Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Unique Movement (8)

Imam Khomeini (God’s mercy upon him) as the greatest expert of Islam who was fully committed to implementing Islamic injunctions acted in a way that the least possible harm would be inflicted upon people. However, this was a difficult job as the enemy didn’t spare any crimes against the revolutionary nation.

Thinkers have given various definitions for revolution. Generally speaking, revolution is described as “the efforts of the people of a country for rapid and basic changes in the political and social infrastructures of their country and replacing the new system and organs within the framework of the revolution’s goals.” It is evident that making these widespread changes in a short time will face the resistance of the ruling system and individuals, parties and currents which want the existing system to survive. Hence, observers consider occurrence of intensive violence in revolutions as natural and inevitable. American theorist, Samuel Huntington, describes revolution as a quick, fundamental and violent change and Austrian author, Arthur Bauer, defines it as successful or unsuccessful efforts carried out for creating changes in the society through enforcement of violence.

According to political and social thinkers, occurrence of violence in revolutions is almost inevitable and the experiences of French, Russian, Cuban, Algerian revolutions confirm this issue. But regarding Iran’s Islamic Revolution, one cannot say such a principle with certainty. Although this great revolution overthrew the monarchic regime and confronted its supporters like the US and Britain, during the struggles no violence was seen on the side of the people. Why did the great movement of Iranian people gained victory and obtained its goals with the least violence? Did the Shah regime face the people with tolerance and flexibility or the leadership of Imam Khomeini led the revolution in a way that the suppressive regime failed to commit widespread crimes it had intended?

Iran’s Islamic Revolution, like any other revolution, aimed at overthrowing the despotic regime and establishes the ideal system on the basis of Islamic criteria. Undoubtedly, Pahlavi regime would stand against such a revolutionary change. The past record of dependent and suppressive regime adhered to no human value and it used to resort to every sort of violence and coercive act to preserve its rule in the country. The suppression of the nationwide uprising for nationalization of oil industry in 1953 with the help of the US and Britain and the people’s liberating movement under the leadership of Imam Khomeini in early 1960s are certain examples of the regime’s behavior with people. With the help of the US and the Zionist regime in 1960s and 1970s, the Pahlavi regime imprisoned, tortured, executed and exiled thousands of people on charges of political activities. Such a blood-thirsty regime would never show flexibility to anyone and it planned to quell the people’s uprising in the most savage way.

The late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, was a very prominent scholar and he was fully committed to implement the Islamic teachings and values. He said: “Our Islamic injunctions, which are the most advanced ones, determine our path. With these injunctions and under the leadership of the great man of the world Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) we will struggle against all powers who plan to invade our country.”

One of the most important Islamic teachings is to shun violence and attempt for solving problems peacefully; for, it is the religion of mercy and peace.

The most important strategy of Imam Khomeini in struggling against Pahlavi regime was the widespread popular demonstrations without resorting to weapons. The Imam knew that any armed movement gives a pretext to the regime for wide killing of people; hence, he just invited people to street protests and opposing the puppet Pahlavi regime and its foreign masters. These nationwide protest rallies were intolerable for the regime which did its best to pretend that it is supported by people. Thus, the regime used security and military forces to suppress the uprising of the Iranian nation. But Imam Khomeini with foresight and cleverness prevented the people from enforcing violence against the soldiers who were the sons of the people. In fact, the soldiers and even most of the army and police commanders were faithful and rose up against oppression and dependence and some of them were from revolutionary families and were passing their military service. Understanding this reality, Imam Khomeini called on people: “The Iranian nation is duty bound to respect non-dependent officers and military officials. People should know that a few treacherous army men cannot taint the majority of the army. The issue of these few men is clear and is separate from the issue of Iranian army. The army is from the nation and the nation is from the army.”

Iranian people in their demonstrations succeeded in communicating with the military and reducing the ground for violence. When the people saw army and security forces, they would chant the slogan: “According to Khomeini, the army is our brother.” Even if the soldiers were commanded to shoot at people, the demonstrators would chant: “O army brother, why do you kill your brother?” Thus the people conveyed the message to the armed forces that we are all brothers and our joint enemy is Shah and the US. This message, in view of religious beliefs and spiritual readiness of soldiers, proved to be very effective in a way that as Imam Khomeini had predicted majority of them fled the army and joined the ranks of people. Even in certain cases, after killing their commander who had ordered them to shoot at people, soldiers would take refuge among people. The last US ambassador to Iran William Sullivan, realizing the religious beliefs and loyalty of the military to people and the revolution, in a report to Washington wrote: This army with this belief cannot stand against people and the revolution.

Imam Khomeini with full recognition of Iran’s armed forces encouraged them to flee the garrisons and join the people.

Imam Khomeini knew well that the army and commanders are religious and oppose the dictatorship of the Shah and just a handful of senior commanders are loyal to him. Thus the late Imam a few months before the victory of the revolution, in a statement, addressing army commanders, said: “Iran is your country and the Iranian nation is your nation, join the nation. I know that many of you are loyal to the nation, the country and Islam and you are upset with the killing and looting carried out by the treacherous Shah, his relatives and the international criminals.” In an interview, in a prophetic and accurate analysis, Imam Khomeini said: “Certainly there are a few army officials who under the Shah support had been partner in negligence of the country and they were accomplices in murders and tortures but there are many soldiers and officers whose hearts are still with the nation and are angry with the Shah especially due to the hegemony of American advisors over them. Due to the link they have with people, sooner or later they will return to the lap of the nation and now its signs have appeared.”

Thus, Imam Khomeini’s prudence and the Iranian people’s steadfastness practically paralyzed the Shah’s most powerful tool that is the army.

Even prior to the escape of Mohammad Reza Shah from Iran and in view of the arrival of the American general Robert Ernest Huyser in Iran, many believed that the US is seeking to hatch a bloody coup in Iran. But the Imam who was well aware of the situation of the Iranian army, said: “It is likely that the treacherous fugitive Shah commit a grave crime i.e. military coup and I have repeatedly reminded that this is his last blow but the brave nation knows that except a few affiliated and bloodthirsty men who have apparently important posts and they have been introduced to me, the honest army men will not allow these puppets to commit such crime which is against their religion and nation.” A few weeks later, Imam Khomeini with such confidence left France for Iran and once again stressed that: “Sooner or later, the army will join the nation and basically except a few men the rest believe in the path of nation and I am aware of how most of them think.”

With Imam Khomeini’s prudent guidelines and people’s brotherhood toward the army, not only the scale of violence and killing in Iran’s Islamic Revolution was the lowest compared to other revolutions, but the joining people by the armed forces dealt a big blow to the rotten Pahlavi regime. After paying allegiance to Imam Khomeini by the air force personnel, a group of the airborne personnel at a garrison in Tehran held protest rallies against the regime and asked for the people’s help. All of a sudden, masses of people rushed to help their military brothers and the garrisons in Tehran and other cities fell one by one without bloodshed. Thus the greatest revolution in the world gained victory with the least violence and bloodshed.

FK/RM/SS