14 Establishing and obeying this Islamic government was so important it was actually an expression of obedience to God ultimately more necessary even than prayer and fasting for Islam because without it true Islam will not survive 15 It was a universal principle not one confined to Iran All the world needed and deserved just government i e true Islamic government and Khomeini regarded the export of the Islamic revolution as imperative 16 However regarding export of revolution he stated it does not mean interfering in other nation s affairs 17 but answering their questions about knowing God 18 19 This revolutionary vision of theocratic government was in stark contrast to the quietist Shiism that called for withdrawal from political life or at least government until the return of the Mahdi And needless to say it was in conflict with the hopes and plans of Iran s democratic secularists and Islamic leftists At the same time Khomeini knew a broad revolutionary base was necessary and did not hesitate to encourage these forces to unite with his supporters to overthrow the Shah 20 Consequently the ideology of the revolution was known for its imprecision 21 or vague character 22 prior to its victory with the specific character of velayat e faqih theocratic waiting to be made public when the time was right 23 Khomeini believed the opposition to velayat e faqih theocratic government by the other revolutionaries was the result of propaganda campaign by foreign imperialists eager to prevent Islam from putting a stop to their plundering This propaganda was so insidious it had penetrated even Islamic seminaries and made it necessary to observe the principles of taqiyya i e dissimulation of the truth in defense of Islam when talking about or not talking about Islamic government 24 25 This split between the general and the specific elements of the revolution s ideology inevitably broke down the unity of the revolution as Khomeini abandoned taqiyya 26 27 and worked determinedly to establish a government led by Islamic clerics while opponents of theocracy resisted In the end the break was not fatal The opposition was defeated and the revolutionary ideology prevailed Ideology in practice EditFollowing the revolution its ideology became apparent in social economic and cultural policies In terms of dress western style neckties for men and uncovered hair arms and many other areas for women were banned But there were non religious changes as well such as an emphasis on proletarian dress manners and customs as opposed to Western aristocratic or bourgeois elegance and extravagance of the Shah s era For example observers noted in the early days of the revolution the canteen like nature of restaurant meals meant to underscore the triumph of the Muslim proletariat In men s dress a judge described the overnight transformation in February 1979 of the Ministry of Justice in Tehran The men were no longer wearing suits and ties but plain slacks and collarless shirts many of them quite wrinkled some even stained Even my nose caught a whiff of the change The slight scent of cologne or perfume that had lingered in the corridors especially in the mornings was absent 28 See also EditPolitical thought and legacy of Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini Ali Shariati Jalal Al e Ahmad History of the Islamic Republic of Iran Political aspects of Islam Slogans of the 1979 Iranian Revolution Political slogans of the Islamic Republic of IranReferences Edit Abrahamian Ervand A History of Modern Iran 2008 p 143 Iran Analysis Quarterly Volume 1 No Islamism and education in modern Iran with special reference to gendered social interactions and relationships Archived 2012 04 06 at the Wayback Machine H Godazgar 498 Iran a green wave for life and liberty Asef Bayat 7 07 2009 Archived 2017 10 10 at the Wayback Machine accessed 14 July 2009 Abrahamian Iran 1982 p 478 9 Graham Iran 1980 p 233 4 Mackay Iranians 1996 pp 215 264 5 Keddie Modern Iran 2003 p 201 7 The Last Great Revolution Turmoil and Transformation in Iran by Robin WRIGHT from Q4 75 Q16 22 23 Dabashi Theology of Discontent 1993 Dabashi Theology of Discontent 1993 p 419 443 Khomeini Algar Islam and Revolution p 52 54 80 See Velayat e faqih book by Khomeini Importance of Islamic Government Staying the Course the Lebanonization of Hizbullah Lebanon Al Mashriq صدور انقلاب به معناي دخالت در شئون مردم كشورهاي ديگر نيست بلكه به معناي پاسخ دادن به سؤالهاي فكري بشر تشنه معارف الهي است پيام امام ره به گورباچف Archived from the original on 2012 04 15 Retrieved 2013 07 06 Abrahamian Iran 1983 p 478 479 524 Abrahamian Iran 1982 p 478 9 Amuzegar Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution 1991 p 10 Schirazi Constitution of Iran 1997 p 29 32 See Hokumat e Islami Velayat e faqih book by Khomeini Why Islamic Government has not been established Khomeini and Algar Islam and Revolution 1981 p 34 Taheri The Spirit of Allah p 229 230 Schirazi Constitution of Iran 1997 p 19 32 Ebadi Shirin Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi with Azadeh Moaveni Random House New York 2006 p 185 41 Bibliography Edit Amuzgar Jahangir 1991 The Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution The Pahlavis Triumph and Tragedy 31 SUNY Press Arjomand Said Amir 1988 Turban for the Crown The Islamic Revolution in Iran Oxford University Press Abrahamian Ervand 1982 Iran between two revolutions Princeton University Press Benard Cheryl Khalilzad Zalmay 1984 The Government of God Iran s Islamic Republic Columbia University Press Graham Robert 1980 Iran the Illusion of Power St Martin s Press Harney Desmond 1998 The priest and the king an eyewitness account of the Iranian revolution I B Tauris Harris David 2004 The Crisis the President the Prophet and the Shah 1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam Little Brown Hoveyda Fereydoun 2003 The Shah and the Ayatollah Iranian mythology and Islamic revolution Praeger Kapuscinski Ryszard 1985 Shah of Shahs Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Keddie Nikki 2003 Modern Iran Roots and Results of Revolution Yale University Press Kepel Gilles 2002 The Trail of Political Islam Harvard University Press Mackey Sandra 1996 The Iranians Persia Islam and the Soul of a Nation Dutton Miller Judith 1996 God Has Ninety Nine Names Simon amp Schuster Moin Baqer 2000 Khomeini Life of the Ayatollah Thomas Dunne Books Roy Olivier 1994 The Failure of Political Islam Carol Volk trans Harvard University Press Ruthven Malise 2000 Islam in the World Oxford University Press Schirazi Asghar 1997 The Constitution of Iran Tauris Shirley Edward 1997 Know Thine Enemy Farra Taheri Amir 1985 The Spirit of Allah Adler amp Adler Wright Robin 2000 The Last Great Revolution Turmoil And Transformation In Iran Alfred A Knopf Distributed by Random House Zabih Sepehr 1982 Iran Since the Revolution Johns Hopkins Press Zanganeh Lila Azam ed 2006 My Sister Guard Your Veil My Brother Guard Your Eyes Uncensored Iranian Voices Beacon Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ideology of the Iranian Revolution amp oldid 1115606683, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
