Despite booming oil remittances the wedge between rich and poor began to make situation worst. Western countries had more clout over the oil businesses. The bloody events of 15 Khordad in 1963, after which Ayatollah Khomeini was sent into exile, had began to radicalise the Iranian masses against the despotic monarchy. The notorious secret service SAVAK had played major role as henchmen in perpetuating the intimidation and torture of political activists. Upon restoring the monarchy with the help of Britishers and Americans, Shah started more repressive policies by eliminating the dissenting voices. Actually, the sense of anti-Americanism had also roots in that “great betrayal”. Further the democratically elected popular Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh Government supported by a Shia clergy Ayatollah Sayyid Abol Qasim Kashani was overthrown in a US-backed coup (also called Operation Ajax) had deep impact on psyche of ordinary Iranians. The late 19th century Tobacco Movement and early 20th century Constitutional Movement has been a very important event in awakening the collective consciousness of people. In Iran the Islamic Revolution has its roots in the trials and tribulations of history. To name a few, it was mystic philosopher Ali Shariati, Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari, Jalal Aal-e Ahmad and Ayatollah Beheshti who exhorted people with their intellectual engagements. He is of the view that both the revolutions did not have the populist features as compared to the Iranian Revolution as one-fourth of Iran’s population took to the streets against a regime still capable of brutal repression.īefore every political revolution there is an intellectual revolution. However, in an important book Shi’ism and Social Protest, US academician Richard W Cottam has tried to dissect the anatomy of the Iranian Revolution by comparing it with French and Bolshevik revolutions. It continues to be a source of bewilderment in the Western world and is often called “rightist”, “reactionary”, “fanatic’, ‘irrational’ and “regressive”. Cut to present, the revolution has stirred up an intense debate on Islam vs West because the whole idea of modernity has been challenged by the contours of the Iranian revolution. It was a major development of the 20th century as it comprehensively changed the course of history and politics.Īt their wits’ end, the Western world was fumbling for words to react to this “orientalist” phenomenon as it did not conform to their notion of a “revolution”. The Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 under the leadership of Ayatollah Sayyid Ruhollah Moosavi Khomeini was one of the monumental events. These years witnessed major upheavals in the political arena of Iran as well. In the political history of West Asian and North African (WANA) region, the decades of 1970s and 1980s are marked as the years of turbulence. Besides stirring up a debate on Islam vs West, it continues to have repercussions on the Islamic Republic’s relations with the rest of the world Since the 1979 revolution, international relations and geopolitical equations have drastically changed.
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