Islamic revolution at 36

by Zafar Bangash February, 2015 How the Islamic revolution in Iran has survived for 36 years despite unrelenting aggression from imperialist and Zionist powers is inspirational. It is the commitment of the people of Iran to Islam and the taqwa of its muttaqi leadership. Given so much turmoil in the world, especially in the Muslim East (aka the Middle East), there is one country in the region — Islamic Iran — that stands out as a beacon of light and stability. Despite decades of illegal Western-imposed sanctions that are still in place, external invasion and massive internal sabotage, it is truly remarkable that the Islamic State is not only standing but making good progress. Other countries would have collapsed long ago. What accounts for Iran’s stability and progress? It would be wrong to assume that just because it is endowed with huge oil and gas wealth, it is able to weather the storm. After all, other oil producers — Iraq, Libya, even Syria and Saudi Arabia — are gripped by turmoil. Iraq has been devastated by repeated invasions and sanctions. Islamic Iran, too, has been subjected to this kind of aggression, ironically even from Iraq, yet it stands strong. Libya is completely broken; there is no government to talk of. Syria is engulfed in a war instigated and financed from abroad. It has been able to withstand this grand conspiracy thanks to the support it has received from Hizbullah (Iran’s ally) and Iran itself. And the artificial Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite being described as an “island of stability” by US President Barack Obama (January 28) — Saudis beware, remember Jimmy Carter’s fateful words about declaring the Shah’s regime as an “island of stability” in late 1977 — is teetering on the brink. Its survival is no longer assured and it is not only because it just lost a king or that the new one is also old and suffers from dementia. Its internal contradictions are catching up.

What accounts for Iran’s stability and progress? It can be summed up in one word: Islam. Iran has embarked on the Islamic path to address the needs of its people as well as establish a system in which the downtrodden and the oppressed are treated fairly. True, Islamic Iran is not perfect; there never has been or will be a perfect state but it is far better than almost all others. Unlike Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, Iran’s adherence to Islam is not superficial. There is a genuine commitment to live up to Islamic ideals. It is evident in the simplicity of its leaders, starting with the Rahbar, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, that trickles down all the way to the lowest level. Taqwa (the active self-consciousness of Allah’s (swt) power-presence) flows from the top; when the leaders are muttaqi, they inspire those below to emulate their example. And wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a rapacious few at the top. In every other Muslim society, taqwa exists largely among the poor, downtrodden masses (or whatever their understanding of it) but it does not spread to those at the top. Instead, there is concentration of wealth in their hands at the top. This creates resentment and, therefore, instability in society. It is not surprising that few Muslim societies have any stability; Turkey and Malaysia can be cited as exceptions but in a limited sense.

Two other remarkable aspects of Islamic Iran are its total independence from foreign influence or interference, and no external debt. Measured on any scale, these are absolutely outstanding achievements. Western predatory powers do not tolerate any country exercising independent judgment; they use their massive military muscle to beat the recalcitrant country back into line. They have tried this with Islamic Iran as well for nearly four decades but have failed miserably. Similarly, by not being part of the international financial system — Iran is not a member of the Bank of International Settlements, an institution dominated by international banksters and thieves — it has skillfully avoided the capitalist financial fraud perpetrated regularly to impoverish others while accumulating wealth in the hands of the few. Only adherence to true Islamic principles enables people to withstand such pressure. Iran is the embodiment of such values and a model for other Muslims to emulate, if only they can take off their sectarian blinkers.