The relation of culture and politics is another important element in making a cultural theory. Here, too, Imam Khomeini holds the same approach he adopted regarding the relationship between economics and culture. With an emphasis on its nurturing aspect, freedom, independence, and the acquisition of power are all areas for culture: “Victory is not about achieving freedom or independence and gaining the interests. Is that enough? This is just the beginning.”
Therefore, politics is also seen as a preliminary stage of the culture to which it is considered as an instrument.
The Limits of Sovereignty in Culture
Another issue that is in some way correlated with the relation of culture and politics is the boundaries of sovereignty in culture. “There is disagreement among scholars about the government’s involvement in cultural policy-making. Some advocate minimal intervention while others favour maximum involvement of the government in policymaking. As one of the most influential thinkers of modern times in contemporary Iranian history, Imam Khomeini sees culture as the basis for political and economic issues. In his view... the cultural policy-making is the result of the interaction of the government and the nation.” However, with a deeper look, this interaction can be illustrated in the context of the ummah and Imamate. On this basis, Imam Khomeini’s statements while addressing the cultural demands of the state institutions and the government emphasize the role of the people in this regard.
The Role of the Media
Imam Khomeini’s understanding of the media and their role in society is another important part of his cultural theory. Three roles can be mentioned in this regard:
One of the roles that Imam Khomeini considers for the media is the educational role. Imam Khomeini’s interpretations and remarks reflect the high status of the media in his view, given his position regarding the issue of education.
Public education is another explanation that is provided by Imam Khomeini concerning the role of the media in society. From his point of view, the media acts as a public university that seeks to nurture combatant, thoughtful, independent, free, and non-Westernized individuals.
The Revolutionary Islam and Revolutionary Man
In examining Imam Khomeini’s cultural theory, we can refer to two key concepts which play a major role in the main themes of cultural theory: both explain much of the content of Imam Khomeini’s cultural theory, elaborate clear social implications and also illuminate the perspective of this cultural theory on individuals and culture. At the same time, the initial outline of these two concepts can be considered as one of the innovations and specifics of Imam Khomeini’s thought. These two concepts are revolutionary Islam and revolutionary man. In fact, these two concepts are part of Imam Khomeini’s cultural theory with which he analyzes Iran’s Islamic Revolution as well as the social revolution. The revolutionary Islam that makes a human revolution and the revolutionary man that is the cause of the Islamic Revolution.
A) Revolutionary Islam
In the view of Imam Khomeini regarding the analysis of the history of contemporary culture and thought, the Islamic thought before the Islamic Revolution is totally marginalized. Imam Khomeini believes that the version of Islam that is being promoted is not true Islam; it is a distorted version of Islam that does not include its important aspects. There are no sign of justice and freedom-seeking Islam in that incomplete picture of Islam:
Islam is the religion of the mujahidin who seek justice. It is the religion of those who want freedom and independence. It is a school that inspires the combatants and those who are anti-colonial. But they have defined this religion in a different way. The misconception of Islam, which has been created in the public mind, as well as its incomplete version which is presented in the seminaries, seek to take away its revolutionary and Islamic features.
Of course, colonial plots and the ignorance of the clergymen were both caused such a situation to occur. In this critical view, Imam Khomeini highlights the “incomplete form of Islam in seminaries” and while comparing the “practical treatises” as the intellectual products of the scholars to the Quran criticizes them and says, “There is a big difference between them and the Quran in terms of the comprehensiveness and influencing the social life.”
Therefore, in his view “what is referred to as Islam” is “incomplete,” does not encompass the social dimensions of Islam and its “revolutionary and essential feature” is taken away from it; therefore, emphasizing the importance of devotional and divine aspects of Islam and that “you should teach and spread the issues related to rituals and worships,” he insists that other aspects of Islam should be addressed as well: “what is of importance is the political issues of Islam; the economic and legal issues of Islam. These issues should be addressed.”
The above-mentioned statements represent the general outline of speeches given by Imam Khomeini in January 1970 in Najaf. These remarks are made during his classes in Najaf. While this presentation metaphorically illustrates the status of jurisprudence in Imam Khomeini’s thought, it also provides a complete overview of the status of past struggles as well as a more comprehensive vision of future struggles. This is why the book containing those statements was banned during the pre-revolutionary years and was often brought to the country by the pilgrims of Makkah or under a different title.
It is based on these analyzes that Imam Khomeini is tracing the history of the campaign of the Islamic Revolution. It is a correct analysis that Imam Khomeini sought to achieve the Islamic objectives during the revolutionary struggle. This analysis provides clear insights in the light of rejecting the perspectives which indicate that the struggles during the revolution aimed at gaining personal interests and removing the eclectic notions from Imam Khomeini’s struggles.
But this is not very effective in terms of explaining the epistemic nature of the basic views of Imam Khomeini and the revolution: as a religious scholar and marja’ al-taqlid (source of emulation) what could Imam Khomeini seek except Islam? In this position, the mere emphasis on the Islamic features of Imam Khomeini’s movement may cause ambiguities; since the movement of Imam Khomeini was as anti-Islamic as it was Islamic. The term “Imam Khomeini’s movement was Islamic” is clear. But the same movement is totally against “what is referred to as Islam.”
The version of Islam that is the basis of the Islamic Revolution is placed at variance with the type of Islam which the bigoted individuals promote in a sanctimonious atmosphere within the seminaries, and those influenced by colonialism pursue it in an enlightened environment which is intertwined with a capitalist and Marxist idea.
Understanding the revolution as the scene for seeing the conflict between the two conceptions of Islam is a picture the examples of which can be found throughout Imam Khomeini’s speeches, messages, and letters.
B) The Revolutionary Man
From the perspective of Imam Khomeini’s analysis of the revolution, the Islamic Revolution is the product of human collective action that emerges after the human revolution: that is, the revolutionary man. The inner transformation and change creates some elements for the revolutionary man that can be studied from two major aspects: “transformation from” and “transformation to.” What is meant by the transformation is the origin and status of the revolutionary human being before he experiences a change. This is mainly made to add the consciousness of the revolutionary man to his new status. But as far as the “transformation to” is concerned, Imam Khomeini seeks the reintroduction of the revolutionary nature of Iranian society to itself. During the revolution and afterwards, Imam Khomeini repeatedly called for returning to self, explaining the components of this self in the context of the concept of revolutionary man.
Imam Khomeini’s explanation of this component does not merely address the normative, ethical, and recommended aspects; rather, it is based on describing an important social event.
One of the most important issues in explaining this human revolution and the anthropology of the Islamic Revolution is the characteristics of the human being before this transformation and the characteristics of the revolutionary man or a human after he experiences the transformation. Westernization is one of the most important characteristics of a human being who has not yet experienced a human revolution.
Although the theoretical literature developed by Imam Khomeini often deals with the specific case of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, there are clear indications that his view goes beyond Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. These signs would become clear when Imam Khomeini analyzes the Islamic Revolution in a context that is more general than its history and society. In a way, it can be said that Imam Khomeini is portraying the image of a great revolution regarding Iran’s Islamic Revolution. A revolution that is unique in history, but can be reproduced in different Islamic and non-Islamic societies. As some revolutionary theorists have stated: “Some of the revolutions have come to an end; Iran’s Islamic Revolution is the beginning of a new kind of revolutions.” Imam Khomeini’s image of “an unparalleled revolution in history which can be reoccurred” or “a great Islamic Revolution” becomes more highlighted when he, addressing the revolutionary fighters across the world, analyzes the historical dimension of the Islamic Revolution and reviews the experience of the Iranian Revolution to be reproduced in other societies.
There are also many issues, events, and phenomena in the historical course and social horizon of the revolution, all of which are explained by Imam Khomeini based on his understanding of the Islamic Revolution; also, there are some issues that go beyond the mere history and deal with the development and social revolution within the society. However, in all these cases, Imam Khomeini talks about the “human and inner revolution” as the prominent concept and through such characteristics of the “revolutionary man” he analyzes and explains the issues; hence, any consideration of the revolutionary theory needs that human revolution and its product, that is the revolutionary man, being carefully examined.
Social Stability
From the perspective of Imam Khomeini, the revolutionary Islam and the human revolution have led to filling important social gaps in Iranian society creating unparalleled social solidarity that contributes to social stability. These interrelated discontinuities include religious and ethnic discontinuities:
“This fraternity and brotherhood which were created in Iran along with this great change harmonized all the strata. The Sunni with their Shi’ah brothers, the university has become one with the religious study centres and brought Turks, Arabs and Persians together. Look at what this unity in a limited country with a limited population has done to the superpowers.”
“Now, this unity and solidarity can be seen throughout Iran.” At the social level and among the different sections of society, there is also a correlation between those who have different roles in the social system. Imam Khomeini calls such inclusive solidarity, “another spreading that refers to groups and communities,” explicitly stating that the scope of the concept of revolutionary Islam goes beyond the system of social classification and includes “all classes of the nation.”
Finally, the development and revolution which occur within the man would remove all disagreements and social as well as geographical gaps.
Social Change
On the other hand, in Imam Khomeini’s cultural theory, culture and specifically the two concepts of revolutionary Islam and human revolution also have clear implications in social change. The revolutionary Islam brought about a human revolution which, although it was internal, occurred within the general public and was somehow a collective community experience. On the other hand, the revolutionary man, with the potential that revolutionary Islam had created for him as a culture, engaged in a collective action that led to the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution.
Individual and Culture: Maximum Ability, Maximum Limitation
From the point of view of Imam Khomeini, revolutionary Islam and its subsequent human revolution have provided many opportunities for revolutionary man. Here we would briefly address the features of the culture of revolutionary Islam that has enabled both the revolutionary man to create new spaces for his actions and hindered the occurrences of some actions.
The Importance of Culture in Creating a Space for Certain Actions
Revolutionary Islam has provided many opportunities for social action by making human beings become revolutionary men. Most of these actions are less likely to go back to Weber’s theory regarding human action. The revolutionary Islam has given the revolutionary man the opportunity and ability to perform different social actions by shaping a human transformation. Imam Khomeini addresses this opportunity by using the terms and expressions such as “gaining the state of being powerful.”
This “miraculous” transformation has given the revolutionary man the opportunity to take bold social actions which create the basis of his resistance to the former regime’s law enforcement and military power.
The Importance of Culture in Restricting Certain Actions
Here Imam Khomeini points out the crucial importance of restricting aspects of culture, that culture — and in our case part of it under the name of revolutionary Islam and revolutionary man — limits the performance of certain actions. It is in such a context that Imam Khomeini looks for the difference between the Islamic Revolution and other revolutions: “The revolutions that occur in the world are of two kinds: Islamic and non-Islamic. If a revolution is non-Islamic, there is no subsequent restraint or discipline. They behave as they like with the people; there is no control. But if a revolution is Islamic; that is, based on Islamic ideology and Islamic tenets, it should be Islamic and subject to Islamic tenets from the beginning to the end — forever — that it and its effects are there. Thanks to God that our nation has reached this stage and has been victorious up to now. But victory is not that we have just got rid of the taghut. True victory lies in our being able to transform ourselves into beings that are human, godly and Islamic, and whose deeds, beliefs and morals are all Islamic.”
Therefore, Imam Khomeini emphasizes both the limiting dimension of culture and the opportunities for the occurrence of actions provided by it.
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