Welcome to this week's episode of the series "Find out more about the Islamic Revolution". Today, we study the views of Mr. Ali Mirsepassi about Iran's Islamic Revolution.

Dr. Ali Mirsepassi received his BA in Political Sciences from Tehran University, his MA in International Relations and his PhD in Sociology from American universities. Currently, he is the professor of sociology and Middle Eastern studies at Gallatin Department of New York University, which focuses on Iran-related topics, especially Iranian modernity. He was a researcher at the Institute of Carnegie from 2007-2009. His studies mainly revolve around the history of theories on modernity, and sociology of religion. He has authored many compilations, some of which have been warmly welcomed by Iran's scientific community. He has also won a number of awards and honors such as the Best Iranian Researcher of 2001, and the honorary professor of Tehran University.

One of his books: Reflections on Iranian Modernity, which was published by Cambridge University in the year 2000, was chosen as the Best Cultural Study of the Year in 2001. In this book, the process of materialization of modernity in Iran has been analyzed and has been pointed out that modernity has entered Iran from the West.

Dr. Mirsepassi is among theorists, whose theories on Iran have been influenced by the religious nature of Iran's Islamic Revolution. He presents an especial viewpoint about Iran's Islamic Revolution. He notes that Iran's Islamic Revolution marks a turning point which shows the crisis of secular policy in our times. In other words, Dr. Mirsepassi, like other theorists on revolution, and researchers of Iran's affairs, believes that the emergence and culmination of Iran's Islamic Revolution was the reaction and opposition of the overwhelming majority of Iranian people against the type of modernity considered by the former despotic Pahlavi regime, which would lead to separation of people from the Islamic culture and Shia School of Thought.

Dr. Mirsepassi believes that the former Pahlavi despotic regime began the westernization of the Iranian community in economic, social, and cultural domains in the 1960s and 1970s, which led to cultural self-alienation, and polarization of the Iranian community, while surging the political despotism of the suppressive Pahlavi regime. He also believes that the westernization policies of the former dictatorial regime rose the number of urbanites, and escalated inequalities, poverty, and other social vulnerabilities in Iran, thereby reinforcing popular protests against Iran's former repressive regime.

Within the third chapter of his book: Reflections on Iranian Modernity, Dr. Mirsepassi refers to the strenuous and futile efforts of the former repressive regime of Iran for secularization of the Iranian community. He reminds that during the reign of repressive Pahlavi regime, upon the acceptance of modernity, and indifference toward the traditional and religious demands of Iranian people, in addition to resorting to force; Pahlavi regime made strenuous efforts for secularization of the Iranian society. However, this faulty policy backlashed in the long run, with people and intellectuals returning to their religious and traditional roots.

This Iranian university professor strongly believes that secularism has reached a deadlock in Iran, because of the religious nature and identity of the Iranian society, and the superiority of Islamic role model in comparison to the westernized model in Iran.

He also points out that the Father of Islamic Revolution, late Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) presented a popular political ideology which granted a new identity, social solidarity, and sense of power, to the self-alienated people of Iran. The secular political dialog and its supporters were incapable of confronting the Islamic political dialog and its supporters, and were therefore marginalized; with the Islamic dialog emerging as victorious. Dr. Mirsepassi adds that the Islamic culture and ideology played a decisive and pivotal role in the victory of Islamic Revolution.

Dr. Mirsepassi believes that in addition to the religious current, even some of the secular ideological currents opposed the policies of Pahlavi despotic regime. He points out that the so- called development which was considered by the Pahlavi repressive regime, led to the opposition of Islamic and secular currents with the former Iranian dictator, Shah. He also strongly believes that intellectuals; including traditional, liberal, and radical intellectuals highly contributed to the failure of secularism and emergence and culmination of Iran's Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Dr. Mirsepassi emphasizes on the especial role of the leadership of the Father of Islamic Revolution, late Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) in the failure of secularism, and considers it as an important factor in the culmination of the Islamic Revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

MR/MG