A Glance at Islamic Revolution of Iran

Hamideh Jalili Sohi

 Iran spent 2500 years under monarchial rules, and over half a century under the most oppressive rule of the Pahlavi regime, who was in fact puppets and blind servants of the world colonialistic powers, most particularly the American and British imperialists.

Due to these conditions, the cultural, economic, social, and political situations of the country had been led into corruption and subservience to the Western powers. Poverty had a spreaed everywhere. The young intelligent Iranians were denied access to progress in various fields of knowledge, including in medicine and teaching technology.

 The whole nation was denied access to centres of decision-making, and had no voice in decisions regarding their fate. The country's culture was under the influence of the corrupt agents of the Pahlavi rulers who were themselves servants of the Western powers, corruption, and irreligiousness particularly among the young people were spread by the regime and pious activities and religiousness discouraged.

The then regime had established numerous gambling and other centres of corruption in cities, especially in Tehran in order to corrupt the whole nation and does perpetuate their own ominous domination over them.

On the political level, elections where no more than ridiculous propaganda in favour of the ruling Pahlavi regime and of course in favour of their masters – the Western colonialist, in particular the U.S. administration. Meanwhile, women and girls were encouraged to wear indecent clothing in public and to behave in immoral ways.

In fact, religious women were severely hated by the imperialistic regime and moreover, teaching religious decrees to the children and the youth was discouraged in order to keep the nation on uniformed and so submissive to colonialist domination. On one hand, the wealth of the country was plundered and on the other hand, their faith and Islamic culture was attacked ceaselessly and through various means, including through films and magazines promoting immoral behaviors.

The military system of the country too was under the grip of American advisors who are obviously careless about the life and security of the Iranian nation and just cared about serving the U.S. interests in Iran.

They promoted dictatorial rule in the country to such an extent that even an ordinary policeman had come to be terrifying to some people, since he might turn out to be an agent of the murderous agents of the regime who arrested, jailed, tortured and killed innocent people, even for the least protest against the tyrannical policies of the ruling regime.

In fact, SAVAK or the information agency of Pahlavi, had become very notorious all over the country for it’s brutal grip over the people. Plus trying to spread terror everywhere in the country, the mercenaries of SAVAK also tried to create distrust among the people in order to prevent them from uniting and fighting against anti-human dictatorship. Instead of freedom the people experienced the suppression and instead of progress, backwardness had become their fate.

Even in rural areas, as per the policies of the imperialist masters of the Pahlavi regime, people were mostly prevented from agriculture and cattle-breeding and forced to become mere consumers, dependent upon the Western powers even for their bread and cheese.

The industry of the country was also made dependent in foreigners so the Iranian nation would become totally dependent on the Western masters of the slavish Shah.

Yet, by Allah’s grace a great man rose to lead the oppressed nation out of that misery into the light of Islam and human freedom and independence. That man of excellent character was Imam Khomeini (ra) whose leadership of the Islamic Revolution started in the year 1342 of Solar Hijri (1963 AD) and continued to the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 and afterwards till the last moment of his blessed life. As a result of his revealing speeches against the corrupt policies of the oppressive Pahlavi regime, Imam Khomeini (ra) was arrested, jailed and then exiled to Turkey and from Turkey to Iraq. Yet he continued to express his opposition to the Shah and lead the movement most capably.

 About a year before the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Imam Khomeini(ra)’s struggles were intensified  and his leadership attracted large numbers of the oppressed nation, so that on the 26 of the month of Day of 1357 (1979) Shah was forced to flee the country and on the 22^nd of the month of Bahman of 1357 (1979) the Islamic Revolution of Iran achieved victory, putting an end to the 50 year rule of the mercenary Pahlavi regime  in Iran. This amazing event was indeed a shock to the imperialist superpowers and their agents. About two months later, through a referendum on the 12^th of Farvardin (1979) over 98% of the Iranians voted for the establishment of an Islamic Republic in the country and so the Islamic Republic system was established in Iran.

Now, Let's mention certain factors behind the victory of the Islamic Revolution:

-         Wise, pious leadership

-         People's unity

-         Ceaseless struggles and patience in the face of hardships

Regarding the specific characteristics of Iran’s Islamic Revolution we can cite the following:

-         Being Islamic

-         Being for the people

-         Being independent

-         Being spiritual and cultural

-         Unifying the people

As for the goals of the Islamic Revolution, the following can be regarded:

-         Rejection of despotism, imperialism and foreign domination

-         Establishment of a system of government based on people's votes

-         Political, economic, social and cultural independence and urging the people to participate in the related affairs

-         Administration of social justice, Divine laws and rules and the decrees of the sacred religion of Islam.

-         Guarding human values and the lofty position of human beings and creating favourable environment for the promotion of moral virtues

-         Providing a self-sufficiency culture in all fields of knowledge, technology, agriculture and the military system

-         Spreading the Islamic culture and religious beliefs all over the world

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the enemies started ceaseless plots and attacks against Iran, including the military attack by the U.S. air force in Tabas, repeated bombings and assassination of the Iranian authorities and people at the hands of the mercenaries of the West , and the eight year imposed war which was started against Iran at the instigation of the U.S. and its allies who urged Saddam - the mad dictator of Iraq to attack Iran in 1980 and helped him (even with chemical bombs) throughout the 8 years of war, shooting the Iranian passenger aircraft in 1988, whereby martyring 291 innocent Iranians and so on.

About the achievements and success of the Islamic Revolution of Iran much can be said. Yet here we, content ourselves with the following:

-         Gaining the country's independence and cutting off the (former) dependence upon Western and Eastern colonialists

-         Cutting off the hands of the foreigners from interfering in the affairs of the country

-         Creating self-confidence, self-respect and the urge towards working for self-sufficiency

-         Promotion of people's awareness and their political participation

-          Progress in various technological and scientific fields

-         Industrial and economic advances

-          Struggle against illiteracy on an all-embracing national scale.