Welcome to this week's episode of the series "Find out more about the Islamic Revolution". Today, we study the views of three Western theorists; Yann Richard, Jean Pierre Digard, and Anthony Black, about Iran's Islamic Revolution.

Dr. Yann Richard is the French theorist and Islamologist, manager and lecturer of the Institute of Iranology, affiliated to France's Sorbonne University. He received his BA in general linguistics, and his MA in philosophy. He also maintains two PhDs in the scientific courses of Islamic studies and political sciences. This Western theorist has received a diploma in Farsi language from the National Institute of Eastern Languages and Civilizations, situated in Paris. He has been the lecturer of Iranian Studies at Sorbonne University; the manager of the Institute of Iranology at Sorbonne University, manager of the collection of works and documents department of Institute of Iranology, head of French Association of Iranology in Iran. he has also carried out extensive studies on Farsi language and literature, Iran's contemporary history, religion in Iran, Iran's contemporary community, and Shia School of Thought in contemporary Iran. in addition to the said activities, this Western theorist has authored a number of books on several topics such as Iran in the 20^th Century, and Shia Islam. This French theorist maintains a cultural outlook toward Iran's Islamic Revolution, while criticizing theories based on structuralism, under the influence of Islamic Revolution.

Dr. Yann Richard believes that the former Pahlavi despotic regime was increasingly attracted toward Western culture as of the 1960s; generating major concerns among the majority of people from different walks of life, especially among Ulema. He underlines that the former Iranian dictator, Mohammad Reza Shah, was immensely attracted to Western culture, while neglecting Iranian people's religious beliefs; and making strenuous efforts to somehow sabotage the religious identity of the Iranian nation; which was the main factor in the ouster of former Pahlavi dictatorial regime.

This Western theorist reminds that the established bond between Western culture and its political and economic domination on Iran in the 1970s, prompted the opposition of leading Iranian clerics against Western culture. These leading Iranian clergy always put emphasis on the need to revive Iranians' cultural identity. This French Islamologist reiterates that Iran's Islamic Revolution was deeply rooted in Shia ideology.

One of the other Western theorists about Iran's Islamic Revolution, is Jean Pierre Digard. He is a French anthropologist, who has mainly focused on the Shia culture in his theories about the Islamic Revolution.

Digard strongly believes that revolutionary Shiasm is a historical phenomenon, and was the main revolutionary motivational force behind the emergence and victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Hence, he points out that Iran's Islamic Revolution cannot be assumed as another form of social revolutions; and cannot be understood without consideration of the major in-depth religious parameters that resulted in the culmination of the Islamic Revolution.

He notes that Shia Islam, as the religion of the majority of Iranian people, has always played a decisive role in opposition to the repressive rule of former Pahlavi regime. This Western theorist notes that the epic of Ashura, within which the Third Infallible Imam of the Prophet of Islam's Household, Imam Hussein (AS), and his 72 steadfast companions courted martyrdom in their confrontation with the ungodly troops of the tyrant, Yazid, in the land of Karbala, marks the true birth of Shia School of Thought. He also puts emphasis on the remarkable influence of the epic of Ashura on the emergence and culmination of Iran's Islamic Revolution. This Western theorist reminds that every year in the holy month of Moharam, ceremonies are held by the Iranian nation to mark the anniversary of the epic of Ashura; and in this manner the epic of Ashura has turned into an enriched, dynamic, and ever-lasting source for the political and social lives of the Iranian nation.

The other fact which is pointed out by Digard in relation to Iran's Islamic Revolution is the important role of clergy, especially the Father of Islamic Revolution, late Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) in usage of religious symbols to shape the Islamic Revolution. Digard underlines that Iran's Islamic Revolution is the product of utmost efforts of Shia clerics and their Islamic campaign in the recent century.

Anthony Black is another Western thinker, who has referred to the phenomenon of Islamic Revolution in one of his main books; considering the emergence and culmination of the Islamic Revolution to be the outcome of three factors, which are namely the suppressive rule of the former Pahlavi despotic regime; the strenuous and in vain efforts of the former Pahlavi dictatorial regime to somehow sabotage the Iranian nation's religious beliefs; and the unique leadership of the Father of Islamic Revolution, late Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him), who guided the people of Iran to the righteous path.

MR/MG