A study of the United States’ history of such events reveals that with the end of the Cold War, the policy of maintaining the status quo gave way to a kind of engineering “management and guidance” of the new situation that aimed to serve the interests of the only superpower, the United States. The onset of the Persian Gulf War and the United States’ invasion of Iraq in the 1990s is considered the beginning of new United States policies towards the region, following the changes in the international system.
When the United States pursued its policies in a unipolar system based on the principles of hegemony, or in other words American peace, the Middle East became one of the strategic priorities of the country. On the one hand, having access to the richest region in terms of underground reserves was in line with the United States’ interests, and on the other hand, the need to ensure the security of producing, supplying and transferring energy as a hegemon’s duty towards its allies and other countries of the international system, required the United States’ role in the developments of the Middle East.
The events of September 11 provided the necessary motivation and excuse for the emergence and pursuit of this religious-political belief by American leaders. The invasion of Afghanistan and the achievement of transient successes in this country further consolidated that approach thereby causing the country to put the invasion of Iraq on the agenda. The United States claimed the purpose of attacking Iraq was to destroy weapons of mass destruction and to establish a democratic state which respects human rights based on a Western definition and serves as a role model for other countries in the Middle East.
The events of September 11, 2001, and the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington are among the most significant events in United States’ political history and a turning point in the international system, which the United States officials considered an attack on American soil.
Defining the Concept of Extremism and Terrorism
Terrorism is a socio-political construct, based on which the notions of friendship with and enmity towards the United States would create such a concept as a political label that aims to degrade the opposition.
The Approach of the Islamic Revolution to Extremism and Terrorism
The behaviour and action of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the international arena are based on its foreign policy. The most significant elements in this regard include denying tyranny and submission to it; supporting the oppressed and liberation movements; defending the Muslims; avoiding interfering in the internal affairs of countries; observing mutual respect; and respecting the people’s right to self-determination.
The Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with their approach to the phenomenon of terrorism in the region, have put effort into establishing Islamic unity, being anti-arrogance, countering United States expansionism in the region, supporting Muslims in the region, especially the Lebanese people, rebuilding Iraq and restoring stability to the region, as well as addressing security concerns. In this regard, one may refer to the steps taken by Iran such as its stance towards the popular uprisings in the region, opposition to arrogance and United States aggression in the region, supporting Lebanese and Palestinian Muslims, as well as ideological endeavours in Iraq. One of the most important examples of the Islamic Revolution’s struggle against extremism and terrorism can be recognized in the field of “intellectual war” and “physical war.”
Terrorism in the Middle East is an anti-Islamic awakening movement that incites religious and ideological prejudices and has been used by Western countries, especially the United States. Based on this approach, the United States pursues the “constructive chaos” approach in the West Asian region.
Contrary to the constructive chaos approach, the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to promote regional stability. In addition to the divine ideal, the religious foundations and the political thought of the leaders of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers its national and security interests to be rooted in the stability of the region and its countries which requires the formation of independent and democratic governments.
From the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, terrorism is created, promoted and supported to restore lost interests. Terrorism in the Middle East is a proxy war in favour of arms companies. This colonial policy is carried out in the shadow of the United States’ endeavours to establish security in the countries of the region, such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, and Palestine. In the statements of the Supreme Leader about the approach of the Islamic Revolution to terrorism, we read: “We have cooperated with those people who fought against terrorism in our country and Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. We helped them and we will continue to do that. We are opposed to terrorism. The most dangerous and vicious terrorists in the region are the Zionists. We are faced with and opposed to the Zionists. They say Iran supports terrorism. It is you who support terrorism! It is America that supports the terrorist Zionist regime. It is America that created Daesh. You supported those terrorists in Syria who kill people, burn individuals alive, tear open a dead man’s chest and pull out and sink their teeth into hearts. It was you who supported such terrorists. It was you who encouraged them.”
From the point of view of the Islamic Republic, terrorism has different levels, namely local, regional and international. The modern terrorism led by Daesh is international terrorism that is aimed at overthrowing governments, promoting Islamophobia and dominating the Islamic world. The current terrorism, from the perspective of the Islamic Republic, especially in the view of the Supreme Leader, is waging a “proxy war.” Moreover, the terrorist groups seek to carry out punitive actions against the Islamic World and the Islamic Revolution on behalf of the West and the United States
Today, confronting the aggression of Daesh is rooted in the discourse of the Revolution, and the Islamic Republic not only does so by providing financial support and manpower but also has sought to pursue this policy regarding the Islamic World and the Islamic Resistance Axis. Ayatollah Khamenei states: “We support the oppressed as much as we can. We support them within the scope of our capabilities because it is our responsibility to do so.”
Reference: Pazhuheshnameh-ye Enqelab-e Eslami [A Quarterly Academic-Research Journal on Islamic Revolution]. Vol 8, No 28, Fall 2018, Pp 1-22.
Archive of The Thought of the Islamic Revolution
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