The Beginning of the Revolution Part 3 (Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the modern Islamic civilization 2)

2.3 Civilization of the Islamic Republic

The different dimensions and features of the civilization of the revolution and the Islamic system of Iran can be distinguished and depicted in four levels: (refer to Dehshiri, 2006)

2.3.1. An individual analytical level

What is meant by individual level is the involvement of the individual of the Iranian community with the phenomena of magnanimity and excellence which depict his mobility, vitality, felicity, hope and participation:

• The reliance of the regime upon all the people.
• Participation and accountability in the political process with good participation in the elections.
• Political credence.
• Developing scientific and innovative efforts.
• Rising personal and national self-confidence.
• Increasing the morale of sustainability and national resistance.
• Public unity and empathy of people with a tendency and trust in a common center in the name of religion and Islam.
• Protecting and encouraging cultural diversity and the right of cultural accessibility for all individuals both internally and externally.
• Encouraging active participation in the cultural life of the community.
• Enabling people for the sake of participating in the making of decisions will improve the quality and level of their cultural life.
• Approbation of the elites in interconnected and national relations.

2.3.2. The internal level

The internal level views the approaches and directions which have led to the correct and logical mobility and procedures within the country:

• Concurrent effort in sustainable and multilateral development in the fields of science, culture, morals, religion, society, politics and economy and also in developing the country by means of avoiding Tehranism and centralism.
• Benefitting from the promising political experience of over thirty years of governance.
• Adopting a knowledge-based development approach for the purpose of transforming the country into a community of knowledgeable people.
• Relying on science, thought and research products on national dignity and matters of national security and stability.
• Encouraging the elites and elitism, having deep insight and digging deeper in seeking knowledge, exchanging ideas, innovation and prosperity, self-confidence, moving forward and the jihadi struggle for independence and freedom of the country.
• More development relying upon the good fortune of higher education.
• Obtaining excellent scientific developments such as nuclear technology, military industries, missile and telecommunication industries, nanotechnology, biotechnology, stem cell technology, medical achievements such as artificial reeds, smart tissue glue, producing artificial veins, nanocrystal and so on despite all the sanctions imposed internationally.
• Utilizing science to generate national wealth.
• Devising plans and strategies for all the fields. For instance, what has been recorded in the “Vision 1404” document or like the scientific community of the country and so on by recognizing the geographical time and proper recognition of the goals and visions.

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2.3.3. The regional level and the realm of the Muslim world

• The capacities, elements and regional and Muslim world indicators of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regional power for the modern Islamic – Iranian civilization are as follows:
• Iran’s enjoyment of ancient Iranian-Islamic civilization, racial solidity, territorial expanse, quantity and modality of the population, military facilities, political authority, regional and international influence, natural resources, social capital, the intelligence and capabilities of cultural and political leaders, integration of national coherence and most importantly, holding on to the culture and doctrine of the Holy Prophet’s progeny (a), the commitment to the coherent and efficient theory of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurisprudent) as a progressive and transcendent pattern for the Islamic government in today’s world in the manner of religious democracy.
• By promoting a widespread awareness and awakening amongst the Muslims, the deprived people in the Muslim world, the Islamic Revolution managed to create in them the spirit of bravery and courage necessary for fighting.
• By means of creating self-belief and confidence in relations to the internal capability and facilities and encouraging the necessity of greater perception in regards to the historical and practical experience of the freedom movement, the Islamic Revolution has intensified the courage of the popular movements in resistance fighting based on the ideologies of the Islamic Revolution.
• As a universal and unified message in the Muslim world and while in the process of creating the spirit of self-belief and confidence and resistance against oppression, the Islamic Revolution managed to give the Muslims dignity and show that by means of paying attention to the position of the spiritual, values and belief discussions in the Muslim communities, and by relying on the spirit of sacrifice and resistance amongst the Muslim nation, it is capable of venturing into the ideological expansion of neither the east nor the west and the expansion of Islamic values.
• By means of reviving the religious constructive thinking in the contemporary world, the Islamic Revolution has managed to revive the life of Islam and returning it to the arena of international politics, depicting the global traits and Islamic politics, reviving the religious life in most of the Muslim countries in the form of new religious movements, encouraging the revival of religion in the modern life and the meaningful revival of religion and the religious life in the daily life, to define religion as a firm and stable factor and acquaint everyone with the role played by religion in the life of man.
• The Islamic Republic has led to Islamism to play a central role in the struggles of the Muslim libertarians, Islam to gain a pivotal role in the revolutionary wars, defining Islam as the greatest factor for reviving the soul and the guarantee of man’s bliss and the spiritual impact on the Islamic and popular movements have led to the spread of the Islamic Awakening in different parts of the Muslim world.
• By reviving the identity of the Muslim world, the Islamic Revolution has shown that religion can and must be an influential element in the decision-making system of the world.
• By relying upon the popular beliefs and norms, the Islamic Revolution has enjoyed the necessary power and strength needed to shape the social structures and international politics.
• The Islamic Revolution managed to invite the Muslim countries towards linking the manifestations of the modern world with religious traditions and a third way is to present the role of religion and cultural components on the basis of positive human experiences.
• Globalization of the struggle against Zionism.
• Combining common diplomacy with widespread cultural relationships.
• Striving to achieve a top position as the biggest country in the region, with its rich history and its strategic position.
• Struggling in the course of the political, economic and cultural unity of the Muslim world.
• Maintaining good neighbourliness with the neighbours and raising the trust amongst the people by means of implementing measures that build confidence and trust.
• Declaring the Middle East Region a region without weapons of mass destruction.
• The reception of more than two million immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan in more than two decades.
• Fighting a serious battle against terrorism.
• An explicit opposition against the presence of foreign military power in the region.
• Laying the foundation for the implementation of the Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights.
• Opposing the extremist activities and the fundamentalists in the Muslim world.
•  Producing films with rich native – religious or Iranian or Islamic content.
• Striving to spread the Persian language.
• Taking serious measures in dealing with the insults of the enemies of Islam like in the case of Salman Rushdie’s insults towards the Noble Quran and the Holy Prophet (s), the event of burning of the Noble Quran and the abusive cartoon and caricature. (Sharaf ad-Din, 2005)

2.3.4. International level

By means of influencing the international rules and movements, emphasizing justice and banishing discrimination, making people more humane, making fair and just the global environment, exposing the dominant, inhumane and immoral nature of the discourse of the international relationships, Iran’s Islamic Revolution has revealed its own international dimensions of civilization based on its cultural and political power.

While emphasizing the necessity of knowing the paraphernalia and techniques of efficient and modern propagation, the Islamic Revolution is insisting upon knowing the audience for the sake of succeeding in the arena of religious propagation and struggling to learn from new knowledge and culture and gaining the necessary preparation for competing in the modern world that is multi-cultural and the supply of massive cultural goods and appropriate messages. The characteristic of the software of the international power of the Islamic Revolution which includes; challenging the hegemony of the Western culture, inauguration of the third aspect in the international system and holding the banner of the cultural revolution of the world, are signs of the civilization of the Islamic Republic.

• Showing the defects of the modern epistemology: criticizing the restriction in the experimental science, emphasizing the necessity of the attachment of science with morals, self-purification and so on.
• Showing the defects of modern anthropology: man is the manifestation of God’s attributes and freedom and worship are the essence and aims of man.
• Paying heed to justice as the cornerstone of creation and changing it into a global discourse.
• Paying heed to the global crises (expansion and production of weapons of mass destruction and atomic weapons, violation, occupation, terrorism, poverty and hunger and so on).
• Presenting justice and moderation as the balance of life.
• Scepticism regarding the dignity and efficiency of the capitalist system.
• Challenging the Western cultural hegemony.
• Globalization of anti-imperialism and independence.
• Giving self-confidence to countries based on their capabilities in fighting against the imperialists and powers of this world and defeating their false power and inviting countries towards self-reliance and remaining firm in their resistance against the Western imperialists.
• Revealing the importance of the geographical culture of the Muslim world and challenging the materialistic nature of the liberalistic and socialistic ideologies.
• Removing democracy from the confinement of liberalism with the epitome of religious democracy and the development of religious discourses seeking to refresh the religious thoughts from the part of the Islamic Revolution based on the integration of republicanism and Islamism.
• Planning and promulgating the idea of religious denominational, cultural and civilizational dialogues.
• Active participation in offering philanthropic help to the international community.
• In general, by negating the dependency on the great Western and Eastern powers, relying upon Islamism and belief in spirituality, emphasizing the necessity of administering the rights of countries in determining their own fate, disrupting the norms of the international imperialists and undermining the political equations and security of the great powers, the Islamic Revolution has managed to manifest the real position of the non-aligned politics based on the Islamic dignity and the glory of the world and reveal to the public view its practical and theoretical freedom in making decisions, policy-making and executing the international policies. By this means, they have shown their own international and worldly capacities for civilization and their leading step in the modern Islamic civilization. (refer to Dehshiri, 2006 and Gozaresh Jomhur, 2008-2009)

The Islamic Awakening and the new Islamic civilization

From the fact that:

Firstly: The foundation of the course of the Islamic Awakening is a process that is based on simple substances which consist of: rationalism, refusing imitation, superstition, purification of religious thought, avoiding a one sided view in religion, continuous ijtihad, presenting the religion of Islam as a comprehensive and efficient religious ideology, changing and improving religious education, gradual modification, the philosophy of self, the Muslim community, reviving the social and political life of Islam, revival of religious knowledge, fighting against imperialism, Islamic Awakening, unity, returning the fundamentals of scientific progress to the Islamic origin, paying heed to the present Islam as the product of degeneration caused by the retardation of Muslims and the long dominance of despotism which separates the Muslims from the true Islam, solidarity and unity against the domination of Western civilization, attempting to create an Islamic state, striving for national self-sufficiency, living a simple life and avoiding luxuries, correct education of young generation and teenagers, getting the elements of renaissance and civilization from Islam and Islamic civilization, fighting the tyranny of tyrannical rulers, leaving the yoke of rigidity and despair, getting equipped with the new sciences and techniques and welcoming the positive effects of Western civilization, returning to the genuine Islam and abandoning superstition, returning to the Noble Quran, the holy traditions and the righteous people, belief in the comprehensiveness of the religion of Islam, the solidarity of Islam, the principle of jihad, giving identity to the Muslims, believing in the link between religion and science, presenting Islam in an efficient manner, blowing spirit of commitment, cultural, political and economic freedom, having no hope in others, paying heed to one’s identity, the spirit of potentiality, finding oneself, ideological and cultural freedom, self-understanding, fighting against lack of esteem in relation to the West, fighting against political domination, self-alienation, moral corruption and deviation, ignorance of people, petrification, Westernization and so on. (refer to Imam Khomeini, 1990; Khaliqi-Afkand, 1999: 324-325; Arif Husayni, 2002; Heydari, 2003 and Afrugh, 2008)

And secondly:

In summary, we can define the following cases as their semantic components from the concept of civilization:

• The concept of civilization observes the collective and social life of man and his co-operation in helping to improve this collective life as much as possible.
• Civilization means the transition from a normal collective life to a social state that has developed in different areas of morals, intellect, arts and technique and so on.
• The nucleus of man in the concept of civilization: since it is man that knowingly makes decisions with positive modification towards development in his collective life to create a civilization.
• The cradle of civilizations is the great societies that are developed. Civilization is one of the common characteristics of great and developed societies.
• The concept of civilization is mixed with development, complexity, prosperity and comfort.
• Civilization is indebted to creativity and innovations in all aspects of life like arts, morals, science, technology, religion, laws, economy, philosophy, literature and so on.
• Civilization is a special kind of material and spiritual development in a society that includes a set of economic, cultural, moral, legal, scientific, artistic and religious elements.
• Being a historical phenomenon, civilizations are created in a vast environment called human history.
• Civilization is inevitably a collection of a homogeneous and coherent set of different hardware and software components in social life. A set that belief, faith, science, art, moral, religion, skill, philosophy, laws, literature, economy, etiquettes and customs and so on form a semantic system whereby each of the components are compatible with each other.
• Civilization is a resultant of intellectual and spiritual artifacts of man, in this manner that in his interaction with the existence (nature and his fellow human beings) man becomes the source of phenomena whereby all the objective representations in the context of these intellectual creatures find meaning. (refer to Khorramshad and Adami, 2007: 60-61 and Abazari and his partners, 2011)

It can be easily claimed that in the present condition of the Muslim world, by relying upon its substantial and historical qualities, and also by means of the inspiration from what has been given in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the past thirty-five years, naturally and in one historical and strategic consequence, the Islamic Awakening is in search of modern civilization by relying upon Islam and the native identities of this cultural-geographic civilization.

Indeed, the major question in this part of the discussion can be asked as follows; what influences does the contemporary Islamic Awakening have or will have on the scope of the Islamic civilization in the present world?

If in response to this question, we accept the explanation of the view of (civil wars) by Samuel Huntington, then one of the three vital scopes of civilizations in the new era is the Islamic civilization. (Refer to Huntington, 1999). Now the question is that does the geography of the Islamic civilization have more power and motive than the tyrannical regimes or is it the Muslim world with the Islamic ideology with the Islamist goals and values?

By considering the fact that the Islamic Awakening is more than anything else in idealist and some of its aims since time immemorial are the unity of the Muslim world, the formation of the Muslim nation and civilization. One of the permanent objections of the Islamists in their long war against the dictatorial regimes of their countries was that; in response to the good service offered by the Arab leaders and the leaders of the Muslim countries, what has the Western countries given to them that is similar to the advanced industry and modern science and technology? This is one of the vital questions that are present in the current Arab Spring.

One of the strong points that Iran’s Islamic Revolution that always seems valuable and worthy of praise to the Islamists of the other Muslim countries is the scientific, industrial and technological progress of Iran despite undergoing all the sanctions imposed on them, wars and threats. It is due to this fact that whenever the leaders and representatives of the latest countries that have had an uprising in the Muslim world meet with the leaders and representatives of Iran, always ask about the possibility of passing the developed technologies to their countries.

It seems that in the event of the establishment of the heads of the Islamic Awakening in the Arab countries and overcoming the present natural and imposed undesirable conditions, modern civilization in the Muslim world will experience more culmination. This vital matter can even be easily noted from the discussions and behaviour of the rival civilizations, especially from the words and behaviour of the Western countries.

The declaration of the crusade or civic war against the Muslim world is one of these discussions and behaviour. The unnatural Islamophobia which has been devised in recent years is another evidence of the flourishing of the civilization of the Muslim world. If Islam and its civilization were in a weak condition, there was no need for Islamophobia. Islamophobia means that Islam is in a strong and developing condition and it must be stopped by any means possible. From the fact that Islam is not only a religion of shari’ah law but rather a cult religion and in fact a religion of civilization, in the event of developing in the contemporary world, it will very soon turn into the modern civilization in the new era. This can make it rectify the defects of the Western civilization and eventually take its place. So, it is vital to promulgate Islamophobia.

The logic behind the present matter of Iran phobia and Shi’aphobia also shares the logic behind Islamophobia. From the fact that Iran and the Shi’ahs have firmly taken the first step in establishing the modern civilization based on Islam and in the event of taking the next step in a firm manner, this will therefore enable it to reach a non-returnable level. As a result, the road must be blocked for Iran and Shi’ahs.

Currently, whether we like it or not, apparently there is an ongoing war between the Islamic civilization and the Western civilization and is in the process of culminating. The victory of the Islamic Awakening will mean a serious reinforcement and determinant for the Muslim world and the modern Islamic civilization proposed in it, in opposition to the civilization full of challenges and crisis faced by the materialist West.

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