The Influence of Iran’s Islamic Revolution on the Shi’ahs of Pakistan

Abstract

The Islamic Revolution in Iran was one of the greatest events of the twentieth century, which, in addition to causing fundamental changes in the political system and Iranian society, also went beyond the borders and inspired Muslims in various countries. The Iranian Revolution has had the greatest impact on the region’s Shi’ah populations. Meanwhile, the Shi’ahs of Pakistan, due to their proximity to Iran, the existence of a common cultural, linguistic and religious heritage, etc., have been deeply affected by the Iranian Revolution. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this article aims to study the influences of Iran’s Islamic Revolution on the Shi’ahs of Pakistan based on Diffusion Theory. The results of the research show that the effects of the Iranian Revolution on the Shi’ahs of Pakistan were influenced by the characteristics of the origin of Diffusion Theory (Iran) and its destination (Pakistan) as well as the neighbourhood effect and in most of the of cases, they have been in the form of the Contagious Diffusions. The Iranian Revolution has brought challenges and opportunities for Pakistan’s Shi’ahs. The Iranian Revolution revived the political-social Shi’ah movements in Pakistan, causing them to be more political and organized. This was manifested in the self-awareness, identity-seeking and the strengthening of Shi’ah religious behaviour; the increase of political demands; the institutionalization and formation of the political organizations and the parties and the more prominent role of Shi’ahs in the politics of the country. But on the other hand, the barriers to the diffusion, which included a range of domestic, regional and trans-regional forces, have created a new wave of anti-Shi’ah violence in Pakistan that continues to this day.

Introduction

Usually, the revolutions have important political, social, economic and cultural implications in the country in which they occur, in the region and even the world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran is one of the greatest events of the twentieth century, which has been studied in many scientific and research circles around the world. Iran’s Islamic Revolution‎, in addition to causing fundamental changes in the political order and society of Iran, also moved beyond the borders and saw its stability in spreading the ideology throughout the world. For the most part, it has influenced the Shi’ah populations of the region though it provided the Islamic movements with a practical and real role model; On the one hand, it highlighted Shiism and introduced it to the world and on the other hand, it gave the Shi’ah communities in different countries a sense of self-reliance thereby encouraging them to take steps towards growth and political advancement. Iran’s Islamic Revolution ‎ led to the formation or re-organization of the Islamic and Shi’ah movements causing them to stand up for their rights and showing their identity. On the other hand, a Shi’ah government in Iran would change the factors that affected the geopolitics of the region making the West change its perspective on the region and its geopolitical factors. The Iranian Revolution upset the balance of power in the region, changed the policies of regional and trans-regional powers in the Middle East and provoked sensitivities and reactions toward countries with Shi’ah populations. Due to its proximity to Iran, its cultural, religious and linguistic heritage, as well as its significant Shi’ah population, which greatly influenced the rapid spread of the Islamic Revolution in the country, Pakistan had been greatly influenced by the Revolution and after the Revolution, it became the centre of the attention of the regional and trans-regional powers. Furthermore, the regional and trans-regional policies sought to neutralize the influences of the Islamic Revolution on Pakistan. This article aims to study the influence of Iran’s Islamic Revolution on the Shi’ahs of Pakistan and show why and how the opposition groups to the Iranian Revolution function in Pakistan to prevent the Iranian Revolution from affecting the Shi’ahs of the country.

Theoretical Foundations of the Research

Due to its cultural nature, “Diffusion Theory” has a significant interpretive or explanatory ability to show the effects of the Islamic Revolution on other countries. Diffusion Theory, proposed by the Swedish geographer Hagger Strand in 1935, deals with how innovations and phenomena, ideas and thoughts spread. 

Although at first this theory had been used for agricultural phenomena and the prevalence of diseases, later on, it covered other branches of human geography and was also used in political science and international relations. Dissemination or diffusion is a process according to which a cultural matter that is a hallmark of a society is borrowed and accepted in another society. Diffusion is of various types such as Relocation Diffusion, Hierarchic Diffusion and Contagious Diffusion. In Relocation Diffusion, the movement of an idea or innovation takes place through the physical transfer or move of an individual or group carrying an idea. In Hierarchic Diffusion, phenomena are transmitted through the regular sequence of categories and classes. In Contagious Diffusion, the ideas, as the same as the contagious diseases, would spread regardless of the hierarchy. The two types of Hierarchical and Contagious Diffusions would act rapidly. In these two types of diffusion, thoughts and concepts migrate from the guest and new land and because this movement is not physical, diffusion occurs very fast. The transmission of each message is consistent with the nature and level of the acceptance of the message, the power of the sender, the ability to receive the message and the behaviour of the receiver, the geographical spatial, the role and location of the message centres and the policy that supports receiving the messages and innovations. Also, the role of the economic, social and technical data as a message facilitator cannot be ignored. In other words, according to Diffusion Theory, in explaining and studying the reflections of any political innovation, origin and destination, time, tools, channels and finally the issue of diffusion is analyzed. Also, the obstacles to diffusion and competing waves are considered as reducing factors that should be considered in the study of the reflections of the phenomenon and its diffusion.

Research Findings

Relying on the two institutions of Islam and the people, the Islamic Revolution challenged American imperialism influencing the Islamic world in particular and the world in general. Iran became a centre for the spread of religious rule to Islamic countries and Muslim parties and movements and caused a series of inevitable and reflexive influences on Muslims. Moreover, this country, through political Islam, individuals, ceremonies and revolutionary organizations, could cause a variety of cultural, political, economic and social influences on religious leaders and intellectuals by the means of the Relocation, Contagious and Hierarchical Diffusions.

The Iranian Revolution has mainly influenced the advancing of the process of Muslim awakening and the increase of the effective religious activities in Islamic countries, especially the Shi’ah communities. This Revolution awakened the dormant movements, reorganized inactive awakenings and in some cases, even encouraged the active movements to seek new ideologies. Before the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Shi’ahs were like a fire under the ashes and they were not playing many roles in the political relations of the governments and structures of the global power. The Iranian Revolution aroused Shi’ahs who, as a silent section of Muslim societies, had never played a role in determining their own destiny or in the political structure of their countries. As a result of the Islamic Revolution, the Shi’ahs regained their courage and after a period of experiencing inactivity and interregnum, they revived and found a new identity. Meanwhile, Pakistani Shi’ahs had a special place due to their proximity to Iran and the existence of a common cultural, linguistic and religious heritage, which had a long history. The impact of the Iranian Revolution on Pakistani Shi’ahs based on Diffusion Theory is as follows:

The Origin of Diffusion Theory

The source of Diffusion Theory is where the innovation and the issuance of new messages and values are ​​originated. The triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran as the source of Diffusion Theory in February 1979 has had extensive effects and reflections in the region for various reasons; First, a great and perfect Revolution which was in accordance with the definitions of the revolution took place in Iran; second, it made an international, transnational and human call, which is reflected in the suffix “Islamic”; third, the strategic position of Iran and the sensitive regional situation caused all structural changes in Iran to have regional implications.

In addition, the heartland of Shi’ah Islam is Iran and other Shi’ah communities are placed in surrounding countries. Shi’ahs make up ninety percent of Iran’s population and other countries with a significant Shi’ah majority or minority are mostly located around Iran. Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the best examples. After the Iranian Revolution, the countries around Iran also, in the form of the surrounding and semi-surrounding layers, were affected by the developments that occurred in the centre and moved mostly towards political activity and participation and gaining power. In other words, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution provided the Shi’ahs with new theoretical and practical teachings that took them out of the passive position and helped them to play an aggressive and acting role. Therefore, the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution in Iran automatically led to finding the identity, self-awareness and the introduction of the Shi’ahs. Iran’s presence in the centre of the Shi’ah world provided the ground for its leadership of the Shi’ah world and Shi’ah empowerment in Iran, or in other words, its ideological nature led to the expansion of Iran’s sphere of influence in the surrounding areas.

The Destination of Diffusion Theory

The destination of Diffusion Theory is the place where the content of the diffusion reaches. In Contagious Diffusion, issues would spread among the closest strata, individuals and regions that are in the vicinity of change and innovation. In other words, the “neighbourhood effect” is considered a key factor in Contagious Diffusion. The important point in Diffusion Theory is that a geographical area should accept the ideas that are being spread. In 1947, Pakistan was founded by Muslims as an ideological state and a democratic homeland for Muslims because of the existence of Islam and following the process of the secession from a larger country called India. Also, in 1958 it was renamed the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is a multinational country with a wide range of ethnic, linguistic and religious-sectarian diversity. 96 percent of the country’s population are Muslims of which 77 percent are Sunni and 20 percent are Shi’ah. The number of Shi’ahs in Pakistan is estimated to be about 25 to 35 million, although there are no exact figures. Following the division of the subcontinent in 1947, Shi’ahs remained the largest religious minority within Pakistan’s Sunni majority. Here it is necessary to go over the internal situation of Pakistan and the conditions of the Shi’ahs of this country during the Revolution in Iran to understand how the Iranian Revolution affected the Shi’ahs of Pakistan.

In 1977, General Mohammad Zia al-Haqq, the head of the Chiefs of Army Staff, withdrew the government of the Bhutto from People’s Party with a coup d’état. After the coup, Zia al-Haqq announced that his goal is to restore democracy and defend Islam. In 1978, Zia al-Haqq became president and cancelled the upcoming election. From then on, Zia al-Haqq put aside the idea of ​​restoring democracy and holding national elections and instead insisted on the Islamic nature of its government and its Islamization program. Regulating the educational and legal systems on the basis of Islamic laws, the military regime of General Zia al-Haqq changed the previous situation, in which the Islamic spirit had governed the laws and government, to the policy of the Islamization in all respects. This paved the way for change and transformation in the country’s atmosphere. Undoubtedly, one of the most important consequences of this period, which has so far overshadowed Pakistan’s society and politics, is that the role of Islam was highlighted in the public sphere. During Zia al-Haqq’s rule, the Islamization of laws took place in public policy and culture. On the other hand, General Zia al-Haqq equipped the army with Islamic ideology to gain the support of Pakistan’s clerics and Islamic institutions.

Therefore, it can be said that the Zia al-Haqq era was a unique example of the systematic promotion of Islamism pursued by officials and authorities. In this situation, the Shi’ahs were under a lot of pressure due to the activities of Islamization of the country and the imposition of Hanafi jurisprudence by the government. Also, in the meantime, the Islamic Revolution succeeded and a Shi’ah government came to power in Iran. This affected the Shi’ahs of Pakistan and it was expected given the interests of the two nations, the cultural and religious closeness as well as the situation of the Shi’ahs of Pakistan.

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