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| The Rise of Political Islam : The
Iranian Revolution |
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| The Iranian Revolution
of 1979 was one of the most pivotal events in the development
of contemporary political Islam. However, to understand the
revolution and its place in the Islamic world, it is imperative
to remember that the Iranians and their revolution originated
from the Shiites, a minority branch of Islam. Their form of
Islam is quite different in its character and beliefs from
the faith practiced by Sunnis, who constitute the majority
of Muslims.
The revolution itself, as well as contemporary Iranian society
and culture, vividly expressed these differences. |
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GROWING OPPOSITION
TO THE SHAH OF IRAN |
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The Iranian Revolution marked the culmination
of a decades-long struggle by the Iranian people against the
corrupt and repressive regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,
who ascended the Peacock Throne of Iran in 1941 with the help
of Great Britain and the United States. The opposition, which
had been building since a CIA-backed coup ousted popular nationalist
Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq in 1953, came not only from
Islamic groups, but also from nationalist, socialist and communist
groups. One of its most charismatic leaders was a Shiite cleric,
the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was exiled following
a bloody crackdown in 1963.
By the early 1970s, Iran’s universities had become breeding
grounds for all forms of radicalism, from the most conservative
Shiites to the most radical leftists. Street demonstrations
and strikes became more and more common, leading to further
repression. By the end of 1978, this unrest effectively paralyzed
the country and many cities were under martial law. |
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THE ISLAMIC
REVOLUTION |
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The Shah fled in January 1979. A few
weeks later, Khomeini returned from exile to take control
of the country. He appointed a nationalist as prime minister
of the provisional government. However, the united front that
had toppled the Shah quickly collapsed in turn. In March,
Iranians voted overwhelmingly in favor of an Islamic republic
in a plebiscite boycotted by many of the left-wing parties.
The Iranian revolution became the Islamic Revolution, and
those groups that did not accept this turn to the right were
soon crushed or forced underground. The popular referendum
established the Islamic Republic of Iran, ruled by Shia Islamic
teachings, revolutionary ideology and limited democratic principles.
Iran began exporting its revolutionary ideals in a bid to
unseat the Saudis as the leaders of political Islam. By offering
significant financial and military support to Palestinian
groups like Islamic Jihad, as well as to Shiite groups fighting
against the Israelis in Lebanon, the Iranians hoped to win
popular support from politically minded Muslims of all denominations. |
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IMPACT ON
THE MUSLIM WORLD |
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| The Iranians have enjoyed some success,
especially among the Palestinians, but the real impact of
their revolution has been indirect. The Iranian revolution
convinced other Muslim revolutionaries that they could realize
their dream of establishing an Islamic state. It also helped
fill their ranks with waves of new cadres inspired by events
in Iran. Finally, it cast the United States in a new role
as an enemy of Islam. By showing what could be done, the Iranians
inspired a new generation of revolutionary Muslims and encouraged
them to take an ever more militant stance, particularly toward
the United States. |
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