ISLAMIC REVOLUTION STUDIES
Year:2012 | Volume:9 | Issue:28|Papers Count:16

In ayatollah Khamenei's opinion, Islamic awakening is an un-refutable reality against the sense of "being inferiorized" which is imposed on Muslim societies by western colonialism in past centuries; however, his eminence believe that Islamic awakening is the same "Islamic dignity" introduced to Muslims as a live and dynamic paradigm by Islamic revolution of Iran that which challenges "western civilization" and "liberal democracy" system up to the final stages.

The third wave of Islamic awakening has taken over the entire world of Islam. Some critics believe that the 21st century is not only the century of revolutions but the century of Islamic revolutions. Although these revolutions do not follow the same patterns but they share common roots which are derived from Islam. With the advent of Islamic revolution of Iran which is based on Islam and establishment of a religious government formed out of people, the discourse of the new Islamic-Iranian civilization is flaunting as a new model in the region and international relations and Islamic revolution of Iran has become a source of inspiration for Muslim countries. This is the result of the formation of a new civilization which we have called it the new Islamic-Iranian civilization.

Prominent thinkers can be found in the last century who have suffered many troubles and hardships to achieve the cause of creating Ummah Wahida and Islamic civilization. The main question of this study is what are the pillars of the formation of Ummah Wahida from Imam Khomeini and Supreme leader's viewpoint as two leaders of the greatest and the most important revolution which carries the word "Islamic" in its title? To answer this question Imam Khomeini and supreme leader's works have been referred to and their thoughts have been investigated based on the theoretic framework formed out of Imam Khomeini's works. Religion, intellectuality, knowledge and ethics according to Imam and supreme leader's viewpoints are the four pillars to create Ummah Wahida and Islamic civilization.

Islamic revolution of Iran is undoubtedly considered as one the most influential developments of middle-east in recent decades and its spirit and ideology have substantially influenced many regional developments. As a hegemonial power, the US naturally considers Iran as her diehard rival in the middle-east and incessantly tries to direct middle-east movements known as Islamic awakening trend to her own desired path. This article tires to study the opportunities and challenges that may be created for Islamic republic of Iran's diplomatic system. The main finding of this article implies that an active diplomacy by Iran can enable our country to exploit more of opportunities and harness the challenges and turn them into extraordinary opportunities.

Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979 is a historical turning point and the beginning of a new era in world history. This revolution terminated the era of inferiority and contempt of the east and domination of the west and initiated the age of awakening, self-confidence and return of Muslims to their Islamic self. This article believes that by taking good example of Islamic revolution of Iran and a deja vu, revolutionary uprisings called "Islamic awakening" are in line with Iran as its axis which tries to fulfill its natural role as "the best ummah". This article tries to prove this hypothesis that the most prominent common characteristic among the consecutive and serial uprisings in the middle-east and North Africa is the presence and role-playing of the Islamic revolution of Iran.

Due to the importance of recent developments in the middle-east this study is aimed at examining and analyzing opportunities and challenges within these developments for Islamic revolution of Iran to exert influence on these movements and introduce Iran's paradigm; solutions have also been presented to optimize the opportunities and remove the existing challenges in these recent developments.Descriptive-analytical method has been applied in this study based on a quantitative method and the tools were gathering data as well as library sources, internet and documents.

The author claims that while the supreme leader's viewpoint is that middle-east developments are inspired by Islamic Revolution of Iran and is generally of an Islamic nature but the predominant impression of the executive body specially the president is that middle-east developments are mainly caused by an American-Israeli conspiracy under the title of Islamic awakening aimed at dividing and weakening the Islamic world. These two different impressions have led to two practical measures in Iran's foreign policy. Supporting the uprisings in the region and expanding society-society public relations is the result of the first impression while reinforcing Iranian government's relations with regional states to prevent instability and division of these states is the result of the second impression. The author believes that the middle-east developments can be explained in the frameworks of Islamic awakening and can not be downgraded to an American-Israeli conspiracy. However, both kinds of measures are necessary in Iran's foreign policy.

Recent developments in the middle-east can be studied and noted from different domestic and international aspects; how public uprisings all over the middle-east may exert influence on our national security is one the arenas that–despite its importance-has rarely been discussed and analyzed. In this article, while a comprehensive definition for the concept of the security has been presented with a concentration on the definition presented by Copenhagen school of thought, positive and negative security impacts these developments on Iran's national security has been put forth in two sections: opportunities and challenges. In addition to introducing opportunities for the country's diplomatic system to utilize these developments to reinforce national security, this article also explains security challenges of these extensive developments in the regional level.

Highlighting Egypt as the gateway to developments in the Arab world, this article considers the regional developments in 2011 as a new wave of Islamic awakening. Islamic world has suffered a long social, cultural, economic and mental crisis for more than two centuries. There is a cause and effect relation between social crises and emergence of different religious movements. Economic crisis as a result of ruling elites' mismanagement along with other factors (identity, legality and cultural crisis) can give rise to political Islam as a reliable alternative. People of Egypt like pre-revolution Iran has seen the unsuccessful experience of a nationalistic and liberal government affiliated with great powers and with friendly relations with Israel. Therefore, returning to religious identity and offering a new order based on Islam inspired by Iran's paradigm is considered the best alternative for the political system in Egypt.

Following the victory of Islamic revolution of Iran Ettejah al-Islami party (an-Nahdha) and its leadership turned to revive itself and move out of passiveness and weakness to establish a government. The impact of Islamic revolution of Iran with Imam Khomeini's (PBUH) character at its core quickly spread in Rashid al-Ghanousi and other Muslim reformists' thought and then spread among Muslim masses hierarchically. The spread of Islamic revolution of Iran and its unique leadership in theological, emotional and behavioral fields exerted substantial positive influence on an-Nahdha Islamic movement of Tunisia and its leadership. This article studies the spread of Islamic revolution of Iran based on broadcast theory and the resulting political viewpoint on an-Nahdha leadership.

The current article tries to study the distinctive aspects of religious leadership in Islamic revolution of Iran and Egyptian Islamic awakening through the study of the different social support of Islamic revolution of Iran's leader based on foundations of Islamic political thought. The author believes that the difference in the bases of religious beliefs has created different roles for the leadership in Islamic revolution of Iran. While during the Islamic revolution of Iran the leader guided the revolution as its ideologue, in Islamic awakening of Egypt, religious leadership entered the arena subsequent to the actual uprising which is the prime reason to slow down its victory process and turning the uprising into a revolution.

Islamic revolution of Iran has had numerous consequences internally, regionally and internationally including its impacts on Islamic movements and revival of the orientation toward Islam. The climax of this can be observed in the expansion of Islamic awakening waves in more than a year in some African and middle-eastern Islamic countries. Analyzing the process of formation, principles and actions of Ikhwan ul-Muslemin in Syria, this article tries to study and analyze Islamic revolution of Iran's impact on this movement.

Based on authentic scientific and academic researches and evidences, Islam-phobia undoubtedly exists in Britain. Based on a number of studies, manifestations of Islam-phobia can be followed in three arenas: public, media and government. The main concern of this article is to assess and analyze forms and intensity of Islam-phobia in these arenas. Investigating its roots and origins of Islam-phobia in Britain, this article tries to identify its aspects. Generally it seems that in methods of interacting and treating Muslim minority in Britain there is no effective policy to oppose Islam-phobia in these arenas. Therefore want it or not, Islam-phobia and discrimination against Muslims is spreading in Britain.

Constant internal pathology of Islamic awakening along with realism and moderation will help analyze weak points of this movement and a wake-up call for those who are responsible in this arena. Islamic awakening movement has faced various and common challenges during its development. Islamic awakening in most of Islamic societies cope with the same challenges. For Islamic awakening to come to fruition, it seems essential to identify and remove these challenges. In this article these challenges have been studied in two arenas: culture and religion. We face challenges with internal and external sources in cultural arena and fundamental and non-fundamental challenges in religious arena.