As one of the influential ideas in recent years, the Resistance Economy which has been proposed by the Supreme Leader constitutes an important part of the idea of the Islamic economy and identifying economic problems as well as providing solutions for them. The Resistance Economy contributes to the establishment of Islamic governance since it is based on the rules of shari’ah. What has been expressed by the Supreme Leader in the field of economy is called the Resistance Economy which means relying on domestic capabilities and constructive external interaction in the field of managing the country’s economy. Since the Resistance Economy minimizes the political, economic, cultural and social dependence of the Islamic society, it could prepare the ground for the prosperity of the ideal Islamic society.
Resistance Economy; Its Origins and Differences with Other Theories
Although the Resistance Economy in its literal sense was not taken into account until it was proposed by Ayatollah Khamenei, it is possible to refer to theories and viewpoints that are related to this concept. These ideas are seen in many economic schools and even political ones. Economic austerity is one of the concepts related to the Resistance Economy. This economic idea is actually used by some governments to deal with the budget deficit, which sometimes leads to an increase in taxes, governments taking out loans from foreign countries, and foreign aid.
Another concept related to the issue of the Resistance Economy is economic resilience. Economic resilience addresses the extent to which a country’s economic system in times of crisis and economic pressures can have resilience and prevent such crises from spreading to other areas. Another concept that pertains to the economic resilience and Resistance Economy is economic vulnerability. Because the lack of economic strength may cause weak economies to be affected by the international economic system thereby facing the pressures of other countries. Another concept that can be proposed in this regard is the concept of dependence. According to this economic idea, countries need to interact with each other in order to achieve economic benefits and manage their economic affairs, and for this reason, they could not organize their economic life without taking into account the role of having economic relations with other countries.
The economy of the less developed and third-world countries is a source for reinforcing the powerful countries, a phenomenon which requires strengthening the domestic economy. Proponents of this theory believe that the domestic economy contributes to reducing economic inequality with powerful and rich countries.
The Resistance Economy is rooted in Islamic teachings and has been regulated and devised in accordance with the specific conditions of Iranian society as well as the international and regional economic situation. The ideal Islamic economic system is crystalized by assuming the fulfillment of jurisprudential rules in the given ideal society, and in designing the ideal economic system decisions are being made according to the requirements of time and place.
Ayatollah Khamenei states: “They dictated a certain model – I do not want to expand on this model - which says that if third-world countries want to achieve economic growth and prosperity and if they want to reach the level of the global economy, they should follow this model which mainly relies on the outside with all this implies.”
In his intellectual system, relying on foreigners and other countries is one of the reasons that countries like Iran face problems and ultimately become dependent. Therefore, he states: “One of the policies or characteristics of the Resistance Economy is developing the country from within: this means generating wealth through the domestic activities of the country. We should not pin our hopes on the outside world…The economy should grow from within; however, this does not mean that we should close the gates of the country: this is not what it means. We have previously said that the economy should grow from the inside and in the meantime, we may look at the outside as well.”
In the view of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the rule of Islam means the observance and complete implementation of religious teachings in various fields, which ultimately lead to the realization of an Islamic society ideal for Muslims and a model for the world.
The Ideal Governance and Economy
Islamic governance emphasizes the complete implementation of divine teachings in all aspects of society, in which Islamic rulers take steps in line with the sovereignty of God and the rule of His Messenger (s). According to the verse, “O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you…” (Holy Qur’an 4:59), Islamic governance is nothing but acting upon divine teachings, that is, what God, Prophet Muhammad (s) and the infallible Imams (a) explain.
Moreover, the “Islamic economic system” is a systematic set of desirable economic behaviours and relations toward Islamic goals. This system, which is derived from Islamic sources, shows how people and the government relate to each other as well as to property and economic resources, relies on ontological foundations and follows the jurisprudential rulings and economic ethics of Islam.
The Components of the Resistance Economy and Their Effects on Ideal Governance
Dealing with the components of the Resistance Economy and examining their relationship and position in the realization of the ideal Islamic society show the connection between the idea of the Resistance Economy and the ideal Islamic society, of which some important components will be addressed.
Human Dignity and Self-Esteem
Respecting human dignity is one of the basic goals of the Islamic economy, which in turn is one of the foundations of the realization of the ideal Islamic governance. At the same time, preserving human dignity and self-esteem is a noble ideal for all human beings. Thinkers and elites in developed countries have taken into account preserving human dignity as one of the permanent principles in their respective constitutions. For centuries, the life-giving school of Islam dignified human beings and advised Muslims to have this view.
From the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the Resistance Economy will neutralize the plans of the enemies of the Islamic system and bring independence and national honour. Because relying on an imported economy would eventually tarnish the honour and dignity of Islamic society. According to him, the enemy, by the means of economy, is trying to make the problems of society look serious and difficult to resolve. He states, “They want to ruin the economy of the country. They want the people’s living conditions to be bad. They want the people’s pockets to be empty. They want their resources to decrease. They want their money to lose its value. They want to decrease the people’s purchasing power so that they become dissatisfied. This is the goal.”
Independent approaches in the fields of economy, politics and culture are employed mainly to provide a basis for the realization of the ideal Islamic governance. Therefore, the Resistance Economy is not an objective, rather it is a means to achieve a new Islamic civilization and even the ideal Islamic society. The new Islamic civilization, the core of which was founded with the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, is based on the original Islamic ideology and takes into account the capacities of today’s humanity. Moreover, it seeks to codify and adjust the affairs of humans’ social life through concurrent consideration of this world and the hereafter.
The Priority of Domestic Production
In the opinion of the Supreme Leader, the Resistance Economy underscores and supports domestic and national production thereby taking septs to the realization of the ideal Islamic governance. In his view, “the Resistance Economy is contrary to the old model which was dictated by powers for the so-called developing or third-world countries… They dictated a certain model…The Resistance Economy is the opposite of this model. It is a model that is completely different from the old one. However, some people continue to speak about that model. The Resistance Economy focuses on domestic capacities.”
Putting Efforts into Construction and Development
The manifestations of civilization and life of developed societies clearly reveal that one of the factors of their growth and development is the institutionalization of the culture of work and effort and the rejection of seeking comforts and laziness. No country would develop without promoting this valuable culture and no civilization could grow without considering this basic factor. That is why this effective and constructive factor has been given special attention in the religion of Islam as well. For example, in verses 39 and 40 of Chapter al-Najm, the Holy Qur’an clearly introduces work and effort as the source of wealth and strength of human societies: “That nothing belongs to man except what he strives for, and that he will soon be shown his endeavour.” (Holy Qur’an 53:39-40)
Likewise, Prophet Muhammad (s) states: “The one who makes efforts to fulfill the living needs of his family, is like a mujahid who fights for the sake of God.”
Also in this field, the Resistance Economy could pave the way for economic prosperity by highlighting construction and development as well as providing the necessary conditions for improving the environment of healthy competition. A flourishing that will eventually lead to the realization of the ideal Islamic governance. The main aim of every theoretician is defined in the realization of his intended ideal society. Therefore, in the eyes of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the realization of the Resistance Economy as one of the ideal forms of Islamic governance is necessary.
Ideal Islamic Governance and the Issue of Independence
It is based on the notion of being independent and rejecting the domination of foreigners that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution considers the negation of the domination of the West as a fundamental aspect of the Resistance Economy while linking the ideal Islamic governance to the issue of independence. Because according to him, power-seeking and mafia groups lead the capitalist systems, and they seek to plunder their own nations and other countries of the world, and for this reason, western liberal democracy could not bring people to their desired destination. According to Ayatollah Khamenei, these problems are among the basic challenges humanity and Muslims face. He states clearly: “Notice that this is the meaning of corruption. Corruption means the domination of power-seeking and money-hungry mafia groups in a way that the great political and military apparatus of a country like the US does not dare to implement a measure – preventing the sale of guns – which clearly has good effects. These are instances of corruption.”
Reference: The Islamic Revolution Approach. Vol 14, No. 51, Summer 2020, Pp 45-66.
Archive of Ayatollah Khamenei
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