Islamic Revolution in the Eyes of Intellectuals (7)

The Islamic Revolution that triumphed in Iran these days in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (God bless him) to rid the country from domestic despotism and foreign hegemony, was one of the greatest events of the twentieth century – if not the past few centuries.

One of the factors for its victory was the mass participation of people from all classes and walks of life in the fight against the British-installed and American-backed Pahlavi regime. The second feature which distinguishes the Islamic Revolution from other revolutions is its religious nature. As part of our programmes to mark the 38^th anniversary of the victory of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, in a series of short episodes we will attempt to introduce this great Revolution to our listeners from the standpoint of intellectuals. Today we will refer to the views of Robin Wright and of Peter Chavsky about the impressive role of the Iranian masses in the victory of the Islamic Revolution. It is worth mentioning that Wright has witnessed the uprising of the Iranian people from close quarters.

The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was not just a local event to change a political regime. In the words of American and European statesmen, who have admitted in their memoirs, the Islamic Revolution was a destructive earthquake for the West. These viewpoints, although grudgingly admitted by western intellectuals, manifest the glory of the Islamic Revolution and its international impacts. Not many journalists in the West are familiar with the Iranian culture and the public viewpoint in Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, as Robin Wright. As a journalist, she first traveled to Iran in 1973 and she was in the country during the memorable events of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Wright has illustrated every single moment of the Revolution in her book titled "The Last Great Revolution: Revolution and Change in Iran". As a female writer, Wright describes the events following the Revolution in 1979 from an analytical perspective. She believes the Islamic Revolution has enabled Iran to properly implement the laws of Islam. She writes: "Here, I see women in clad scarf and Chador who freely participate in different social and political scenes and this is the remarkable consequence of Islamic Revolution. This proves the active and religious participation of women in the Iran." Robin Wright compares the Islamic Revolution with the revolutions in Russia and France and considers it as the Last and Greatest Revolution in human history.

Peter Chavsky is another intellectual of the West, who has written a book about the Islamic Revolution named "Picturing a Revolution". He analyzes the Islamic Revolution as follows:

"The Islamic Revolution of Iran is one of the most uncommon historical events which displayed the superiority and power of words over weapons pretty well. Imam Khomeini's words, as well as public slogans and posters, overthrew a type of regime which boasted of ruling Iran of over 2.500 years.

Chavsky illustrates an excellent picture of the Islamic Revolution where a set of slogans and revolutionary symbols succeeded in overthrowing the British-installed and American-backed Pahlavi regime. The writer considers the most important weapons of the people against the monarchial regime as their beliefs and religious faith. On the basis of documents, Chavsky, who is different from most western thinkers and analysts, proves that the public power was the only reason that could make the Islamic Revolution triumph in Iran.

MA/AS/SS