The Islamic Revolution of Iran: A Model of Independence in the International Arena

The days of the Fajr decade commemorating the victory of the Islamic Revolution remain unforgettable and cherished for the Iranian nation. Now over 46 years have passed since the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran – a revolution that reached its culmination with the resounding cry of history under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (RA) who dedicated his entire being to its preservation. This revolution grounded in a profound monotheistic vision and inspired by the Husseini revolution witnessed a small number of individuals with expansive and unwavering faith overthrow a tyrannical regime astonishing the powerful. It stands as a paramount symbol of the dawn of enlightenment and salvation. Undoubtedly three key factors played a fundamental role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution: leadership unity and adherence to Islamic principles.

The days of the Fajr decade, commemorating the victory of the Islamic Revolution, remain unforgettable and cherished for the Iranian nation.  Now, over 46 years have passed since the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran – a revolution that reached its culmination with the resounding cry of history, under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (RA), who dedicated his entire being to its preservation.  This revolution, grounded in a profound monotheistic vision and inspired by the Husseini revolution, witnessed a small number of individuals with expansive and unwavering faith overthrow a tyrannical regime, astonishing the powerful.  It stands as a paramount symbol of the dawn of enlightenment and salvation.  Undoubtedly, three key factors played a fundamental role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution: leadership, unity, and adherence to Islamic principles.

Political science scholars posit that revolution, by definition, entails fundamental changes across all social, economic, and particularly political spheres of life – transformations often accompanied by violence, sacrifice, and human dedication.  Broadly speaking, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, alongside the unparalleled struggles of the Iranian nation under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, can be assessed as a consequence of the misguided policies of major global powers, particularly the United States of America, Great Britain, and the former Soviet Union, regarding Iran in the 200 years preceding the Islamic Revolution.

The reality is that Islam, since the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), has placed special emphasis on interactions with non-Muslims, neighbors, and the entire world – a concept now commonly termed foreign policy.  Its earliest component and symbol was a document, drafted under the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which, out of its 53 articles, dedicated over 30 to relations with non-Muslims.  Therefore, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, undeniably a novel phenomenon in the present century, brought about a profound transformation in the arena of international relations and the political equations of world governments.  This historically significant leader founded a revolution that functioned as a double-edged sword, simultaneously directed against both communism and capitalism.  With the aim of confronting the dominance of Eastern and Western superpowers, he called upon Muslim nations to re-engage with Islamic values. By establishing a direct link between revolution and ideology, he regarded revolution as a necessary and essential condition for the realization of divine ideals and human transcendence.  In this pursuit, he diligently implemented his theories and, more importantly, in this process, in addition to striving for the sovereignty of religious ideals and values, he spared no effort in realizing the liberationist and independence-seeking aspects of the movement.  Thus, revolution became a means for the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

Indeed, this revolution is considered the most significant political innovation of the 20th century. By presenting a novel model of political order in opposition to existing systems, it laid claim to a new paradigm ]Model[ and confrontation with American hegemony. Furthermore, by adhering to the teachings of the religion of Islam, which played a fundamental role in shaping the Islamic Revolution, it challenged theories that sought the causes of revolutions in non-religious and secular factors. Relying on this foundation, it significantly challenged the bipolar global order.  A consequential achievement of the Islamic Revolution, which sparked a new wave among Muslim nations, has been the revival of forgotten discourses of identity affirmation for Muslims in the political and social spheres.

Imam Khomeini's (RA) movement was the zenith of true Islamic orientation. In reality, regional and international developments are an outcome of Imam Khomeini's (RA) thought and vision, and a synthesis of identity and development. The greatest innovation of the Islamic Revolution can be seen, on one hand, as the revival of discourses that existed within the essence of the Islamic faith, but had been forgotten by the countries of the Islamic world.

By emphasizing the soft power of culture and thought, and the superiority of intellectualism over instrumentalism, this revolution initiated a form of intellectual and cultural activity that was founded upon the intellectual and cultural independence of Muslim nations.  The Islamic Revolution of Iran encompassed all three primary components of collective public participation, reform and change, and struggle, and the pivotal role of leadership.  It even brought about substantial changes in revolution theory by resorting to religious and spiritual values.  The Islamic Revolution of Iran has not been confined to the geography of Iran. Today, the performance and achievements of its foreign policy, based on the three principles of dignity, wisdom, and expediency, coupled with positive developments in relations with neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia, and the strengthening of Iran's role in the process of change in the geopolitics of Eurasia, indicate that the countries of the region, as well as regional and international powers, are fully aware of the importance of our country's role in strengthening and consolidating peace and stability in the sensitive Middle East region and the world.

Ali Baman Eghbali Zarch - Head of the Eurasian Studies Group

 (The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IPIS)